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.TUI Mode: Large Development Tasks
Make sure you have Continue CLI installed and are in a project directory.Example: Implementing a New Feature
Example: Complex Refactoring
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
Headless Mode: Automated Workflows
Once you’ve refined a workflow in TUI Mode, convert it to Continuous AI for automation.Example: From REPL → Continuous AI
Step 1: Develop in TUI ModeCommon Continuous AI Workflows
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
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.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.
Workflow Pattern
-
🔬 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
-
⚡ 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