ncode CLI Using ncode
Modes and run types
A conversation has a mode that shapes what your next message does, and each message you send starts a run. Several runs of one conversation can work side by side; each has its own tab above the transcript.
The six modes#
| Mode | What your next message does |
|---|---|
| Build | the default: the assistant reads, writes and runs commands to do the task |
| Plan | the assistant uses read-only tools and answers with a step-by-step plan |
| Goal | the message sets a goal the conversation pursues |
| Ultra | big tasks become workflows the assistant writes and runs |
| Workflow | the message authors and launches a workflow |
| Consensus | a second model judges the plan before anything changes |
/plan and /ultra turn their mode on and off, and /consensus alone switches to Consensus. Mode in Settings → Models & effort sets Build, Plan, Consensus, Ultra or Workflow (shown as "Writing a workflow") for this conversation. Goal has no switch in the terminal: /goal <text> sets a goal and starts on it at once.
Plan#
/plan turns plan mode on or off. /plan <task> plans that task right now, as a read-only run beside whatever else is running, without changing the mode.
Goal#
/goal <text> sets the conversation's goal, which every agent keeps in mind. /goal alone shows the current goal and its report; PgUp / PgDn and Home / End scroll a long one.
Ultra and Workflow#
/ultra turns Ultra on or off: the assistant handles big tasks by writing and running workflows. /create-workflow <what it should do> writes one with you, once.
Consensus#
/consensus alone switches the conversation to Consensus mode. /consensus <task> runs that one turn as a judged plan without changing the mode: a planner writes a plan, a judge model checks it against a list of checks over one or more rounds, and only then an implementer carries it out. In Settings, per conversation:
| Setting | Default |
|---|---|
| Consensus checks | 7 of the 12 checks are on; tick them on or off in Settings |
| Consensus rounds | 2 |
| Judge model | the sub-agent model |
| Implementer model | the planner implements |
Swarm#
/swarm <task> starts a team: a lead agent splits the task and starts workers, and you follow them in the side panel. A swarm starts at once, beside any running turn.
Review#
/review reviews the uncommitted changes in the project and reports problems.
Compact#
/compact summarises the conversation so far and continues from the summary. /compact <focus> tells it what to keep. Sent while a turn runs, it waits until the turn ends.
Model and effort#
| Command | Changes |
|---|---|
/model | this conversation's chat model; alone, it opens a picker with the model in use first |
/model <model> | set it directly |
/swarm_model … | the model the conversation's sub-agents use |
/effort <level> | how hard the chat model thinks: low, medium, high, max; none, minimal and xhigh where the model offers them |
/swarm_effort <level> | the same for the sub-agents |
/model also accepts <provider_id>|<model> to name the provider as well. /effort accepts only the levels the conversation's model offers. To try another model for one session without changing the conversation, start ncode --model <model> (or --model provider/model); nothing is written, and an explicit /model ends it. Providers and models covers the defaults per role.