cortex-code-guide

name

cortex-code-guide

description

Complete reference guide for Cortex Code (CoCo) CLI. Use when: learning cortex features, understanding commands, troubleshooting setup, exploring Snowflake tools, managing sessions, configuring agents, keyboard shortcuts, MCP integration. Triggers: how to use cortex, cortex guide, cortex help, cortex commands, getting started, snowflake tools, #table syntax, subagents, sessions, resume, fork, rewind, compact, /agents, configuration.

Cortex Code Guide

Comprehensive reference for Cortex Code (CoCo) -- Snowflake's AI-powered coding assistant CLI.

Quick Reference

Topic	File
CLI & Slash Commands	COMMANDS.md
Keyboard Shortcuts	SHORTCUTS.md
Configuration	CONFIGURATION.md
Skills System	SKILLS.md
MCP Integration	MCP.md
Hooks System	HOOKS.md
Agents & Task System	AGENTS.md
Snowflake-Native Tools	SNOWFLAKE.md
Session Management	SESSIONS.md

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Quick Start

cortex                              # Start interactive REPL
cortex -p "summarize README.md"     # Non-interactive mode
cortex --resume last                # Resume last session
cortex -r <session_id>              # Resume specific session
cortex --connection <name>          # Use specific Snowflake connection

Essential Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
Enter	Submit message
Ctrl+J	Insert newline
Ctrl+C	Cancel/Exit
Shift+Tab	Cycle modes
Ctrl+D	Open fullscreen todo view
Ctrl+B	Background bash process
Ctrl+O	Cycle display mode
@	File completion
$	Skill tagging
#	Snowflake table
!	Run bash command
/	Slash commands
?	Quick help

Operational Modes

Mode	Command	Description
Confirm Actions	(default)	Normal with permission checks
Plan Mode	/plan or Ctrl+P	Review actions before execution
Bypass Safeguards	/bypass	Auto-approve all tools (use with caution)

Cycle modes with Shift+Tab.

Common Commands

# CLI
cortex --help              # Show help
cortex --version           # Show version
cortex mcp list            # List MCP servers
cortex connections list    # List Snowflake connections

# Slash commands (in REPL)
/help                      # Show help
/status                    # Session status
/model <name>              # Switch model
/sql <query>               # Execute SQL
/skill                     # Manage skills
/agents                    # Manage agents
/compact                   # Summarize and compact context
/fork                      # Fork conversation
/rewind                    # Rewind to previous state
/diff                      # Fullscreen git diff viewer

Configuration

Config directory: ~/.snowflake/cortex/

Key files:

• settings.json -- Main settings
• skills/ -- Global skills
• agents/ -- Custom agent definitions
• mcp.json -- MCP server config

Tips

1. Use @path/to/file to include file context
2. Use @file$10-50 to include specific lines
3. Use $skill-name to activate skills
4. Use #DB.SCHEMA.TABLE to reference Snowflake tables (auto-injects schema + sample rows)
5. Use !git status to run bash (output goes to agent)
6. Use /plan for risky operations
7. Use /compact when context gets long
8. Use /fork before experimental approaches
9. Use /rewind when the agent goes down a wrong path
10. Use Ctrl+B to background long-running bash commands
11. Use /agents to manage and view available subagents

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For detailed documentation, load the specific reference file listed above.