Init

Prereq

Verify command -v lens succeeds. If it returns non-zero, tell the user "lens CLI not found. Install with npm i -g lens-engine." and stop.

Dispatch

• If $ARGUMENTS contains a positional token that is not a flag (i.e. a description), go to Passthrough.
• Otherwise (empty, or only flags like --template <name>), go to Exploration.

Passthrough

Run:

lens init $ARGUMENTS

Stream stdout/stderr. Surface non-zero exit clearly. Stop.

Exploration

The user invoked /lens:init without a description. Survey the repo, propose a template, draft the intent, confirm, then invoke the CLI.

1. Survey (read-only)

• Read whichever of package.json, Cargo.toml, pyproject.toml, go.mod, Gemfile, build.gradle exists (name, description, scripts, dependencies).
• Read README.md (first ~200 lines) if present.
• Glob top-level layout: *, src/*, app/*, cmd/*.
• Glob/Grep for structural markers (a package.json bin field, .proto files, etc.).

2. Pick a template

The six shipped templates are webapp, cli, library, pipeline, protocol, blank. Use this signal order (first strong match wins):

• cli — package.json has bin; or src/cli/ exists; or the entrypoint starts with a shebang.
• webapp — src/routes/, src/app/api/, prisma/, src/controllers/, or similar route/DB layout.
• protocol — .proto files, proto/, messages/, or state-machine naming.
• pipeline — airflow/, dagster/, prefect/, src/jobs/, or src/workers/.
• library — has exports/main in package.json, no bin, no server/route directories, tests-centric layout.
• blank — no strong match.

3. Draft the intent

Write 3–6 sentences describing the system. Ground it in what the README and manifest actually say — prefer quoting the README's own phrasing. Do not invent features that aren't in the source.

4. Confirm with the user

Use AskUserQuestion with two questions:

1. Template — options: your chosen template labeled "(Recommended)", one alternative if the repo straddles two, and blank.
2. Intent — paste the drafted intent. Options: "Use this intent", "Let me edit". If the user picks "Let me edit", ask for the revised intent as free text before continuing.

5. Invoke

Run:

lens init --template <chosen> "<intent>"

Stream output. If it exits non-zero, surface the error; do not proceed to step 6.

6. Follow-up

After lens init succeeds, tell the user:

Lens files were populated from your intent. For an existing codebase, run /lens:pull next to reflect the actual implementation into the lenses. Then review .lenses/, commit, and start iterating.

Do not auto-run lens pull — it invokes the runner and can take a minute or more, so users should opt in.