Getting started
Try familiar commands and a complete typed-data workflow inside your existing terminal.
Start Quirl inside your existing shell, run a familiar command, then try a self-contained typed-data pipeline. The first session takes about five minutes, needs no account or sample files, and shows how to return to your previous shell.
Install Quirl
Use Homebrew, a verified native archive, or the pinned source toolchain.
Try the core workflow
Run a command, filter two sample records, find help, and leave Quirl.
Check project status
See current platform support, release identity, and known limits.
The mental model
| Surface | Carries | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Normal mode | byte streams | familiar programs, redirects, jobs, Bash/Zsh islands |
| Data mode | typed values | records, tables, filtering, selection, structured output |
| AI mode (optional) | proposals from an installed, authenticated Codex CLI | describe an intent, then move a validated proposal into Normal mode for review |
| Lua scripting | bounded logic | configuration, scripts, prompts, completion, plugins |
Use mode data and mode normal to switch between typed values and familiar
commands. Lua is a scripting surface rather than another interactive mode.
The AI workflow here has been available since Quirl 0.2.0. AI planning sends the submitted intent and bounded catalog context to OpenAI;
it has no local planner fallback. Normal commands and Data mode work offline.