Navigation & Context Commands

Commands for loading files, viewing structure, and managing chat context.

/add

Add files to the chat context. Supports narrative locations, database entries, and raw file paths.

Narrative locations

/add act 1 chapter 2 scene 3     # Add all files for scene 3
/add 1 2 3                       # Shorthand (same as above)
/add 1 2                         # Add everything in chapter 2
/add 1                           # Add everything in act 1

Summary and prose selectors

Prefix with summaries or prose to load specific file types:

/add summaries 1 2               # All SUMMARY.md files in chapter 2
/add prose 1 2                   # All PROSE.md files in chapter 2
/add prose 1 2 3                 # Just scene 3's PROSE.md

All summaries / prose

/add summaries                   # Every SUMMARY.md across the novel
/add prose                       # Every PROSE.md across the novel

Database entries

/add db                          # All db entries
/add db sarah                    # Specific entry by name
/add db characters               # All entries in a category

Raw file paths

Falls through to Aider’s base /add for paths that don’t match the above patterns:

/add novel/Act 1 - Title/outline.md

Behavior

  • Narrative files are added as editable by default
  • Database entries are added as editable (except db/core/ which is always read-only)
  • Word counts are displayed for each added file or directory
  • Collapsed directory paths are shown when all files in a directory are added

/drop

Remove files from the chat session.

/drop 1 2 3                     # Drop scene 3's files
/drop db sarah                  # Drop a db entry

Delegates to Aider’s base /drop. After any drop operation, db/core/ entries are automatically reloaded as read-only context.

/ls

List the narrative structure, database entries, and files currently in the chat.

/ls

Output includes:

  • Narrative structure — hierarchical outline of acts, chapters, and scenes
  • Db entries — all entries grouped by category
  • Files in chat — editable files with word counts
  • Read-only files — read-only context files with word counts

/wordcount

Show word counts for each level of the narrative hierarchy.

/wordcount

Output example:

Total word count: 47,832

Act 1: The Beginning: 23,456 words
  Chapter 1: Arrivals: 8,234 words
    Scene 1: The Train Station: 2,847 words
    Scene 2: First Impressions: 3,012 words
    Scene 3: The Welcome: 2,375 words
  Chapter 2: Settling In: 7,891 words
    ...
Act 2: Rising Action: 24,376 words
  ...