#CLI Guide

Prefer the CLI when it is installed; otherwise apply the docs manually.

crabenv --help        # inspect current commands/options
crabenv init          # create/align schema + .env.example
crabenv copy          # create/update local .env from .env.example
crabenv ls -p         # print expanded env inventory table; use this for agents/scripts
crabenv ls -p --json  # print compact JSON env inventory for agents/scripts
crabenv doctor        # detect drift, common mistakes, and managed sink drift
crabenv doctor --fix  # preview safe fixes
crabenv doctor --fix --yes # apply safe fixes

GitHub Actions sinks are supported through managed gha-env and gha-echo blocks. See Sinks. When a managed sink covers a schema variable, crabenv list -p/crabenv ls -p includes sinks in that variable's surfaces, and crabenv doctor marks the sinks checklist cell with [x].

CRUD commands (wizard-like when used without args, but unusable for agents):

crabenv list -p
crabenv list -p --json
crabenv add VARIABLE_NAME --example "value" --optional
crabenv update VARIABLE_NAME
crabenv remove VARIABLE_NAME

Agent rule: run crabenv --help first, prefer crabenv ls -p --json for machine-readable inventory or crabenv ls -p for a human-readable table over interactive crabenv ls, use the CLI for routine alignment, then edit files manually only when the CLI cannot express the needed change.