8c04eb7e7f
Co-authored-by: factory-droid[bot] <138933559+factory-droid[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>
91 lines
2.6 KiB
Markdown
91 lines
2.6 KiB
Markdown
---
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id: intro
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title: Introduction
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sidebar_position: 1
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slug: /
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---
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# Beads Documentation
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**Beads** (`bd`) is a git-backed issue tracker designed for AI-supervised coding workflows.
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## Why Beads?
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Traditional issue trackers (Jira, GitHub Issues) weren't designed for AI agents. Beads was built from the ground up for:
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- **AI-native workflows** - Hash-based IDs prevent collisions when multiple agents work concurrently
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- **Git-backed storage** - Issues sync via JSONL files, enabling collaboration across branches
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- **Dependency-aware execution** - `bd ready` shows only unblocked work
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- **Formula system** - Declarative templates for repeatable workflows
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- **Multi-agent coordination** - Routing, gates, and molecules for complex workflows
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## Quick Start
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```bash
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# Install via Homebrew (macOS/Linux)
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brew tap steveyegge/beads
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brew install bd
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# Or quick install (macOS/Linux/FreeBSD)
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curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/steveyegge/beads/main/scripts/install.sh | bash
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# Initialize in your project
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cd your-project
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bd init --quiet
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# Create your first issue
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bd create "Set up database" -p 1 -t task
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# See ready work
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bd ready
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```
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## Core Concepts
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| Concept | Description |
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|---------|-------------|
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| **Issues** | Work items with priorities, types, labels, and dependencies |
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| **Dependencies** | `blocks`, `parent-child`, `discovered-from`, `related` |
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| **Daemon** | Background process for auto-sync and performance |
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| **Formulas** | Declarative workflow templates (TOML or JSON) |
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| **Molecules** | Work graphs with parent-child relationships |
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| **Gates** | Async coordination primitives (human, timer, GitHub) |
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## For AI Agents
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Beads is optimized for AI coding agents:
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```bash
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# Always use --json for programmatic access
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bd list --json
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bd show bd-42 --json
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# Track discovered work during implementation
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bd create "Found bug in auth" --description="Details..." \
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--deps discovered-from:bd-100 --json
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# Sync at end of session
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bd sync
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```
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See the [Claude Code integration](/integrations/claude-code) for detailed agent instructions.
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## Architecture
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```
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SQLite DB (.beads/beads.db, gitignored)
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↕ auto-sync (5s debounce)
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JSONL (.beads/issues.jsonl, git-tracked)
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↕ git push/pull
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Remote JSONL (shared across machines)
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```
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The magic is automatic synchronization between a local SQLite database and git-tracked JSONL files.
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## Next Steps
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- [Installation](/getting-started/installation) - Get bd installed
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- [Quick Start](/getting-started/quickstart) - Create your first issues
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- [CLI Reference](/cli-reference) - All available commands
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- [Workflows](/workflows) - Formulas, molecules, and gates
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