Command line

Hyperterse provides a simple command-line interface for running the server, development, and generating artifacts.

Global flags

These flags are available for all commands:

Flag	Short	Description
--file	-f	Path to configuration file (.terse or .hyperterse)
--help	-h	Show help for any command
--version		Show version information

Commands

hyperterse run

Run the Hyperterse server in production mode.

hyperterse run -f config.terse
# Or simply
hyperterse -f config.terse

Flags:

Flag	Short	Default	Description
--port	-p	8080	Server port (overrides config file and PORT env)
--log-level		3	Log level: 1=ERROR, 2=WARN, 3=INFO, 4=DEBUG
--verbose	-v		Enable verbose logging (sets log level to DEBUG)

Examples:

# Run on custom port
hyperterse run -f config.terse -p 3000

# Run with verbose logging
hyperterse run -f config.terse -v

# Run with specific log level
hyperterse run -f config.terse --log-level 4

Priority Order:

Server settings are applied in this order (highest to lowest):

1. CLI flags (-p, --log-level, -v)
2. Config file (server.port, server.log_level)
3. Environment variables (PORT)
4. Defaults (8080, INFO)

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hyperterse dev

Run the server in development mode with hot reload.

hyperterse dev -f config.terse

The server watches your configuration file and automatically reloads when changes are detected. This is ideal for local development.

Flags:

Same as run command.

Features:

• Watches configuration file for changes
• 500ms debounce delay for rapid saves
• Graceful reload without downtime
• Validates configuration before applying changes

In development mode, invalid configuration changes are rejected and the previous valid configuration remains active.

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hyperterse init

Initialize a new Hyperterse configuration file.

hyperterse init

Creates a config.terse file in the current directory with a basic template.

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hyperterse upgrade

Upgrade Hyperterse to the latest version.

hyperterse upgrade

Downloads and installs the latest version of Hyperterse.

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hyperterse export

Export a self-contained deployment bundle.

hyperterse export -f config.terse -o dist

Creates a self-contained bash script in the specified directory. The script filename is always derived from the config name field. This is the recommended first step for any deployment.

Flags:

Flag	Short	Default	Description
--out	-o	dist	Output directory
--clean-dir		false	Clean output directory before exporting

Priority Order:

Export settings are applied in this order (highest to lowest):

1. CLI flags (--out/-o, --clean-dir)
2. Config file (export.out, export.clean_dir)
3. Default (dist directory, clean_dir: false)

Output:

• Self-contained bash script at {output_dir}/{config_name}
• Script filename always matches the config name field
• Embedded configuration and binary

Examples:

# Export to default directory (dist/)
hyperterse export -f config.terse

# Export to custom directory
hyperterse export -f config.terse -o build

# Clean directory before exporting
hyperterse export -f config.terse -o build --clean-dir

# With config export.out set to "build", CLI flag overrides it
hyperterse export -f config.terse -o release

Always use hyperterse export before deploying. The exported bundle is optimized for production and doesn’t require the Hyperterse CLI to be installed.

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hyperterse generate llms

Generate an llms.txt documentation file for AI/LLM consumption.

hyperterse generate llms -f config.terse
hyperterse generate llms -f config.terse -o docs/llms.txt --base-url https://api.example.com

Flags:

Flag	Short	Default	Description
--output	-o	llms.txt	Output file path
--base-url		http://localhost:8080	Base URL for API endpoints

The generated file contains markdown documentation optimized for AI consumption, including:

• Query descriptions
• Input schemas
• Example requests
• Usage patterns

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hyperterse generate skills

Generate an Agent Skills archive (.zip) for AI platforms.

hyperterse generate skills -f config.terse
hyperterse generate skills -f config.terse -o my-skill.zip --name my-data-api

Flags:

Flag	Short	Default	Description
--output	-o	skill.zip	Output file path
--name		(from config filename)	Skill name

The archive contains everything needed to register Hyperterse queries as AI agent skills.

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Environment variables

Variable	Description
PORT	Default server port (lowest priority)
DATABASE_URL	Common pattern for connection strings

Use environment variables in configuration files:

adapters:
  production_db:
    connector: postgres
    connection_string: '{{ env.DATABASE_URL }}'

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Exit codes

Code	Meaning
0	Success
1	General error (invalid config, connection failure, etc.)

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Log levels

Control logging verbosity with --log-level or -v:

Level	Name	Description
1	ERROR	Only errors
2	WARN	Warnings and errors
3	INFO	General information (default)
4	DEBUG	Detailed debugging information

# Set specific level
hyperterse run -f config.terse --log-level 4

# Shortcut for DEBUG level
hyperterse run -f config.terse -v