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INTERACTIVE_MODE.md

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Interactive Mode Guide

Interactive chat mode with slash commands for controlling execution, saving work, and managing sessions.

Two Execution Modes

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Normal Mode (default)                                    │
│ • AI reads and modifies files                           │
│ • All tools enabled (write, edit, bash)                 │
│ • Active development                                    │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Plan Mode (/think)                                       │
│ • Read-only - write operations blocked                  │
│ • Analysis and planning without changes                 │
│ • Toggle: /think (enter) | /do (exit)                   │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Slash Commands

Command Purpose Notes
/think Enter plan mode Read-only, blocks writes
/do Exit plan mode Re-enables modifications
/save [file] Save transcript To session directory
/clear Clear history Keeps session active
/status Show session info Mode, messages, tools count
/tools List tools Shows loaded capabilities
/config Show configuration Full mount plan
/help List commands Quick reference
/stop Interrupt execution Or use Ctrl+C

Command Details

/think - Plan Mode (read-only analysis):

> /think
✓ Plan Mode enabled

> Analyze auth system and suggest improvements
[AI analyzes without changes]

> /do
✓ Plan Mode disabled

> Implement the improvements
[AI now makes changes]

Use for: Code review, architecture analysis, refactoring planning, security audits.

/save - Persist Transcript:

> /save auth_refactor.json
✓ Saved to ~/.amplifier/projects/<project>/sessions/<session-id>/auth_refactor.json

Saves: All messages, session config, timestamp. Location: Session directory ~/.amplifier/projects/<project>/sessions/<session-id>/.

/clear - Reset Context: Clears conversation history, session stays active. Use when switching topics or context grows too large.

/status - Session Information:

> /status
Plan Mode: OFF | Messages: 42 | Providers: anthropic | Tools: 8

/tools - Capability Discovery:

> /tools
filesystem - File operations
bash       - Shell commands
web        - Web search/fetch
task       - Agent delegation

Usage Patterns

Pattern 1: Safe Code Review

> /think
> Analyze this codebase for security vulnerabilities
[AI provides analysis]

> Show me the top 3 most critical issues
[AI explains issues]

> /do
> Fix the SQL injection vulnerability in auth.py
[AI makes the fix]

Pattern 2: Iterative Refactoring

> /think
> Review the payment processing module for improvement opportunities
[AI provides recommendations]

> /save payment_analysis.json
✓ Transcript saved

> /do
> Implement recommendation #1: Extract payment validation
[AI makes changes]

> /status
Session Status:
  Plan Mode: OFF
  Messages: 15
  [...]

> /think
> Review the changes we just made
[AI analyzes recent changes]

Pattern 3: Multi-Session Work

Session 1: Planning

> /think
> Create a plan for migrating to the new API
[AI creates detailed plan]

> /save api_migration_plan.json
✓ Transcript saved
> exit

Session 2: Resume and Implement

# Resume the planning session
$ amplifier continue
Resuming session: a1b2c3d4
Messages: 5

> Implement step 1 of the migration plan
[AI implements with full context]

> /save api_migration_progress.json

Alternative: Resume specific session

$ amplifier session list
Recent Sessions:
  a1b2c3d4  2024-10-15 14:30  5 messages
  e5f6g7h8  2024-10-14 09:15  12 messages

$ amplifier session resume a1b2c3d4
# Or use: amplifier continue

Pattern 4: Tool Discovery

> /tools
Available Tools:
  filesystem, bash, web, task

> /config
[Shows that web tool is using specific config]

> Use the web tool to fetch documentation from anthropic.com
[AI uses web tool]

Tips & Best Practices

When to Use Plan Mode

Good candidates:

  • Large codebase reviews
  • Architecture analysis
  • Security audits
  • Refactoring planning
  • Exploring unfamiliar code

Not needed for:

  • Small, focused changes
  • Well-understood modifications
  • Following existing patterns

Managing Context Effectively

Context grows with messages:

  • Every message adds to context
  • Large context = slower responses + higher cost
  • Use /clear when switching topics

Save before clearing:

> /save before_clear.json
> /clear
# Now start fresh

Organizing Transcripts

Naming convention suggestions:

/save feature_name_date.json          # Feature work
/save bug_fix_issue_123.json          # Bug fixes
/save review_module_name.json         # Code reviews
/save planning_migration.json         # Planning sessions

Transcript location:

  • Saved to .amplifier/transcripts/
  • Git-ignored by default (contains your conversations)
  • Can be shared with team for collaboration

Interactive Mode vs Single Mode

Use interactive mode when:

  • Iterative development
  • Need to adjust mid-task
  • Want to review before proceeding
  • Working on complex, multi-step tasks

Use single mode when:

  • One-off commands
  • Scripting/automation
  • Simple, well-defined tasks

Command Quick Reference

Command Purpose Args
/think Enter plan mode (read-only) None
/do Exit plan mode None
/save [file] Save transcript Optional filename
/clear Clear conversation history None
/status Show session info None
/tools List available tools None
/config Show configuration None
/help Show command list None
/stop Stop execution None

Advanced: Bundle-Based Interactive Sessions

You can start interactive sessions with specific bundles:

# Use development bundle (includes more tools)
amplifier run --bundle dev --mode chat

# Use general bundle (includes logging hooks)
amplifier run --bundle general --mode chat

→ Bundle Guide for bundle details.

Troubleshooting

"Command not found" Error

Slash commands only work in interactive chat mode:

# ✗ Won't work
amplifier run "/think analyze this code"

# ✓ Works
amplifier run --mode chat
> /think
> analyze this code

Transcript Not Saving

Check permissions on .amplifier/transcripts/:

mkdir -p .amplifier/transcripts
chmod 755 .amplifier/transcripts

Plan Mode Not Blocking Writes

This may happen if write tools aren't properly registered. Check /tools output to verify filesystem/bash tools are loaded.