AXM CLI Reference

Install axm-smelt in the environment running axm. With uv add axm-smelt, prefix the commands below with uv run unless that environment is activated. The package registers three commands through the AXM tool registry.

Command	Purpose	Additional inputs
`axm smelt`	Compact input	`--strategies`, `--preset`
`axm smelt_check`	Estimate savings	None
`axm smelt_count`	Count input tokens	`--model`

All accept --data, --input-path, and the shared --json-output switch.

Bash

axm smelt --help
axm smelt_check --help
axm smelt_count --help

Input and strategies

Bash

printf '{"name": "Alice", "notes": null}\n' | axm smelt
axm smelt --input-path ./payload.json --preset moderate
axm smelt --data '{"a": 1, "b": null}' --strategies '["minify", "drop_nulls"]'
axm smelt_count --data 'hello world' --model o200k_base

--strategies takes one JSON array argument, not a comma-separated string or repeated flag. The generic CLI JSON-decodes --data when possible: a JSON object becomes parsed data with a compact baseline. For the exact whitespace and token count of a JSON file, use --input-path or stdin, which stay text. To pass JSON-looking content as a string through --data, JSON-encode the string itself.

Input precedence is nonempty data, explicit file, then non-interactive stdin. See input edge cases.

Output and exit status

The default output is a metrics header followed by compacted text for smelt; it is not a raw compacted file. Use structured output to extract the payload:

Bash

axm smelt --input-path ./payload.json --json-output

--json-output prints the tool's data mapping, without a ToolResult envelope. Key sets are listed in the tool contract. On a tool failure, the diagnostic goes to stderr and exit status is 1; malformed JSON for --strategies exits 2. CLI parsing errors are also nonzero. Always check status before consuming stdout (JSON mode can print {} on failure).

Commands read inputs and write stdout/stderr; they do not overwrite input files. See saving compacted text from Python.