Explore commands in the interactive console

Use the implemented prompt-toolkit/Rich REPL to inspect the available modules and GEDCOM actions before running a task. This guide only uses navigation and help: it does not open a genealogy file, create a workspace, select a provider, or send a network request.

Prerequisites

  • Run make setup from the repository root first.
  • Start in a terminal at that repository root. Keep credentials and private genealogy details out of interactive commands and history.

Inspect the supported GEDCOM commands

Start the supported interactive console:

.venv/bin/ancestry

At its prompt, enter the following controls one line at a time:

ancestry > modules
ancestry > use gedcom
ancestry(gedcom) > info
ancestry(gedcom) > show actions
ancestry(gedcom) > back
ancestry > exit

modules lists enabled modules. use gedcom changes only the REPL context; info and show actions describe the registered GEDCOM commands without executing one. back clears the module context, and exit closes the session when it has no active jobs.

The REPL and one-shot CLI use the same command specifications and application services. When you are ready to perform the fictional offline task, use run an offline GEDCOM merge; it names every input, output, and provider=none explicitly.

Recovery and safe exit

  • For an unknown command or option, read the displayed usage error, use help, and return to the root prompt with back rather than trying shell syntax. The REPL is not a shell or Python evaluator.
  • If a future command starts a job, use jobs to inspect it. Ctrl-C requests cooperative cancellation; when exit asks about active jobs, choose wait, cancel, or stay deliberately. Output publication completes or rolls back rather than leaving a partial bundle.
  • Provider selection and cloud consent are explicit. provider=none is network-free even when provider keys exist, while any remote-provider workflow requires the appropriate provider selection and recorded consent. Read privacy and consent before using one.

Cleanup

This exploration creates no genealogy result. Type exit when you are done; there is no generated file to remove. If you later create workspace data, use encrypted backup and recovery before changing it.