Command reference

Command syntax

Enter submits the focused command draft. Names are exact and case-sensitive, with no Unicode normalization. Either alias works in either interface language. Square brackets in forms below mean optional arguments; do not type the brackets. PATH, DIR, FILE and COMMAND stand for your argument.

The entire line, including quoting, is limited to 65,536 UTF-8 bytes. NUL, CR and LF are refused. A line containing only spaces or tabs does nothing. Outside quotes, spaces and tabs separate tokens. Single quotes contain literal text. Double quotes accept only escaped quote and backslash, written as \" and \\. Outside quotes, a backslash quotes the next character. Adjacent quoted and unquoted pieces form one token.

Unclosed quotes, dangling escapes, empty command or argument tokens and unquoted or unescaped | < > ; & fail before dispatch. There is no shell expansion: ~, $HOME, wildcards, backticks and # are literal. A displayed path escape is informational, not raw-byte input syntax.

Options occur once before the single path operand. Only ls -a and mkdir -p are flags. Path commands accept -- before a filename beginning with a hyphen; quoting the hyphen alone does not end option parsing. Unknown or duplicate options, missing required operands and excess arguments fail. There are no combined flags, long command flags or per-command --help. No-argument commands refuse -- too. Use help COMMAND.

mkdir "My projects"
cd "My projects"
pwd
cat -- -notes.txt
cat "$HOME"

These are separate Console commands. The last command names a literal file called $HOME; it does not expand your home directory. cat -notes.txt is refused as an unknown option. cat -- -notes.txt reads the literal filename if it exists and meets the cat limits.

Filesystem operations keep the prompt read-only while waiting or cancelling. Output remains readable and copyable. After five seconds, Console reports Still waiting, with no retry or completion deadline. Ctrl+C requests cancellation, escalating to SIGKILL after 1,000 ms if necessary. Ownership continues until completion or confirmed helper exit. A complete result can win the cancellation race; an uninterruptible kernel wait can delay exit indefinitely. Closing offers Cancel or Cancel operation and close and waits for completion. Cancellation does not undo created directories.

Launch options

Use these in a Linux terminal, not at the Console prompt:

aspl-console --help
aspl-console --version
aspl-console --aspl /opt/aspl/bin/aspl -- "My projects/hello.aspl"

The application form is aspl-console [--aspl PATH] [SOURCE]. --aspl PATH or --aspl=PATH chooses the ASPL executable for this launch. --help or -h prints application options; --help-all includes Qt options. --version or -v reports the packaged Console version, independently of the ASPL version. Unknown options, a missing option value or more than one source operand fail. Put -- before a leading-hyphen source operand. These launch options are separate from the Console command flags above.

A source operand prefills a safely quoted absolute run -- draft. It does not execute. Press Enter to validate and start it. A representable missing file remains a draft until Enter. Unrepresentable filename bytes, NUL/CR/LF, an unavailable original relative base or quoting beyond the command limit leave an empty usable prompt with an escaped explanation.

Each run checks the launch override, saved executable and inherited PATH in that order. An invalid explicit or saved choice fails without fallback. Relative choices and relative or empty PATH entries use the original physical launch directory, independently of later cd. An unavailable original directory prevents relative lookup; absolute PATH entries remain usable. Settings shows an active launch override; changing it requires another launch. ASPL must be installed separately. The Console 0.8.0 archive was verified with separately installed ASPL 0.7.0. Check the selected release facts and host requirements before installation.

help / مساعدة

Form: help [COMMAND] or مساعدة [COMMAND].

Without an argument, prints all command aliases, forms, limits and keyboard actions into scrollback. An exact Arabic or English alias selects one command's details. It preserves the current directory and command history. Unknown help topics and more than one argument are refused. help --help is not a help topic.

help
مساعدة run
help اقرأ

For context-specific keys, read Keyboard shortcuts.

clear / مسح

Form: clear or مسح, with no arguments.

Removes all retained scrollback, including its own command row. It preserves command history and the current directory. Extra arguments, including --, are refused. Clearing the display does not end a run; during a run, typing clear is program input rather than a Console command.

مسح

For logical text, copy/search, truncation and separate recall, read Output and command history.

settings / إعدادات

Form: settings or إعدادات, with no arguments.

Opens Settings for interface language, input route and keyboard preference, fonts and saved ASPL executable. Apply validates the executable before changing choices. Invalid choices leave the prior settings intact. An active launch override still takes precedence over the saved executable. Extra arguments, including --, are refused. Ctrl+, opens Settings by keyboard; it does not submit a draft.

For all fields, persistence and save failure, use the Settings reference. For paused editing, use explicit input-route Retry.

settings

exit / إنهاء

Form: exit or إنهاء, with no arguments.

Closes a command-ready window. Extra arguments, including --, are refused. During a run, exit is program input and does not close Console. Use the window's close action and its run or operation confirmation when work is active. Stop and cancellation are requests, not immediate termination or undo.

إنهاء

ls / اعرض

Form: ls [-a] [--] [PATH] or اعرض [-a] [--] [PATH].

Lists the immediate entries of one directory, defaulting to the current directory. -a includes hidden names; . and .. are always omitted. Entries appear in original-byte order, one displayed name per line. Directories have a / suffix. Symlinks have @, including broken links and links to directories. Display escapes preserve the underlying path bytes; names command input cannot address receive a localized marker.

Accepts at most 10,000 selected entries and 1,048,576 rendered UTF-8 data bytes, including LF separators, suffixes and markers. Exactly either limit succeeds. The complete validated listing appears at once. Filesystem or limit failures produce an error with the command, escaped path and reason, without partial listing data. An empty directory adds no data. Unknown/duplicate options or excess operands are refused. Without a usable current directory, a relative listing fails; recover with an absolute cd.

ls
اعرض -a -- "My projects"

cd / انتقل

Form: cd [--] [DIR] or انتقل [--] [DIR].

Changes the Console current directory using real filesystem traversal, including symlinks and link/... Omitted DIR means home. Success is silent; failure preserves the previous directory. It does not expand ~ or $HOME. Unknown options and excess operands are refused.

Startup uses the usable physical launch directory, otherwise explains a home fallback. If neither is usable, commands remain available with no current directory. Relative operations and pwd fail until an absolute cd or usable home recovers. A directory that becomes unavailable or is externally renamed causes an error without automatic relocation. Child programs cannot change Console navigation.

انتقل "My projects"
cd
cd -- /tmp

pwd / مسار

Form: pwd or مسار, with no arguments.

Prints the physical absolute current directory followed by LF. The path is isolated left-to-right; displayed escapes do not add direction characters to copied text and are not an input encoding. An unavailable current directory causes an error. Recover through an absolute cd or a usable home. Extra arguments, including --, are refused.

مسار

mkdir / أنشئ

Form: mkdir [-p] [--] DIR or أنشئ [-p] [--] DIR.

Creates a real directory using your account's permissions and umask. Plain mkdir fails on an existing path or missing parent. -p creates missing parents and accepts an existing directory or a link to one. Both forms preserve physical symlink/parent traversal, succeed silently and keep the current directory unchanged. Missing operands, unknown/duplicate options and excess operands are refused.

Failures identify the command, escaped operand and actual OS reason. A complete helper receipt reports how many directories were created before failure and that they may remain. If cancellation or helper death prevents a complete receipt, Console reports possible remaining directories and uncertain effects. It does not roll back creation or retry automatically. The shared cancellation rules apply.

mkdir "My projects"
أنشئ -p -- "My projects/demo/data"

cat / اقرأ

Form: cat [--] FILE or اقرأ [--] FILE.

Reads one complete regular UTF-8 file without NUL, allowing symlinks to readable regular files. Directories, devices, FIFOs, sockets and other special targets are refused before content is read. Both file size and rendered UTF-8 data have a 1,048,576-byte limit; exactly either limit succeeds. Invalid UTF-8, NUL, filesystem errors or excess size produce an error with the command, escaped path and reason, without earlier file data. Missing operands, unknown options and excess operands are refused.

Text preserves LF and tabs, treats CRLF as one break and escapes standalone CR, other terminal controls and bidi-formatting controls. ANSI sequences and file contents never execute commands. Console adds no final newline; an empty file adds no data. A complete result enters retained logical scrollback, evicting older content as needed. The shared cancellation rules apply.

اقرأ -- "My projects/hello.aspl"
cat -- -notes.txt

run / تشغيل

Form: run [--] FILE or تشغيل [--] FILE.

Runs one explicit source through the selected ASPL executable. Each run captures a usable Console current directory, even for an absolute source. Source preflight requires a readable regular target and allows links. Console does not read/cache the source or filter its suffix; the selected ASPL tool decides supported suffixes. Missing/unreadable source, unusable directory or executable, missing operands, unknown options and excess operands fail without starting a program. Another run is never queued while one is active.

Console passes literal arguments equivalent to --diagnostic-language=ar|en --color=never run -- ABSOLUTE_SOURCE, with separate native stdin/stdout/stderr pipes, inherited environment and no shell or extra compiler/program options. Diagnostic language stays fixed for that run. Imports follow canonical source under the selected tool; runtime data and TLS paths use the captured Console directory.

Preparation is cancellable. Starting and Finalizing keep the prompt read-only. Completion records one observed outcome, including status 0, and restores an empty command prompt. An exit number alone does not establish success or a trap; preflight, spawn, signal and supervision failures are distinct. Stop requests termination and waits for final output; it does not undo effects.

Save one of these supplied source files, then enter its path at the Console prompt. The examples use their labelled vocabulary in either page language and ask for one line before greeting it.

دالة ابدأ_الرئيسية() -> ص64 {
    اطبع("ما اسمك؟\س").
    دع اسم: نص = اقرأ_سطر().
    اطبع("مرحباً، " + اسم + "\س").
    أرجع 0.
}

fn start_main() -> i64 {
    print("Your name?\n");
    let name: string = read_line();
    print("Hello, " + name + "\n");
    return 0;
}

run -- hello-en.aspl
تشغيل -- hello-ar.aspl

These are alternative commands, each starting one run. Enter the following only when that run is ready for input:

Samira

Enter sends committed UTF-8 text with LF, with a 65,536-byte payload limit and one pending line. Empty text, spaces and NUL are literal input; CR/LF or excess bytes are refused atomically. The prompt stays read-only until pipe delivery, which does not prove that the program consumed the line. Interrupted or failed delivery is retained as unconfirmed and never replayed.

During a run, even help, exit or run is input to the program. Ctrl+D closes stdin after pending input, without sending a draft. A nonempty draft is retained separately. Ctrl+C or Stop requests stopping a run, with SIGTERM then SIGKILL after 1,000 ms. There is no exit deadline or automatic retry. Unsent input and unfinished composition stay with that run and never enter the next command prompt or command history. Learn the language through ASPL lessons; Console is not a source editor or a REPL.

Read Files and paths for a file workflow and Running programs and interactive input for EOF, Stop and delivery recovery.