CLI Reference
Complete reference for the RML command-line interface, including commands and flags.
CLI Commands
The primary way to use RML is through the rml command. It analyzes file changes in your Git repository and reports bugs introduced by those changes.
Usage
rml [OPTIONS] [TARGET_FILENAMES]...
RML compares two Git states and reports any bugs detected in the changes. By default, it compares the current working directory (unstaged changes) against HEAD.
Examples
rml file.py
Analyze uncommitted changes to file.py.
rml file.py --from HEAD^
Compare file.py against its version from one commit ago.
rml file.py --from main --to feature
Compare changes to file.py between the main and feature branches.
CLI Flags
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
--from GIT_REF | Git reference for the older state. Defaults to HEAD. |
--to GIT_REF | Git reference for the newer state. Defaults to current working directory. |
--version | Displays the current version of RML and exits. |
--help | Shows the help message and exits. |
-md, --markdown | Outputs results in markdown format. Ideal for LLM or programmatic use. |
You can combine these flags to tailor how RML analyzes your changes and how the results are formatted.
Configuration
RML supports project-specific configuration through .recurseml.yaml files. You can use configuration to define custom rules that enforce coding standards and project conventions.
For detailed information about configuration options, see the Config File Overview.
To learn about creating custom rules, see the Rules documentation.