Getting Started

Hissab CLI

The Hissab CLI runs the same calculation engine from your terminal. Use it for quick calculations, repeatable scripts, CI checks, shell pipelines, and local AI agent tools.

Install

Install the CLI from npm:

npm install @rawbytes/hissab-cli

For a global hissab command:

npm install -g @rawbytes/hissab-cli

After installation, verify the command:

hissab --help

Commands at a glance

Command	Purpose
`hissab eval "<expr>"`	evaluate one expression
`hissab repl`	interactive session (keeps labels)
`hissab run <file>`	run a file of expressions
`hissab list <kind>`	list functions, units, or operators
`hissab docs [chunk]`	print the syntax reference
`hissab docs --list`	list documentation chunks
`hissab docs --all`	print the full reference for large-context LLMs

Evaluate one expression

Use eval for one-shot calculations.

hissab eval "15 kilometers to miles"
hissab eval "25% of 200"
hissab eval "today - 1 feb 1990 to years"
hissab eval "derivative(2x^2, x)"
hissab eval "(2 + 3i) * (1 - i)"

Results are printed to stdout. Invalid expressions print errors to stderr and exit with a non-zero status.

Use the REPL

Start an interactive session with:

hissab repl

The REPL keeps labels available while the session is open.

subtotal = 240 - 15%
subtotal + 18

Exit with q, .exit, or Ctrl+D.

Run a file

Use run for scripts. Put one expression per line. Empty lines and lines starting with # are skipped.

distance = 15 kilometers
distance to miles
time = 2 hours
distance / time to kilometer/hour

Then run:

hissab run trip.hsb

Expressions in the file share scope, so later lines can use earlier labels, prev, line<N> / l<N>, and total<N>.

List built-ins

Use list to inspect available names for autocomplete, debugging, or agent tool setup.

hissab list functions
hissab list units
hissab list operators

Read syntax docs from the CLI

The CLI can print the same syntax reference used by Hissab agents.

hissab docs
hissab docs --list
hissab docs --all
hissab docs unit_conversion
hissab docs symbolic
hissab docs complex_numbers
hissab docs date_time

Fetch a specific docs chunk before writing expressions for a category you do not use often. For LLMs with very large context windows, hissab docs --all dumps the base reference plus every category chunk in one response.

When to use the CLI

Use the CLI for local scripts, terminal workflows, and AI agents that can run shell commands.
Use the engine library when you are building Hissab into an application.
Use the web app when you want notebooks, inline results, and local browser storage without writing code.