CLI Reference
impact-model <command> --help prints the full help for any command. This page
is the map.
Conventions
- Output files.
-o / --out names the file a command writes. Without it,
most commands write to standard output.
- Observation files.
-O / --observations names observation sets, and is
repeatable.
- Dates.
--as-of YYYY-MM-DD sets the date a status or report describes.
- Format.
--format text|json is global. graph also takes dot, and
export review-packet takes md or docx.
- Quiet.
-q / --quiet prints only problems.
- Dry run. Commands that change a file take
--dry-run, which prints the
result and writes nothing.
- Both formats. An impact model can be YAML or JSON, chosen by extension. Edits keep
the file's own format.
Exit codes
| Code |
Meaning |
| 0 |
Success |
| 1 |
The input is invalid, a change was rejected, or a check did not pass |
| 2 |
A usage or I/O error |
| 3 |
An optional external tool (marp, mmdc, pandoc) is missing |
Commands
| Command |
What it does |
init |
Write a starter impact model that already passes validation |
fmt |
Rewrite documents in canonical form (--check, --sort) |
schema |
List the seven embedded JSON Schemas or print one |
Edit
| Command |
What it does |
<element> add, set, rm |
Add, change, or remove one element through the validated patch engine |
patch |
Apply an RFC 6902 JSON Patch atomically, with @id pointers |
diff |
Compare two versions by element ID, or print a draft revision patch |
The twenty-one element kinds are actor, assumption, audience, cause,
consultation, criterion, decision, effect, evidence, factor, group,
indicator, intervention, link, metric, outcome, pathway, risk,
target-group, term, and theme. See Authoring an impact model.
Check
| Command |
What it does |
validate |
Schema and structure (--model, --parent, --registry, --futures) |
lint |
72 deterministic rules in three profiles (--profile, --disable, --list) |
graph |
Summarize or query the causal graph (--upstream, --downstream, --paths, --cycles, --orphans, --dead-ends, --levels) |
judge show, record, summary |
Prepare an impact model for a judge and combine the verdicts |
Measure
| Command |
What it does |
import observations |
Load a spreadsheet through a column mapping, reporting every row it cannot place |
status |
Compute indicator, outcome, pathway, link, and assumption status as of a date (--prev, --rollup, --tolerance) |
Report and export
| Command |
What it does |
report <kind> |
Markdown reports: definition kinds (no data needed) and status kinds |
deck workshop, exec, learning-review, story |
Marp slide decks (--export renders with marp) |
export csv <table> |
indicators, metrics, glossary, metric-selection, collection-plan |
export docx, export pptx |
Word and PowerPoint through mmdc and pandoc |
export okr, export journey, export v2mom, export dmaic |
JSON for the PRISM tools; the V2MOM and DMAIC guides say how each maps |
Review
| Command |
What it does |
export review-packet, export review-sheet |
Send an impact model out for review |
import review |
Turn reviewers' answers into a patch, flagged rows, and a consultation record |
approve |
Record approval, with approvers, a version, and a date |
Serve
| Command |
What it does |
mcp |
Serve the tools to an AI agent over MCP on standard input and output (--root) |
Shell completion
impact-model completion bash|zsh|fish|powershell prints a completion script.