Quick Start

Get a task board in your project in under a minute.

1. Install

npm install -g @brainfile/cli

2. Initialize

brainfile init

This creates a brainfile.md file with a basic board structure.

3. Use It

Option A: Interactive TUI

brainfile

Navigate with keyboard: TAB for columns, j/k for tasks, Enter to expand, q to quit.

Option B: CLI Commands

brainfile list                              # See all tasks
brainfile add --title "My first task"       # Add a task
brainfile move --task task-1 --column done  # Move to done

Option C: VSCode Extension

1. Install "Brainfile" from the marketplace
2. Open your project — the kanban board appears in the sidebar

---

Add AI Integration

Want your AI assistant to manage tasks directly? Add this to .mcp.json in your project:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "brainfile": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@brainfile/cli", "mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Works with Claude Code, Cursor, Cline, and any MCP-compatible tool.

What can AI do with this?

Your assistant can now list tasks, create new ones, move them between columns, update priorities, and manage subtasks — all without you copy-pasting anything.

---

Agent Coordination (Optional)

Brainfile allows you to create Contracts for your AI assistants. A contract defines exactly what an agent needs to deliver.

1. Create a task with a contract

brainfile add --title "Create API docs" \
  --with-contract \
  --deliverable "docs/api.md" \
  --validation "npm run docs:build"

2. How agents use it

When an AI agent (like Claude or Cursor) picks up this task, it will see the structured deliverables and validation commands. This ensures the agent produces exactly what you need.

---

Next Steps

• Why Brainfile? — The full story
• Getting Started with Contracts — 2-minute intro
• CLI Commands — All available commands
• MCP Integration — AI assistant setup
• Protocol Specification — File format details