CLI: check

The check command parses and type-checks ISL specification files. It validates syntax, resolves types and imports, and runs semantic passes (symbol resolution, purity constraints, import graph). Use it after writing or editing specs to catch errors before generating code or running verification.

Usage

shipgate check [files...] [options]

If no files are given, the CLI uses your config (e.g. from .shipgate.yml) or default globs to find ISL files.

Options

Flag	Description
-w, --watch	Watch for changes and re-run check
--debug	Print resolved imports debug info
--config <path>	Path to config file (default: auto-detect .shipgate.yml)
--verbose	Verbose output
--format <format>	Output format: pretty, json, quiet

Examples

Check one or more files

# Single file
shipgate check user-service.isl

# Multiple files
shipgate check specs/auth.isl specs/payment.isl

# All specs in a directory
shipgate check specs/

Watch mode

shipgate check specs/ --watch

JSON output

shipgate check user-service.isl --format json

Output

Success (pretty)

✓ Parsed successfully
✓ Type checking passed
✓ 1 domain, 1 entity, 1 behavior found

Errors

When type or semantic errors are found, the command prints diagnostics and exits with code 1. Fix the reported issues and run check again.

Exit codes

Code	Meaning
0	Success — all files passed
1	ISL errors — parse or type-check failed
2	Usage error
3	Internal error

See also

• Quick Start — uses shipgate check in step 3
• CLI: gate — SHIP/NO_SHIP verdict after verification
• CLI: next — Next.js App Router gate and golden-path evidence
• CLI: verify — verify implementation against specs