> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://praison.ai/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Code

> Code assistant mode for programming tasks

The `code` command starts a code assistant session optimized for programming tasks.

<Note>
  `praisonai code` is **safe by default**: file writes and shell commands prompt for approval on first call. Pass `--no-safe` or `--dangerously-skip-approval` to restore the legacy ungated behaviour. See [Tool Approval](/docs/cli/tool-approval).
</Note>

## Usage

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"vitesse-light","dark":"vitesse-dark"}}
praisonai code [OPTIONS] [PROMPT]
```

## Arguments

| Argument | Description                     |
| -------- | ------------------------------- |
| `PROMPT` | Code-related prompt or question |

## Options

| Option                               | Short | Description                                                                                             | Default            |
| ------------------------------------ | ----- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------ |
| `--model`                            | `-m`  | LLM model to use                                                                                        | `gpt-4o-mini`      |
| `--verbose`                          | `-v`  | Verbose output                                                                                          | `false`            |
| `--tools`                            | `-t`  | Comma-separated tool names (e.g. `web_search,github`) or a `tools.py` file path                         |                    |
| `--workspace`                        | `-w`  | Workspace directory                                                                                     |                    |
| `--file`                             | `-f`  | Attach file(s) to context                                                                               |                    |
| `--no-acp`                           |       | Disable ACP tools (file operations)                                                                     | `false`            |
| `--no-lsp`                           |       | Disable LSP tools (code intelligence)                                                                   | `false`            |
| `--safe` / `--no-safe`               |       | Safe mode: prompt before file writes and shell commands (default: **on**). Use `--no-safe` to disable.  | `true`             |
| `--dangerously-skip-approval`        |       | Skip all tool approval prompts and export `PRAISONAI_TOOL_SAFETY=off` for the subprocess tree           | `false`            |
| `--session`                          | `-s`  | Session ID to resume                                                                                    |                    |
| `--continue`                         | `-c`  | Continue last session                                                                                   | `false`            |
| `--no-context`                       |       | Disable AGENTS.md/CLAUDE.md auto-loading into system prompt                                             | `false`            |
| `--agent`                            | `-a`  | Named custom agent profile from `.praisonai/agents/` (tools + permission scope)                         |                    |
| `--thinking`                         |       | Reasoning effort for this invocation: `off`, `minimal`, `low`, `medium`, `high`                         |                    |
| `--checkpoints` / `--no-checkpoints` |       | Auto-checkpoint the workspace before each file-mutating turn, enabling in-session `/undo` and `/revert` | `--no-checkpoints` |
| `--revert <ref>`                     |       | One-shot: restore workspace to a prior checkpoint (`id`, short id, or `last`) and exit                  | —                  |

<Note>
  Safe mode (`--safe`) is **on by default** as of PR #2369. Dangerous built-in tools ask for approval in interactive sessions and are denied in non-interactive (CI) sessions. Use `--no-safe` to opt out, or `--dangerously-skip-approval` for a complete bypass. See [Approval](/docs/features/approval) for full details.
</Note>

## Piped Input

`praisonai code` reads piped stdin when the prompt is provided in the shell pipeline.

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"vitesse-light","dark":"vitesse-dark"}}
cat data.json | praisonai code "Write a parser for this shape"
```

Prompt argument is merged **first**, piped body second (joined with `\n`). See [Piped Input](/docs/features/cli-piped-stdin).

## Examples

### Start code assistant

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"vitesse-light","dark":"vitesse-dark"}}
praisonai code
```

### Ask a coding question

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"vitesse-light","dark":"vitesse-dark"}}
praisonai code "Write a Python function to sort a list"
```

### Specify language context

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"vitesse-light","dark":"vitesse-dark"}}
praisonai code --language python "Explain decorators"
```

### Disable safe mode (opt out of approval prompts)

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"vitesse-light","dark":"vitesse-dark"}}
praisonai code --no-safe "Refactor main.py"
```

### Full bypass (no approval prompts, applies to subprocess tree)

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"vitesse-light","dark":"vitesse-dark"}}
praisonai code --dangerously-skip-approval "Clean up old logs"
```

### Reasoning effort (per invocation)

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"vitesse-light","dark":"vitesse-dark"}}
praisonai code --thinking high "Refactor src/utils.py for readability"
```

### Custom agent profile

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"vitesse-light","dark":"vitesse-dark"}}
# Profile defined in .praisonai/agents/plan.md
praisonai code --agent plan "Review the auth module and propose a refactor"

# Profile + reasoning effort combined
praisonai code --agent reviewer --thinking high "Audit src/security/"
```

See [Custom Agents & Commands](/docs/features/custom-agents-commands) for profile definitions and [Thinking](/docs/cli/thinking) for budget levels.

## Project context

By default, `praisonai code` walks up from the current directory to your git root and prepends any `AGENTS.md` / `CLAUDE.md` / `agents.md` / `.agents/AGENTS.md` it finds to the agent's system prompt, layered on top of `~/.praisonai/AGENTS.md`. Pass `--no-context` (or set `PRAISON_NO_CONTEXT=true`) to disable. See [Context Files](/docs/features/context-files) for details.

## Windows Automation

For Windows automation scenarios, use the `--no-acp` flag and set UTF-8 encoding:

```powershell theme={"theme":{"light":"vitesse-light","dark":"vitesse-dark"}}
# Windows PowerShell
$env:PRAISON_APPROVAL_MODE = "auto"
$env:PYTHONIOENCODING       = "utf-8"

praisonai code -w . --no-acp "Fix the failing tests"
```

See the [Windows Automation section](/cli/realworld-examples#windows-automation) in Real-world Examples for complete setup instructions.

## Auto checkpointing & in-session undo

Workspace checkpointing is **off by default**. Enable it with `--checkpoints` to auto-snapshot before each file-mutating turn, unlocking `/undo` and `/revert` inside the coding REPL.

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"vitesse-light","dark":"vitesse-dark"}}
praisonai code --checkpoints "Refactor auth module"
```

```mermaid theme={"theme":{"light":"vitesse-light","dark":"vitesse-dark"}}
graph LR
    Start[🚀 Session start] --> CP0[📸 Baseline checkpoint]
    CP0 --> T1[📝 Turn 1 edits]
    T1 --> CP1[📸 Checkpoint 1]
    CP1 --> T2[📝 Turn 2 edits]
    T2 --> Revert[⏪ /revert]
    Revert --> CP1

    classDef checkpoint fill:#189AB4,stroke:#7C90A0,color:#fff
    classDef turn fill:#F59E0B,stroke:#7C90A0,color:#fff
    classDef action fill:#8B0000,stroke:#7C90A0,color:#fff
    classDef ok fill:#10B981,stroke:#7C90A0,color:#fff

    class CP0,CP1 checkpoint
    class T1,T2 turn
    class Start action
    class Revert ok
```

### How `/undo` differs by mode

| Mode                                                               | What `/undo` does                                                                                                   |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Checkpointing **off** (default)                                    | Removes the last assistant+user message from history only                                                           |
| Checkpointing **on** (`--checkpoints` or `checkpoints.auto: true`) | Removes the last turn from history **and** restores workspace files to the pre-turn checkpoint (diff preview first) |

### Interactive slash commands

Type these inside a `praisonai code` REPL when `--checkpoints` is active:

| Command     | What it does                                                        |
| ----------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `/undo`     | Undo the last turn: remove from history and restore workspace files |
| `/revert`   | Same as `/revert 1` — roll back 1 turn                              |
| `/revert 2` | Roll the workspace back 2 turns                                     |

Both commands show a diff preview before restoring and refuse to run while a turn is still in progress.

### One-shot revert from CLI

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"vitesse-light","dark":"vitesse-dark"}}
praisonai code --revert last
```

Shows the diff preview and restores the workspace, then exits.

### Project config

Enable checkpointing for all `praisonai code` sessions in a project:

```yaml theme={"theme":{"light":"vitesse-light","dark":"vitesse-dark"}}
# agents.yaml
checkpoints:
  auto: true
  storage_dir: ./.praisonai/checkpoints   # optional — shared with praisonai run
```

**Precedence:** `PRAISONAI_CHECKPOINTS=on` (env) > `checkpoints.auto` (config) > default (off).

See [Checkpoints](/docs/features/checkpoints) for the full checkpoint feature reference.

## See Also

* [Chat](/docs/cli/chat) - General chat mode
* [LSP Code Intelligence](/docs/cli/lsp-code-intelligence) - Language server integration
* [Approval](/docs/features/approval) - Tool approval and safety defaults
* [Checkpoints](/docs/features/checkpoints) - Workspace checkpointing and undo