title: "Command line" sidebar_position: 6
Command line
Every way to start 012, with the page that describes each. A file named
like a command (get, diff) opens as ./.
With the screen
| Command | Does |
|---|---|
012 [flags] [file] |
Opens a .012 workbook (created on saving when it doesn't exist), or imports another format: Files |
012 [flags] - |
A table from standard input: Pipelines |
012 [flags] --listen [file] |
Lets agents work in the session with you, attached with 012 mcp --attach: Live mode |
012 [flags] --pipe [--to nuon|json|csv|tsv] [--send ask|selection|sheet] [file] |
On quitting, sends a table to standard output: Pipelines |
012 nu [flags] [file] |
A nushell notebook, at its prompt: Notebooks |
012 serve [flags] [dir] |
Serves the sheets in a directory over SSH: Serving over SSH |
The flags are the options' flags, listed in Configuration.
Without the screen
| Command | Does |
|---|---|
012 get file.012 [ref] |
Writes a cell's value, or a range or sheet as a table: Scripts |
012 set file.012 ref input [ref input ...] |
Types entries into cells and saves, or with --dry-run prints the change: Scripts |
012 recalc file.012 |
Recalculates, saves and lists the cells showing errors: Scripts |
012 export file.012 out [ref] |
Writes the workbook, a sheet or a range in another format: Scripts |
012 describe file.012 |
Lists the sheets and what's on them: Agents |
012 mcp [file.012] |
Serves the workbooks in the folders open to it to MCP hosts over standard input and output: MCP server |
012 mcp --attach [name|socket] |
Joins a running 012 listening for agents, as the agent's MCP server: Live mode |
012 diff a.012 b.012 |
Lists what changed, cell by cell: Diff and merge in git |
012 diff --textconv file.012 |
Writes a workbook as lines, for git's textconv: Diff and merge in git |
012 merge-driver base ours theirs [path] |
Merges theirs into ours, for git: Diff and merge in git |
012 nu --module, 012 nu --install-module [--force] [path] |
Prints or installs the nushell module: Nushell |
012 agent --skill, 012 agent --install-skill [--force] [dir] |
Prints or installs the Claude Code skill: Agents |
012 agent --install-mcp claude-code|claude-desktop|codex [--root dir]... [--print] |
Adds 012 mcp to a host's configuration, or prints the entry: MCP server |
012 config [path|edit|default|themes|set-key|delete-key] |
The settings: Configuration |
012 version [--format text|json|nuon] |
Prints the version |
get, set, recalc, export, describe, mcp, diff,
merge-driver and agent take their flags anywhere after the command's name, and --help prints their
usage. -- ends the flags, so what follows is taken as it is
(012 set book.012 -- A1 --), and an argument such as -5 is never a
flag.
| Flag | Commands | Does |
|---|---|---|
--format text|csv|tsv|json|nuon |
get |
The form of what's written; text by default |
--input |
get |
What was typed (a formula) rather than its value |
--no-header |
get |
JSON and NUON columns named by their letters, the first row a record |
--force |
set |
Sets cells in protected ranges |
--dry-run |
set |
Prints what would change, as 012 diff would, and saves nothing |
--format text|json|nuon |
set, recalc, describe, merge-driver, version |
The result as text, or as JSON or NUON |
--report json|nuon |
export |
Writes what was exported as JSON or NUON |
--format kind, --table name |
export |
The format when the file's extension doesn't say; SQLite's table |
--chart n|title |
export |
One chart of the sheet as a web page, by its number or title |
--notebooks |
get, recalc, export, describe |
Runs the notebooks' cells first, when the file is trusted here |
--trust |
with --notebooks |
Runs the cells of a file saved on another computer |
--root dir, --read-only, --force, --notebooks, --jev |
mcp |
The folders open to it, the tools offered and what they may do: MCP server |
--jev |
get, recalc, export, describe |
Asks JEV for the JEV functions' answers first |
--format text|json|nuon |
diff |
The form of the changes; text by default |
--color auto|always|never |
diff |
Colors the text; auto colors on a terminal or git's pager unless NO_COLOR is set |
Exit status
| Status | Means |
|---|---|
| 0 | Done; for diff, the workbooks are the same |
| 1 | An error, said on standard error; for recalc, cells show errors (after saving); for diff, the workbooks differ; for merge-driver, conflicts; for get, recalc and export with --notebooks, a notebook cell failed (after writing) |
| 2 | The command was used wrongly (its usage is printed); for diff and merge-driver, trouble reading or merging the files |