Command Reference

All routed commands support --json when structured output is useful.

Core Lifecycle

Command	Class	Purpose
slipway new [description]	mutation	Create a governed change starting at intake.
slipway next	query	Inspect the next actionable skill or blocker without advancing state.
slipway run	mutation	Advance until a skill, blocker, checkpoint, or done-ready outcome is surfaced.
slipway status	query	Show lifecycle state, blockers, progress, and next actions.
slipway done	mutation	Finalize a done-ready change and archive it.

Creation Options

slipway new "add install docs" --preset standard
slipway new "docs-only change" --profile docs
slipway new --from-doc docs/installation.md "refresh install docs"
slipway new "small fix" --trivial

Presets control gate strictness: light, standard, or strict.

Workflow profiles shape checks: code, docs, research, config, or meta.

Situational Commands

Command	Class	Purpose
slipway init	mutation	Initialize .slipway.yaml and optional AI-tool adapters.
slipway preset <level>	mutation	Confirm or change the active change preset.
slipway validate	query	Recompute evidence and gate readiness without advancing.
slipway review	mutation	Run explicit artifact-code alignment review from execution onward.
slipway checkpoint	mutation	Pause execution for a task-level human response.
slipway pivot	mutation	Reroute or rescope an active change from execution onward.
slipway abort	mutation	Abort the active execution session without archiving the change.
slipway cancel	mutation	Cancel an active change and archive terminal state.
slipway repair	mutation	Run bounded local integrity repairs.

Diagnostics

Command	Class	Purpose
slipway learn --preview	query	Preview governance learning proposals from lifecycle evidence.
slipway stats	query	Show repo-wide governance freshness and workflow statistics.
slipway health	query	Show repo-local integrity and repairability findings.
slipway codebase-map	mutation	Create or refresh advisory repo-scoped context under artifacts/codebase/.

Useful JSON Invocations

slipway new --json "refresh docs"
slipway next --json --diagnostics
slipway run --json --diagnostics
slipway status --json
slipway validate --json
slipway health --doctor --json

next --json includes next_skill.name for AI-tool handoff. The host tool derives the local SKILL.md path from its own adapter conventions.

Resume And Checkpoints

If execution pauses on a checkpoint:

slipway status --json
slipway run --resume-response "approved"

If an execution session is resumable:

slipway run --resume --json

Use health --doctor before repair or resume when state looks interrupted or inconsistent.