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dft explain

Describe a face file or look up an error code. Two modes, dispatched by the shape of the argument.

dft explain [OPTIONS] ARG

Modes

Face mode

When ARG looks like a file path, dft explain describes the face's queries, charts, variables, and layout.

dft explain faces/sales.yml
dft explain faces/sales.yml --json

Useful for:

  • Understanding an unfamiliar face quickly
  • Auditing what variables a face exposes
  • Pre-flight check before a render or serve

Error-code mode

When ARG matches an error-code pattern (e.g. DF-RENDER-KPI-MULTIROW), dft explain returns the registry entry: description, cause, fix, and example.

dft explain DF-RENDER-KPI-MULTIROW
dft explain DF-RENDER-KPI-MULTIROW --json

Every Dataface error message carries a code. When you hit one, copy the code into dft explain for the full context.

Options

Flag Description
--json Output as JSON.
--project-dir PATH Project directory for resolving relative paths.