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Get hands-on experience with Continue CLI through practical development workflows.
  • TUI Mode
  • Headless Mode
TUI Mode (cn command) is for large development tasks that require agentic workflows with human oversight. Perfect for complex refactors, feature implementation, or one-off automation tasks that need monitoring and iteration.

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TUI Mode: Large Development Tasks

Make sure you have Continue CLI installed and are in a project directory.

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Example: Implementing a New Feature

# Navigate to your project directory
cd your-awesome-project

# Start TUI Mode for complex development work
cn
Example workflow for adding authentication: 
> I need to add JWT authentication to this Express app. Let me start by showing you the current structure.

> @src/app.js @package.json Here's my current setup. Can you implement JWT auth with middleware, login/register routes, and user model?

> [Agent analyzes codebase and implements auth system]
> [You review changes, test, and provide feedback]
> [Agent iterates based on your input until the feature is complete]

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Example: Complex Refactoring

cn
Refactoring a monolithic component: 
> @src/components/Dashboard.jsx This component is 800 lines and does too much. Help me break it into smaller, reusable components.

> [Agent analyzes component structure]
> [Proposes component breakdown strategy]
> [You approve approach]
> [Agent implements the refactor with proper props and state management]
> [You test and request adjustments]

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When to Use TUI Mode

✅ Large development tasks that need oversight
✅ Complex refactors requiring multiple steps
✅ New feature implementation with unknowns
✅ One-off automation tasks you haven’t done before
✅ Debugging complex issues that need exploration

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Headless Mode: Automated Workflows

Once you’ve refined a workflow in TUI Mode, convert it to Continuous AI for automation.

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Example: From REPL → Continuous AI

Step 1: Develop in TUI Mode 
cn
> @package.json @CHANGELOG.md Generate release notes for version 2.1.0
> [Test and refine the prompt until it works perfectly]
Step 2: Convert to Continuous AI 
# Now use the refined workflow in automation
cn -p "Generate release notes for the current version based on package.json and recent commits"

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Common Continuous AI Workflows

# Git automation
cn -p "Generate a conventional commit message for staged changes"
cn -p "Review the last 3 commits for potential issues"

# Code quality
cn -p "Fix all TypeScript errors in the src/ directory"
cn -p "Update outdated dependencies and fix breaking changes"

# Documentation
cn -p "@README.md Update documentation based on recent changes"
cn -p "Generate API documentation from JSDoc comments"

# CI/CD integration
cn -p "Analyze test failures and create GitHub issue with findings"
cn -p "Update version numbers and create release branch"

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When to Use Headless Mode

✅ Proven workflows you’ve tested in TUI Mode
✅ Repetitive tasks that no longer need oversight
✅ CI/CD automation in pipelines
✅ Git hooks for automated checks
✅ Scheduled tasks that run unattended

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Available Slash Commands

Common slash commands available in CLI:
  • /clear - Clear the chat history
  • /compact - Summarize chat history into a compact form
  • /config - Switch configuration or organization
  • /exit - Exit the chat
  • /fork - Start a forked chat session from the current history
  • /help - Show help message
  • /info - Show session information
  • /init - Create an AGENTS.md file
  • /login - Authenticate with your account
  • /logout - Sign out of your current session
  • /mcp - Manage MCP server connections
  • /model - Switch between available chat models
  • /resume - Resume a previous chat session
  • /whoami - Check who you’re currently logged in as
Use /help to see all available commands.

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The Development Workflow

Recommended Approach: Start complex tasks in TUI Mode to iterate and refine your approach. Once you have a reliable workflow, convert it to Headless Mode for automation.

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Workflow Pattern

  1. 🔬 Experiment in TUI Mode
    • Try complex development tasks with human oversight
    • Iterate on prompts and approaches until they work reliably
    • Test edge cases and refine the agent’s behavior
  2. ⚡ Automate with Continuous AI
    • Convert proven REPL workflows to single commands
    • Deploy in CI/CD, git hooks, or scheduled tasks
    • Run with confidence knowing the approach is tested

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Next Steps

Create Your First Workflow

Build an automated PostHog to GitHub issues workflow

Continuous AI Guide

Learn to build and deploy AI-powered development workflows