Essential Commands & Shortcuts

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

• Navigate directories efficiently using cd, pushd/popd, and shell shortcuts
• Use essential Git commands for version control: status, add -p, commit, stash
• Configure shell aliases for WORKWAY, Wrangler, Git, and Claude Code
• Use Wrangler commands for debugging Cloudflare Workers: tail, secret, d1
• Test workflows locally with curl and process JSON responses with jq
• Use Claude Code slash commands and MCP learning tools
• Execute the complete development flow: workway dev → test → commit → deploy

Master these commands to move efficiently through your workflow development cycle. The goal: muscle memory that lets the tools recede.

Use Claude Code

You can complete this entire lesson by asking Claude Code. Try these prompts:

> Add WORKWAY development aliases to my zshrc (wd, wdp, wl, gs, cc)

> Create shell functions for workflow testing (wrun, wwl, wdeploy)

> Show me the most useful keyboard shortcuts for terminal navigation

> Set up my shell for efficient WORKWAY development

> What's the complete development flow from dev to deploy?

Claude Code will add the aliases to your shell config, explain each shortcut, and help you practice the development cycle.

Quick Start: Set Up Your Environment

Step 1: Add WORKWAY Aliases to Your Shell

Open your shell config file:

# For zsh (macOS default)
nano ~/.zshrc

# For bash
nano ~/.bashrc

Step 2: Paste These Aliases

# WORKWAY Development
alias wd="workway dev"
alias wdp="workway deploy"
alias wl="workway logs --tail"
alias wt="workway test"
alias ws="workway status"

# Wrangler (Cloudflare Workers)
alias wrt="wrangler tail"
alias wrte="wrangler tail --status error"

# Git shortcuts
alias gs="git status"
alias ga="git add -p"
alias gc="git commit"
alias gp="git push"

# Claude Code
alias cc="claude"
alias ccc="claude -c"

# Workflow Testing
alias wtest="curl -s localhost:8787/execute -d '{}' | jq ."

Step 3: Reload Your Shell

source ~/.zshrc  # or ~/.bashrc

Step 4: Test the Aliases

wd --help     # Should show workway dev help
cc --version  # Should show claude version
gs            # Should show git status
wrt --help    # Should show wrangler tail help

Step 5: Practice the Development Flow

Run this sequence in your WORKWAY project:

wd            # Start dev server (Terminal 1)
cc            # Start Claude Code (Terminal 2)
wrt           # Watch logs in real-time (Terminal 3)
wtest         # Quick test your workflow

Now you're ready for rapid development.

Terminal Navigation

Directory Movement

File Operations

Git Essentials

Daily Workflow

# Check status
git status

# Stage changes
git add -p              # Interactive staging
git add .               # Stage all

# Commit
git commit -m "feat: add workflow trigger"

# Push
git push origin main

Branching

# Create and switch
git checkout -b feature/new-workflow

# Switch branches
git checkout main

# Merge
git merge feature/new-workflow

# Delete branch
git branch -d feature/new-workflow

Quick Fixes

# Undo last commit (keep changes)
git reset --soft HEAD~1

# Discard all local changes
git checkout -- .

# Stash changes
git stash
git stash pop

WORKWAY CLI Quick Reference

Development Cycle

# Start development
workway dev

# In another terminal, test
curl localhost:8787/execute -d '{}'

# Deploy when ready
workway deploy

# Monitor production
workway logs --tail

Debugging

# Check workflow status
workway status

# View recent executions
workway executions --limit 10

# Get execution details
workway execution <id>

Wrangler Commands (Cloudflare Workers)

WORKWAY workflows run on Cloudflare Workers. These wrangler commands are essential for debugging:

Live Debugging

# Tail worker logs in real-time
wrangler tail

# Filter by status (errors only)
wrangler tail --status error

# Output as JSON for parsing
wrangler tail --format json

# Filter by specific method
wrangler tail --method POST

Local Development

# Start local dev server
wrangler dev

# Start with specific port
wrangler dev --port 8787

# Test with local bindings
wrangler dev --local

Secrets & Environment

# Set a secret
wrangler secret put API_KEY

# List all secrets
wrangler secret list

# Delete a secret
wrangler secret delete API_KEY

D1 Database (if using)

# Execute SQL query
wrangler d1 execute DB_NAME --command "SELECT * FROM users"

# Run migrations
wrangler d1 migrations apply DB_NAME

# Export database
wrangler d1 export DB_NAME --output backup.sql

Workflow Testing Commands

Manual Trigger Testing

# Trigger workflow locally
curl http://localhost:8787/execute \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"trigger": {"type": "manual"}}'

# Trigger with config
curl http://localhost:8787/execute \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "trigger": {"type": "manual"},
    "inputs": {"notionPageId": "abc123"}
  }'

# Simulate webhook trigger
curl http://localhost:8787/execute \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "trigger": {
      "type": "webhook",
      "payload": {"event": "meeting.ended", "id": "123"}
    }
  }'

Testing with jq (JSON Processing)

# Pretty print workflow response
curl -s localhost:8787/execute -d '{}' | jq .

# Extract specific field
curl -s localhost:8787/execute -d '{}' | jq '.result.pageUrl'

# Filter errors only
curl -s localhost:8787/execute -d '{}' | jq 'select(.error)'

Claude Code Commands

Session Commands

CLI Options

# Start new session
claude

# Continue previous session
claude -c

# One-shot question
claude "What does this error mean?"

# Resume specific session
claude --resume

# Use different model
claude --model opus

File Operations

> Read src/index.ts
> Edit the execute function to add logging
> Create a new file at src/utils.ts

Project Understanding

> What patterns are used in this codebase?
> Find all workflow definitions
> How does error handling work here?

WORKWAY-Specific Prompts

For workflow development, these prompts are particularly useful:

> Show me the defineWorkflow() pattern in this codebase
> What integrations are available in packages/integrations?
> Help me create a workflow that sends Slack notifications
> Analyze my workflow for Zuhandenheit (does the tool recede?)
> What's wrong with this error: [paste error]

WORKWAY Skills (Slash Commands)

When working in the WORKWAY codebase, these skills are available:

Example usage:

> /heidegger-design
# Then describe your design decision for philosophical analysis

> /workway-integrations
# Then describe the API you want to integrate

MCP Learning Commands

If you've configured the WORKWAY Learn MCP server, these commands are available:

Example prompts to Claude Code:

> Show me my learning progress
> Get the lesson on triggers
> Mark the essential-commands lesson as complete
> Analyze my workflow against WORKWAY patterns

Shell Shortcuts (Bash/Zsh)

Line Editing

History

Process Control

Useful Aliases

Add to ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc:

# WORKWAY Development
alias wd="workway dev"
alias wdp="workway deploy"
alias wl="workway logs --tail"
alias wt="workway test"
alias ws="workway status"
alias we="workway executions --limit 10"

# Wrangler (Cloudflare Workers)
alias wrd="wrangler dev"
alias wrt="wrangler tail"
alias wrte="wrangler tail --status error"
alias wrs="wrangler secret list"

# Git
alias gs="git status"
alias ga="git add -p"
alias gc="git commit"
alias gp="git push"
alias gl="git log --oneline -10"
alias gd="git diff"
alias gco="git checkout"

# Navigation
alias ..="cd .."
alias ...="cd ../.."
alias ll="ls -la"
alias work="cd ~/path/to/workway"  # Customize this

# Claude Code
alias cc="claude"
alias ccc="claude -c"
alias cco="claude --model opus"

# Workflow Testing
alias wcurl="curl -s -H 'Content-Type: application/json'"
alias wtest="curl -s localhost:8787/execute -d '{}' | jq ."

Reload:

source ~/.zshrc

Workflow-Specific Functions

Add these shell functions for common workflow tasks:

# Quick workflow test with inputs
wrun() {
  curl -s localhost:8787/execute \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -d "{\"trigger\":{\"type\":\"manual\"},\"inputs\":$1}" | jq .
}

# Watch workflow logs with filtering
wwl() {
  wrangler tail --format json | jq "select(.level == \"${1:-error}\")"
}

# Deploy and tail logs immediately
wdeploy() {
  workway deploy && wrangler tail
}

Usage:

wrun '{"pageId":"abc123"}'    # Test with inputs
wwl error                      # Watch error logs
wwl info                       # Watch info logs
wdeploy                        # Deploy and monitor

Cheatsheet: Development Flow

# 1. Start project
cd my-workflow
workway dev           # Terminal 1

# 2. Develop with Claude
claude                # Terminal 2
> "Add error handling to the execute function"

# 3. Test locally
curl localhost:8787/execute -d '{"test": true}'

# 4. Commit changes
git add -p
git commit -m "feat: add error handling"

# 5. Deploy
workway deploy

# 6. Monitor
workway logs --tail

Complete Workflow Shortcuts Reference

Development Cycle (Most Common)

Claude Code

Git (Quick Commits)

Testing & Debugging

Keyboard Shortcuts (Shell)

Praxis

Configure your development environment with workflow-specific shortcuts:

Praxis: Ask Claude Code: "Help me add WORKWAY development aliases and functions to my shell config"

Step 1: Open Your Shell Config

# For zsh (macOS default)
nano ~/.zshrc

# For bash
nano ~/.bashrc

Step 2: Add WORKWAY Aliases

Copy the complete alias block from the "Useful Aliases" section above.

Step 3: Add Shell Functions

Copy the shell functions (wrun, wwl, wdeploy) from the "Workflow-Specific Functions" section.

Step 4: Reload and Test

source ~/.zshrc

# Test aliases
wd --help        # Should show workway dev help
cc --version     # Should show Claude version
wrt --help       # Should show wrangler tail help

# Test in a workflow project
cd your-workflow
wtest            # Should test workflow locally

Step 5: Practice the Development Cycle

Run this sequence to internalize the workflow:

wd               # Start dev server (Terminal 1)
cc               # Start Claude Code (Terminal 2)
wrt              # Watch logs (Terminal 3)
wtest            # Test your workflow

Step 6: Practice Keyboard Shortcuts

Open a terminal and practice until these are automatic:

1. Ctrl+R → type "workway" → find previous command
2. Ctrl+A → go to start → Ctrl+K → clear line
3. !! → repeat last command
4. !$ → use last argument in new command

The shortcuts should feel invisible within a week of daily use.

Reflection

• Which commands do you use most frequently?
• What aliases would save you the most keystrokes?
• How can you make your terminal environment more invisible to your workflow?
• Which keyboard shortcuts felt awkward at first but now feel natural?