# CLI reference
The `vole-document` binary is the only user-facing entry point. Commands are
selected by the first argument; the *format* of an input is detected from its
bytes, never from the file extension or a flag.
Feature-gated command groups appear only when built in: the entropy stack
(`rans`, default), the object store (`store`, default), and the document field
(`field`, default; DOCX/EPUB/ODT need `package,opc,docx,epub,odt`).
## Core container
```text
vole-document encode [--force KIND] INPUT OUTPUT.voldoc
vole-document decode INPUT.voldoc OUTPUT
vole-document materialize INPUT.voldoc OUTPUT
vole-document verify INPUT.voldoc
vole-document inspect INPUT.voldoc
vole-document capabilities [ROOT]
```
- `encode` runs the complete-cost court and writes the smallest exact
descriptor. `--force KIND` restricts the court to one candidate family for
honest per-mechanism ablation; it never bypasses exactness, and it fails with
a typed usage error if the input does not propose that kind.
- `decode` and `materialize` are synonyms and produce the exact source bytes.
- `verify` (re)checks integrity and the coverage certificate without writing.
- `inspect` prints descriptor structure. `capabilities ROOT` detects `ROOT`'s
document format from bytes and prints the supported selectors/representations.
`KIND` for `encode --force`:
```text
pdf-deflate-replay-rans-indexed | pdf-length-revision | pdf-cos-template
```
## Partial views (`rans`)
```text
```
Serves one byte range, indirect object, encoded stream, or revision from the
advisory seek `DIRECTORY` and observation index, checking every served slice
against the full materialization. Exactly one selector is required. A partial
read is an *observation* (`integrity_verified == false`); `materialize`/`decode`/
`verify` remain the archival authority.
## Object store (`store`)
```text
vole-document decode --store STORE_DIR INPUT.voldoc OUTPUT
vole-document store put INPUT.voldoc STORE_DIR
vole-document store account STORE_DIR ROOT...
vole-document store gc STORE_DIR ROOT...
```
`--store` externalizes the descriptor's objects into a content-addressed store;
`store account` reports the three accounting universes (standalone,
unique-reachable, amortized); `store gc` is a mark-and-sweep over the referenced
roots.
## Persistent document field (`field`)
```text
vole-document field-build INPUT --store DIR [--profile runtime] [--workers N]
[--voldoc OUT.voldoc] [--entropyfs | --packed] [--sync=batch|each]
vole-document field-ingest INPUT.voldoc --store DIR [--workers N] [--entropyfs | --packed] [--sync=batch|each]
vole-document field-edit --store DIR --field HEX --page N --content FILE [--entropyfs | --packed]
vole-document observe --store DIR --field HEX [--entropyfs | --packed] [--promote[=BYTES]]
(--page N | --object N | --stream N | --revision N | --revisions | --byte-range A..B |
--metadata | --doc-text | --heading N | --block N | --table N | --cell T:R:C |
--resource N | --link N | --spine-item N | --text PATTERN |
--sheet N | --xlsx-cell A1 [--sheet N] | --xlsx-styles | --xlsx-defined-names |
--xlsx-external-rels | --xlsx-comments | --xlsx-hyperlinks | --xlsx-tables | --xlsx-drawing |
--slide N | --pptx-shape N | --pptx-notes N | --pptx-layouts | --pptx-masters |
--pptx-theme | --pptx-media N | --pptx-tables | --pptx-find PATTERN |
--ods-sheet N | --ods-cell A1 [--ods-sheet N] | --ods-styles | --ods-named-expressions |
--ods-comments | --ods-find PATTERN |
--odp-slide N | --odp-shape N | --odp-notes N | --odp-masters | --odp-media N |
--odp-tables | --odp-find PATTERN |
--json-pointer P | --json-node P | --json-find PATTERN |
--json5-pointer P | --json5-node P | --json5-comments | --json5-find PATTERN |
--cbor-pointer P | --cbor-node P | --cbor-find PATTERN |
--msgpack-pointer P | --msgpack-node P | --msgpack-find PATTERN |
--config-line N | --config-entry N | --config-section NAME | --config-find PATTERN |
--feed-channel | --feed-field NAME | --feed-entry N | --feed-entry-field N:NAME | --feed-find PATTERN |
--geojson-type | --geojson-feature N | --geojson-geometry N | --geojson-coordinates N |
--geojson-property N:NAME | --geojson-find PATTERN |
--gis-root | --gis-field NAME | --gis-record N | --gis-record-field N:NAME | --gis-point N |
--gis-find PATTERN |
--notebook-nbformat | --notebook-cell N | --notebook-cell-type N | --notebook-cell-source N |
--notebook-cell-output N:M | --notebook-find PATTERN |
--yaml-path P | --yaml-node | --yaml-documents | --yaml-anchor NAME | --yaml-find PATTERN |
--csv-row N | --csv-cell R:C | --csv-cell R:COLNAME | --csv-header | --csv-range | --csv-find PATTERN |
--fixedwidth-row N | --fixedwidth-cell R:C | --fixedwidth-header | --fixedwidth-columns |
--fixedwidth-range R1:C1:R2:C2 | --fixedwidth-find PATTERN |
--md-heading N | --md-block N | --md-code | --md-link N | --md-find PATTERN |
--rst-heading N | --rst-block N | --rst-directive N | --rst-inline N | --rst-find PATTERN |
--adoc-heading N | --adoc-block N | --adoc-attribute N | --adoc-inline N | --adoc-find PATTERN |
--mdx-heading N | --mdx-block N | --mdx-esm N | --mdx-jsx N | --mdx-expression N |
--mdx-find PATTERN |
--mhtml-root | --mhtml-resource N | --mhtml-location | --mhtml-find PATTERN |
--xml-path P | --xml-element | --xml-attr NAME | --xml-namespaces | --xml-find PATTERN |
--html-path P | --html-element | --html-attr NAME | --html-scripts | --html-find PATTERN |
--toml-path P | --toml-table | --toml-find PATTERN |
--jsonl-line N | --jsonl-pointer P | --jsonl-find PATTERN |
--logstream-line N | --logstream-field N:ROLE | --logstream-find PATTERN |
--pkgmeta-section N | --pkgmeta-entry N | --pkgmeta-key SECTION:KEY | --pkgmeta-find PATTERN |
--apispec-dialect | --apispec-version | --apispec-object N | --apispec-ref N | --apispec-find PATTERN |
--bib-dialect | --bib-entry N | --bib-field N:FIELD | --bib-key KEY | --bib-find PATTERN |
--rtf-header | --rtf-group N | --rtf-control N | --rtf-hex N | --rtf-unicode N |
--rtf-text N | --rtf-dest NAME[:N] | --rtf-find PATTERN |
--container-dialect | --container-entry N | --container-find PATTERN |
--hdf-dialect | --hdf-object N | --hdf-dimension N | --hdf-attribute N | --hdf-find PATTERN |
--cfbf-dialect | --cfbf-entry N | --cfbf-stream N | --cfbf-find PATTERN |
--eml-header NAME | --eml-part N | --eml-attachments | --eml-body | --eml-find PATTERN |
--doc-fib | --doc-piece N | --doc-body | --doc-section NAME | --doc-find PATTERN |
--xls-biff | --xls-sheet N | --xls-cell N | --xls-record N | --xls-text | --xls-find PATTERN |
--ppt-document | --ppt-slide N | --ppt-run N | --ppt-record N | --ppt-list NAME |
--ppt-text | --ppt-find PATTERN |
--msg-summary | --msg-property N | --msg-recipient N | --msg-attachment N | --msg-text |
--msg-find PATTERN |
--parquet-schema | --parquet-column | --parquet-row-group | --parquet-cell |
--arrow-schema | --arrow-column | --arrow-batch | --arrow-cell)
--kind KIND
vole-document observe-batch --store DIR --field HEX [--entropyfs | --packed] [--promote[=BYTES]]
[--requests FILE|-] [--repeat N]
vole-document find --store DIR --field HEX --text PATTERN [--entropyfs | --packed]
vole-document explain --store DIR --field HEX <selector> --kind KIND [--analyze] [--entropyfs | --packed]
vole-document preview --store DIR --field HEX --page N [--json] [--entropyfs | --packed]
vole-document materialize --store DIR --field HEX --exact --output FILE [--entropyfs | --packed]
vole-document cache --store DIR [--clear] [--entropyfs | --packed]
vole-document field-store-stats --store DIR [--entropyfs | --packed]
```
- `field-build` is the **direct** source → field path: it runs one court over ONE
fixed, non-searched exactness program (`--profile runtime`), stores the exact
authority, and inverts it into the field in a single process — no compression
portfolio search. Measured 2.04× faster and 3.4× lower peak RSS than
`encode` + `field-ingest`, with identical exactness and observations (ADR-0051).
- The XLSX selectors (`--sheet`, `--xlsx-cell`, `--xlsx-styles`, `--xlsx-comments`,
`--xlsx-hyperlinks`, `--xlsx-tables`, `--xlsx-drawing`, `--xlsx-defined-names`,
`--xlsx-external-rels`) need the non-default `xlsx` feature; a build without it
reports XLSX `Opaque`. A cell's stored formula, cached result, displayed value,
style, and XML span are separate fields; formulas are never evaluated (ADR-0059).
- The PPTX selectors (`--slide`, `--pptx-shape`, `--pptx-notes`, `--pptx-layouts`,
`--pptx-masters`, `--pptx-theme`, `--pptx-media`, `--pptx-tables`, `--pptx-find`)
need the non-default `pptx` feature. Slide order comes from `p:sldIdLst`, never
`slideN.xml` file order; chart data is not evaluated (`--slide` exposes the
chart *reference*).
- The ODS selectors (`--ods-sheet`, `--ods-cell`, `--ods-styles`,
`--ods-named-expressions`, `--ods-comments`, `--ods-find`) need the non-default
`ods` feature. A cell's stored formula, typed value, displayed text, style and
XML span are separate fields; formulas are never evaluated.
- The ODP selectors (`--odp-slide`, `--odp-shape`, `--odp-notes`, `--odp-masters`,
`--odp-media`, `--odp-tables`, `--odp-find`) need the non-default `odp` feature.
Slide order is `draw:page` document order, never page-name/file order.
- The JSON selectors (`--json-pointer` RFC 6901, `--json-node`, `--json-find`) need
the non-default, dependency-free `json` feature. The adapter preserves
representation: numeric/escape spelling, member order, duplicate keys, and exact
token source spans.
- The YAML selectors (`--yaml-path`, `--yaml-node`, `--yaml-documents`,
`--yaml-anchor NAME`, `--yaml-find`) need the non-default `yaml` feature. Anchors
and aliases are exposed as a graph (never expanded); tags, scalar styles, merge
keys and comments are preserved.
- The CSV/TSV selectors (`--csv-row`, `--csv-cell`, `--csv-header`, `--csv-range`,
`--csv-find`) need the non-default `csv` feature. Record/field bytes and the
dialect are preserved; there is no CSV index, so the row/cell selectors are
O(offset) bounded-memory scans.
- The Markdown selectors (`--md-heading`, `--md-block`, `--md-code`, `--md-link`,
`--md-find`) need the non-default, dependency-free `markdown` feature. Blocks
carry exact source spans and bytes; the source is never re-flowed.
- The XML selectors (`--xml-path`, `--xml-element`, `--xml-attr`,
`--xml-namespaces`, `--xml-find`) need the non-default `xml` feature. A DTD
internal subset is refused, so no entity is ever resolved.
- The HTML selectors (`--html-path`, `--html-element`, `--html-attr`,
`--html-scripts`, `--html-find`) need the non-default, dependency-free `html`
feature. `script`/`style` content is captured as raw bytes, never executed; a
document-level HTML marker wins HTML over the XML fallback.
- The TOML selectors (`--toml-path`, `--toml-table`, `--toml-find`) need the
non-default, dependency-free `toml` feature. Duplicate keys and table
redefinitions are typed declines, never silently collapsed.
- The JSONL selectors (`--jsonl-line`, `--jsonl-pointer`, `--jsonl-find`) need the
non-default `jsonl` feature (which implies `json`). Each non-blank line must be
exactly one JSON value.
- The EML selectors (`--eml-header`, `--eml-part`, `--eml-attachments`,
`--eml-body`, `--eml-find`) need the non-default, dependency-free `eml`
feature. Header spans/order/duplicates and the resolved MIME tree are preserved.
- The Parquet selectors (`--parquet-schema`, `--parquet-column`,
`--parquet-row-group`, `--parquet-cell`) need the non-default, dependency-free
`parquet` feature. Unsupported codecs/encodings/types and bombs decline typed.
- The Arrow selectors (`--arrow-schema`, `--arrow-column`, `--arrow-batch`,
`--arrow-cell`) need the non-default, dependency-free `arrow` feature. The
detector admits the Arrow IPC **file** format (`ARROW1` magic with a consistent
footer) and the magic-less encapsulated-message **stream** framing; the ordered
message inventory (Schema / each batch / end-of-stream, exact spans contiguous
from offset 0 and covering the whole source) is served through the common
`metadata` observation. Nested types, dictionary-encoded fields, big-endian
bodies, and `BodyCompression` decline typed.
- The analytical formats (Parquet, Arrow IPC) and the tabular CSV/TSV court carry
the mandatory **DuckDB/Parquet** comparator; it wins the analytical axes, which
is recorded rather than hidden (ADR-0059).
- The JSON5/JSONC selectors (`--json5-pointer` RFC 6901, `--json5-node`,
`--json5-comments`, `--json5-find`) need `json5 = ["json"]`; CBOR
(`--cbor-pointer`, `--cbor-node`, `--cbor-find`) needs `cbor = ["json"]`; and
MessagePack (`--msgpack-pointer`, `--msgpack-node`, `--msgpack-find`) needs
`msgpack = ["json"]` — all non-default and dependency-free, reusing the JSON
match vocabulary. Each preserves its exact encoding form (the JSON5/JSONC
dialect, CBOR major type/width/tag, MessagePack format byte/`str`-vs-`bin`).
- The config selectors (`--config-line`, `--config-entry`, `--config-section`,
`--config-find`) need the non-default, dependency-free `config` feature
(INI/`.env`/Java properties). The feed selectors (`--feed-channel`,
`--feed-field`, `--feed-entry`, `--feed-entry-field`, `--feed-find`) need
`feed = ["xml"]`; GeoJSON (`--geojson-type`, `--geojson-feature`,
`--geojson-geometry`, `--geojson-coordinates`, `--geojson-property`,
`--geojson-find`) needs `geojson = ["json"]`; KML/GPX (`--gis-root`,
`--gis-field`, `--gis-record`, `--gis-record-field`, `--gis-point`,
`--gis-find`) needs `gis = ["xml"]`; and the Jupyter notebook
(`--notebook-nbformat`, `--notebook-cell`, `--notebook-cell-type`,
`--notebook-cell-source`, `--notebook-cell-output`, `--notebook-find`) needs
`notebook = ["json"]` — all non-default.
- The fixed-width selectors (`--fixedwidth-row`, `--fixedwidth-cell`,
`--fixedwidth-header`, `--fixedwidth-columns`, `--fixedwidth-range`,
`--fixedwidth-find`) need the non-default `fixedwidth = ["csv"]` feature; the
PSV (pipe) dialect lives inside the existing `csv` feature.
- The prose-extra selectors need non-default features: reStructuredText
(`--rst-heading`, `--rst-block`, `--rst-directive`, `--rst-inline`,
`--rst-find`) needs `rst`; AsciiDoc (`--adoc-heading`, `--adoc-block`,
`--adoc-attribute`, `--adoc-inline`, `--adoc-find`) needs `asciidoc`; and MDX
(`--mdx-heading`, `--mdx-block`, `--mdx-esm`, `--mdx-jsx`, `--mdx-expression`,
`--mdx-find`) needs `mdx = ["markdown"]`, reusing the Markdown parser/model.
MHTML (`--mhtml-root`, `--mhtml-resource`, `--mhtml-location`, `--mhtml-find`)
needs `mhtml = ["eml", "html"]`, reusing the EML MIME layer and the HTML
scanner (before the generic EML detector).
- The line/event-stream selectors (`--logstream-line`, `--logstream-field`,
`--logstream-find`) need the non-default, dependency-free `logstream` feature;
package metadata (`--pkgmeta-section`, `--pkgmeta-entry`, `--pkgmeta-key`,
`--pkgmeta-find`) needs `pkgmeta = ["json", "toml"]`; API/spec
(`--apispec-dialect`, `--apispec-version`, `--apispec-object`, `--apispec-ref`,
`--apispec-find`) needs `apispec = ["json"]`; and bibliography (`--bib-dialect`,
`--bib-entry`, `--bib-field`, `--bib-key`, `--bib-find`) needs
`bib = ["json"]`.
- The word-processor/container selectors: RTF (`--rtf-header`, `--rtf-group`,
`--rtf-control`, `--rtf-hex`, `--rtf-unicode`, `--rtf-text`, `--rtf-dest`,
`--rtf-find`) needs the non-default, dependency-free `rtf` feature; the
archive container (`--container-dialect`, `--container-entry`,
`--container-find`) needs `container = ["package"]`; the scientific container
(`--hdf-dialect`, `--hdf-object`, `--hdf-dimension`, `--hdf-attribute`,
`--hdf-find`) needs `hdf`; and the CFBF/OLE2 physical layer (`--cfbf-dialect`,
`--cfbf-entry`, `--cfbf-stream`, `--cfbf-find`) needs `cfbf` — all non-default.
- The legacy Office/MSG semantic selectors (Phase 26/27) build on `cfbf` and are
non-default: `--doc-fib`/`--doc-piece`/`--doc-body`/`--doc-section`/`--doc-find`
need `doc`; `--xls-biff`/`--xls-sheet`/`--xls-cell`/`--xls-record`/`--xls-text`/
`--xls-find` need `xls`; `--ppt-document`/`--ppt-slide`/`--ppt-run`/
`--ppt-record`/`--ppt-list`/`--ppt-text`/`--ppt-find` need `ppt`; and
`--msg-summary`/`--msg-property`/`--msg-recipient`/`--msg-attachment`/
`--msg-text`/`--msg-find` need `msg` (each `= ["cfbf"]`). `--doc-section NAME`
selects one of `main`/`footnote`/`header`/`annotation`/`endnote`/`textbox`/
`hdrtextbox`; `--ppt-list NAME` one of `slides`/`masters`/`notes`/`handout`. The
native DOC text selector is `--doc-body` (canonical `doc-text`). Each model
declines out-of-subset constructs typed and never panics.
- `field-ingest` inverse-proceduralizes one `.voldoc` into a persistent field
and prints its field id (`HEX`) and roots. The format is detected from bytes.
- `observe` / `find` / `explain` / `preview` answer typed observations with
provenance; `--kind` is one of
`metadata|text|structure|operators|encoded|decoded|exact|preview|full|lineage`.
- `--revisions --kind lineage` answers a PDF's revision lineage (header, revision
count, ordered indices, byte spans, resolved `startxref`/`/Prev`, per-revision
object/stream membership) from an ingest-once node; `--revision N --kind lineage`
scopes it to one revision. It is a PDF-native observation: every non-PDF format
is a **typed decline** (ADR-0052).
- `observe-batch` serves many observations in **one** process (one JSON answer
per line; each request line is the per-observation flag grammar *without*
`--store`/`--field`). A resident session, not a wire/decoder change
(ADR-0042).
- `explain --analyze` executes the plan and reports the actual work (bytes read
by class, nodes executed vs reused, decodes, wall/CPU).
- `materialize --exact` reconstructs the original bytes from the field alone.
- `cache --clear` reclaims the disposable derived cache.
- `--workers N` parallelizes independently decodable ingest work (`N`=absent or
`1` is serial, `0` means `available_parallelism`); it requires the **non-default**
`parallel` feature, is speed-neutral on the tested corpus, and is exactly
deterministic across worker counts (ADR-0044).
- `--packed` replaces the `seed/` namespace with a packed `fieldpack/` store
(ADR-0043); it is mutually exclusive with `--entropyfs`. `--sync=batch|each`
selects the packed writer's durability policy (ADR-0053): `batch` (**default**)
syncs once per segment — records are made durable at seal or before a manifest
is published — while `each` restores one `fdatasync` per seed node. Both
backends serve every read command including `observe-batch`.
- `--promote[=BYTES]` opts into the durable, byte-budgeted promotion layer over
reused intermediates (Phase 15.6). It is **off by default**, never on the
exactness path, and was refuted on the tested corpus (ADR-0046).
- `--entropyfs` requires a build with the `entropyfs-store` feature.
## Features relevant to the field
- `parallel` (non-default) enables `--workers`; `field` implies `memmem-scan`
(`memchr`).
- The shipped inflate backend is **`zlib-rs`** (adopted in Phase 16.1; the
byte-identity witness is `tests/deflate_backend_equivalence.rs`), owned by one
helper in `src/field/inflate.rs`.
- `miniz-simd` enables `miniz_oxide`'s SIMD adler-32 path (output-preserving).
- `deflate-ablation` builds the `examples/deflate_ablation.rs` harness and pulls
the measurement-only candidate backends (`zlib-rs`, `zune-inflate`); it adds no
decoder behavior (ADR-0045, fulfilled by 16.1).
## Fine-unit sharing (`field`)
```text
vole-document share report INPUT.voldoc...
vole-document share-account --store DIR INPUT.voldoc...
vole-document share externalize --store DIR INPUT.voldoc OUTPUT.voldoc
```
## Tooling subcommands
```text
vole-document pdf-inspect INPUT
vole-document pdf-make-samples DIR
vole-document pdf-make-large DIR [OBJECTS]
vole-document deflate-stats INPUT... # only with deflate-replay
vole-document arrow-fused --store DIR --field HEX --column SPEC --gt N \
[--evidence-cap K] [--warmup W] [--repeat R] [--also-current]
```
These generate deterministic corpora and diagnostics for the courts; `pdf-make-large`
assembles a valid classic-xref PDF of `OBJECTS` distinct zlib streams (≥32 MiB).
`arrow-fused` is the **Phase-28.5 decision instrument** (not a shipped default
mechanism): it runs the bounded native single-column predicate/aggregate kernel
and reports per-iteration microseconds as JSON, and `--also-current` interleaves
the shipped in-process `observe` path in the same process for the paired ablation.
A column whose type the kernel does not model (utf8/binary/bool/temporal/
compressed/nested) declines typed.
## Exit codes
```text
0 ok 2 usage 3 io
4 invalid-container 5 unsupported-version 6 unsupported-feature
7 integrity-mismatch 8 resource-limit 9 invalid-graph
10 invalid-model 15 coverage-violation 16 reconstruction-mismatch
70 internal-invariant
```
File output is written atomically: a temporary sibling is written, fsynced, then
renamed into place, so a partial or failed operation never replaces the
destination.