CLI Reference

Complete command-line reference for lla covering all commands, flags, options, and arguments with detailed descriptions and examples.

Command Line Reference

Complete reference for all lla commands, options, and flags. For practical examples, see the Basic Usage Guide.

Command Structure

lla [OPTIONS] [PATH]

OPTIONS: Flags and settings that modify behavior
PATH: Directory or file to list (defaults to current directory)

Global Options

Display Modes

Flag	Long Form	Description
`-l`	`--long`	Long format with detailed metadata
`-t`	`--tree`	Hierarchical tree view
`-T`	`--table`	Structured table format
`-g`	`--grid`	Multi-column grid layout
`-G`	`--git`	Git-aware view with status information
`-S`	`--sizemap`	Visual size distribution map
`-R`	`--recursive`	Recursive directory listing
`-F`	`--fuzzy`	Interactive fuzzy search mode (experimental)
	`--timeline`	Chronological timeline view

Examples:

lla -l                    # Long format
lla -t -d 3               # Tree view, 3 levels deep
lla -G                    # Git view
lla --timeline            # Timeline organization

Sorting Options

Flag	Long Form	Values	Description
`-s`	`--sort`	`name`, `size`, `date`	Sort criterion
`-r`	`--sort-reverse`		Reverse sort order
	`--sort-dirs-first`		List directories before files
	`--sort-case-sensitive`		Enable case-sensitive sorting
	`--sort-natural`		Natural number sorting (2.txt before 10.txt)

Examples:

lla -s size               # Sort by size, largest first
lla -s date -r            # Sort by date, oldest first
lla -s name --sort-dirs-first  # Alphabetical with directories first
lla -s name --sort-natural     # Natural sorting: file2.txt, file10.txt

Filtering Options

Flag	Long Form	Description
`-f`	`--filter`	Filter files by pattern
`-c`	`--case-sensitive`	Case-sensitive filtering
`-d`	`--depth`	Maximum depth for recursive operations
	`--files-only`	Show only regular files
	`--dirs-only`	Show only directories
	`--symlinks-only`	Show only symbolic links
	`--dotfiles-only`	Show only hidden files/directories
	`--no-files`	Hide regular files
	`--no-dirs`	Hide directories
	`--no-symlinks`	Hide symbolic links
	`--no-dotfiles`	Hide hidden files/directories

Examples:

lla -f "test"             # Files containing "test"
lla -f ".rs"              # Rust source files
lla -f "test" -c          # Case-sensitive match
lla -d 3                  # Limit depth to 3 levels
lla --files-only --no-dotfiles  # Only visible regular files

Advanced filtering patterns:

# OR operation
lla -f "test,spec"        # Match "test" OR "spec"
 
# AND operation
lla -f "+test,api"        # Match "test" AND "api"
 
# Regular expressions
lla -f "regex:^test.*\.rs$"  # Regex pattern
 
# Glob patterns
lla -f "glob:*.{rs,toml}"    # Multiple extensions
 
# Logic operators
lla -f "test AND .rs"     # Logical AND
lla -f "test OR spec"     # Logical OR
lla -f "NOT test"         # Logical NOT
lla -f "test XOR spec"    # Logical XOR

Content Search

Flag	Long Form	Description
	`--search`	Search file contents (ripgrep-powered)
	`--search-context`	Number of context lines (default: 2)

Examples:

lla --search "TODO"                    # Find "TODO" in files
lla --search "main()"                  # Literal search (default)
lla --search "regex:^func.*\("         # Regex search
lla --search "TODO" --search-context 5 # Show 5 context lines
lla --search "Error" -f ".rs"          # Search only in .rs files
lla --search "FIXME" --case-sensitive  # Case-sensitive search

Visual Options

Flag	Long Form	Description
	`--icons`	Show file icons
	`--no-icons`	Hide file icons
	`--no-colors`	Disable colored output
	`--permission-format`	Permission display format
	`--grid-ignore`	Ignore terminal width in grid view
	`--relative-dates`	Show relative timestamps ("2h ago")
	`--hide-group`	Hide group column in long format

Permission formats:

symbolic: Standard rwxr-xr-x format (default)
octal: Numeric format (e.g., 644)
binary: Binary representation
verbose: Detailed text description
compact: Condensed numeric notation

Examples:

lla --no-icons            # Disable icons
lla --no-colors           # Plain text output
lla -l --permission-format octal    # Numeric permissions
lla -l --relative-dates   # "2 hours ago" instead of timestamp
lla -l --hide-group       # Simplify long format output
lla -g --grid-ignore      # Grid extending beyond screen width

Machine Output

Flag	Long Form	Description
	`--json`	JSON array output
	`--ndjson`	Newline-delimited JSON
	`--csv`	CSV format
	`--pretty`	Pretty-print JSON (use with --json)

Examples:

lla --json                # Compact JSON
lla --json --pretty       # Formatted JSON
lla --ndjson              # One JSON object per line
lla --csv                 # CSV with headers
 
# Processing with jq
lla --json | jq '.[] | select(.size_bytes > 1000000)'
 
# Export to CSV
lla --csv > files.csv

JSON/NDJSON schema:

{
  "path": "src/main.rs",
  "name": "main.rs",
  "extension": "rs",
  "file_type": "file",
  "size_bytes": 1234,
  "modified": "2024-05-01T12:34:56Z",
  "created": "2024-05-01T10:00:00Z",
  "accessed": "2024-05-01T14:00:00Z",
  "mode_octal": "0644",
  "owner_user": "username",
  "owner_group": "groupname",
  "inode": 1234567,
  "hard_links": 1,
  "symlink_target": null,
  "is_hidden": false,
  "git_status": "M.",
  "plugin": {}
}

Other Options

Flag	Long Form	Description
	`--include-dirs`	Calculate directory sizes (slower)
`-h`	`--help`	Show help information
`-V`	`--version`	Show version information

Examples:

lla -S --include-dirs     # Size map including directory sizes
lla -h                    # Quick help
lla --help                # Detailed help
lla --version             # Version and plugin info

Plugin Commands

Plugin Management

lla install [OPTIONS]

Options:

Flag	Long Form	Description
	`--prebuilt`	Install from prebuilt release (default)
	`--git URL`	Install from Git repository
	`--dir PATH`	Install from local directory

Examples:

lla install                                    # Install all first-party plugins
lla install --git https://github.com/user/plugin  # Install from Git
lla install --dir /path/to/plugin              # Install from local directory

Plugin Control

lla use                                        # Interactive plugin manager
lla --enable-plugin NAME                       # Enable specific plugin
lla --disable-plugin NAME                      # Disable specific plugin

Examples:

lla use                                   # Arrow keys to navigate, Space to toggle
lla --enable-plugin git_status            # Enable Git status plugin
lla --disable-plugin file_hash            # Disable hash plugin

Plugin Actions

Execute plugin actions using either positional or flag-based syntax.

Positional Syntax (v0.5.0+, Recommended):

lla plugin <name> <action> [args...]

Flag-Based Syntax (Legacy):

lla plugin --name NAME --action ACTION [--args ARG...]

Examples:

# Positional syntax (shorter, cleaner)
lla plugin file_tagger help
lla plugin file_tagger add-tag "file.txt" "important"
lla plugin code_complexity show-report
 
# Flag-based syntax (still supported)
lla plugin --name file_tagger --action help
lla plugin --name file_tagger --action add-tag --args "file.txt" "important"
lla plugin --name code_complexity --action show-report

Plugin Aliases

Create short aliases for frequently used plugins in your configuration file:

# ~/.config/lla/config.toml
[plugin_aliases]
j = "jwt"
k = "kill_process"
n = "npm"
gs = "google_search"
yt = "youtube"

Using Aliases:

# With alias 'j' for 'jwt'
lla plugin j decode "token123"
 
# With alias 'k' for 'kill_process'
lla plugin k interactive
 
# With alias 'n' for 'npm'
lla plugin n search "react"
 
# Without alias (still works)
lla plugin jwt decode "token123"

Benefits:

Reduces typing for frequently used plugins
Works with both positional and flag-based syntax
Automatic alias resolution in shortcuts
Configurable per user/machine

Plugin Updates

lla update [PLUGIN_NAME]

Examples:

lla update                # Update all plugins
lla update git_status     # Update specific plugin

Plugin Cleanup

lla clean

Remove invalid or corrupted plugins.

Shortcut Commands

lla shortcut SUBCOMMAND [OPTIONS]

Subcommands

Command	Description
`create`	Interactive shortcut builder with plugin/action discovery
`add NAME PLUGIN ACTION [-d DESCRIPTION]`	Create a new shortcut manually
`remove NAME`	Delete a shortcut
`list`	Show all shortcuts
`export [FILE]`	Export shortcuts to TOML file or stdout
`import FILE [--merge]`	Import shortcuts from TOML file

Examples:

# Interactive creation (recommended)
lla shortcut create
 
# Manual creation
lla shortcut add snip code_snippet_extractor extract -d "Extract code"
lla shortcut add tags code_snippet_extractor add-tags -d "Add tags"
 
# Use shortcuts
lla snip "main.rs" "function_name" 10 20 3
lla tags "snippet_id" "rust" "algorithm"
 
# List shortcuts
lla shortcut list
 
# Remove shortcut
lla shortcut remove snip
 
# Export shortcuts
lla shortcut export shortcuts.toml           # To file
lla shortcut export                          # To stdout
 
# Import shortcuts
lla shortcut import shortcuts.toml           # Replace existing
lla shortcut import shortcuts.toml --merge   # Merge with existing

Configuration Commands

lla config [OPTIONS]

Options:

Flag	Long Form	Description
	`--set KEY VALUE`	Set configuration value
	`--get KEY`	Get configuration value
	(no options)	Display full configuration

Examples:

lla config                          # View all config
lla config --get theme              # Get current theme
lla config --set theme dark         # Set theme
lla config --set default_sort size  # Set default sort
lla config --set show_icons true    # Enable icons by default
 
# More config examples
lla config --set default_format long
lla config --set sort.dirs_first true
lla config --set filter.no_dotfiles false

Theme Commands

lla theme [SUBCOMMAND]

Subcommands

Command	Description
(no subcommand)	Interactive theme selector
`pull`	Download all built-in themes
`install PATH`	Install theme from file or directory

Examples:

lla theme                                    # Interactive selector
lla theme pull                               # Get all themes
lla theme install custom-theme.toml          # Install single theme
lla theme install /path/to/themes/           # Install from directory

Jump Commands

lla jump [OPTIONS]

Options:

Flag	Long Form	Description
	`--setup`	Setup shell integration
	`--shell SHELL`	Specify shell (bash, zsh, fish)
	`--add PATH`	Add directory to bookmarks
	`--remove PATH`	Remove bookmark
	`--list`	List bookmarks and history
	`--clear-history`	Clear navigation history
	(no options)	Interactive directory selector

Examples:

# One-time setup
lla jump --setup
 
# Use jump (after setup, use `j`)
j                                    # Interactive selector
 
# Manage bookmarks
lla jump --add ~/projects/myapp
lla jump --remove ~/old-project
lla jump --list
 
# Clear history
lla jump --clear-history

Initialization Commands

lla init                            # Create default configuration
lla completion SHELL                # Generate shell completion

Completion shells:

bash
zsh
fish
elvish

Examples:

# Initialize config
lla init
 
# Generate completions
lla completion bash > ~/.lla-completion.bash
lla completion zsh > ~/.zsh/completions/_lla
lla completion fish > ~/.config/fish/completions/lla.fish

Environment Variables

Variable	Description
`RUST_LOG`	Set logging level (debug, info, warn, error)
`NO_COLOR`	Disable colors (any value)

Examples:

RUST_LOG=debug lla                  # Debug output
NO_COLOR=1 lla                      # Disable colors

Exit Codes

Code	Meaning
0	Success
1	General error
2	Invalid arguments
3	File not found
4	Permission denied

Common Command Combinations

Development Workflows

# Overview of project
lla -t -d 3
 
# Find and examine test files
lla -R -f "test" -l -s date
 
# Check recent changes with Git
lla -G --files-only -s date
 
# Find large files
lla -R -s size -l | head -20

System Administration

# Disk usage analysis
lla -S --include-dirs -s size
 
# Find recently modified configs
lla -f "config" -s date -l
 
# Permission audit
lla -l --permission-format verbose
 
# Check log files
lla -f ".log" -s date

Data Export and Scripting

# Export file list to JSON
lla --json --pretty > files.json
 
# Process with jq
lla --json | jq '[.[] | select(.file_type == "file")]'
 
# Generate CSV report
lla -R --csv > inventory.csv
 
# Count files by extension
lla --ndjson | jq -r '.extension' | sort | uniq -c

Tips and Tricks

Create Useful Aliases

# Add to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc
alias ll='lla -l'
alias lt='lla -t -d 3'
alias lg='lla -G'
alias lf='lla --fuzzy'
alias lls='lla -l -s size'
alias llt='lla -l -s date'

Use as ls Replacement

alias ls='lla'
alias ll='lla -l'
alias la='lla -a'

Pipe to Other Commands

lla -l | grep "\.rs"              # Traditional grep
lla --json | jq                   # JSON processing
lla --csv | column -t -s,         # Format CSV
lla | fzf                         # External fuzzy finder

Configuration Profiles

Create different config files for different scenarios:

# Work profile
cp ~/.config/lla/config.toml ~/.config/lla/work-config.toml
 
# Use specific config
cp ~/.config/lla/work-config.toml ~/.config/lla/config.toml

Getting Help

lla -h                    # Quick help
lla --help                # Detailed help
lla command --help        # Command-specific help
 
# Online resources
# Documentation: https://lla.chaqchase.com
# GitHub: https://github.com/chaqchase/lla
# Issues: https://github.com/chaqchase/lla/issues

CLI Reference

Command Line Reference

Command Structure

Global Options

Display Modes

Sorting Options

Filtering Options

Content Search

Visual Options

Machine Output

Other Options

Plugin Commands

Plugin Management

Plugin Control

Plugin Actions

Plugin Aliases

Plugin Updates

Plugin Cleanup

Shortcut Commands

Subcommands

Configuration Commands

Theme Commands

Subcommands

Jump Commands

Initialization Commands

Environment Variables

Exit Codes

Common Command Combinations

Development Workflows

System Administration

Data Export and Scripting

Tips and Tricks

Create Useful Aliases

Use as ls Replacement

Pipe to Other Commands

Configuration Profiles

See Also

Getting Help

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