CLI Commands

Complete reference for all Tap CLI commands.

Overview

Tap provides a simple CLI for creating, developing, building, and exporting presentations:

bash

tap <command> [options]

Run tap --help to see all available commands, or tap <command> --help for command-specific help.

tap new

Create a new presentation from a template.

Usage

bash

tap new [name]

Arguments

Argument	Description
`name`	Name for the new presentation file (optional)

Flags

Flag	Short	Description
`--theme <name>`	`-t`	Theme to use (default: `minimal`)
`--template <type>`		Template type: `blank`, `demo`, `talk` (default: `blank`)
`--dir <path>`	`-d`	Directory to create the file in (default: current directory)
`--force`	`-f`	Overwrite existing file if it exists

Examples

bash

# Create presentation with default name (untitled.md)
tap new

# Create named presentation
tap new my-talk

# Create with specific theme
tap new quarterly-review --theme gradient

# Create from demo template with all features
tap new demo-presentation --template demo

# Create in specific directory
tap new slides --dir ./presentations

# Overwrite existing file
tap new slides --force

Output

Creates a new markdown file with frontmatter and sample content:

markdown

---
title: My Talk
theme: minimal
---

# Welcome

Your first slide content here.

---

# Second Slide

More content...

tap dev

Start the development server with live reload for real-time preview.

Usage

bash

tap dev <file>

Arguments

Argument	Description
`file`	Path to the markdown presentation file (required)

Flags

Flag	Short	Description
`--port <number>`	`-p`	Port to serve on (default: `3000`)
`--host <ip>`		Host to bind to (default: `localhost`)
`--open`	`-o`	Open browser automatically
`--no-live-reload`		Disable live reload on file changes
`--password <pass>`		Enable password protection for presenter mode
`--qr`		Display QR code for mobile access

Examples

bash

# Start dev server for a presentation
tap dev slides.md

# Start on a specific port
tap dev slides.md --port 8080

# Open browser automatically
tap dev slides.md --open

# Bind to all interfaces (for network access)
tap dev slides.md --host 0.0.0.0

# Enable presenter mode password
tap dev slides.md --password secret123

# Show QR code for mobile devices
tap dev slides.md --qr

URLs

When the dev server starts, it provides:

URL	Description
`http://localhost:3000`	Audience view (main presentation)
`http://localhost:3000/presenter`	Presenter view with notes and timer

Features

Live reload: Changes to your markdown file are instantly reflected
Live code execution: Run SQL, shell commands, and other drivers
Presenter mode: Access speaker notes and timer at /presenter
Cross-device sync: Control from tablet/phone, display on main screen

TIP

Use --host 0.0.0.0 to access the presentation from other devices on your network.

tap build

Build a production-ready static version of your presentation.

Usage

bash

tap build <file>

Arguments

Argument	Description
`file`	Path to the markdown presentation file (required)

Flags

Flag	Short	Description
`--out <dir>`	`-o`	Output directory (default: `dist/`)
`--base <path>`	`-b`	Base path for deployment (default: `/`)
`--minify`	`-m`	Enable additional minification
`--no-clean`		Don't clean output directory before build
`--watch`	`-w`	Watch for changes and rebuild

Examples

bash

# Basic build
tap build slides.md

# Build to custom directory
tap build slides.md --out ./public

# Build for subdirectory deployment (e.g., GitHub Pages)
tap build slides.md --base /my-repo/

# Build with minification
tap build slides.md --minify

# Watch mode for continuous building
tap build slides.md --watch

Output Structure

dist/
├── index.html         # Main presentation entry point
├── assets/
│   ├── style.css      # Optimized presentation styles
│   └── main.js        # Bundled JavaScript
├── images/            # Copied image assets
└── fonts/             # Font files (if used)

WARNING

Static builds do not include live code execution. Code blocks with drivers will show their last executed result or a placeholder.

tap serve

Serve a built presentation locally for preview or local deployment.

Usage

bash

tap serve [dir]

Arguments

Argument	Description
`dir`	Directory to serve (default: `dist/`)

Flags

Flag	Short	Description
`--port <number>`	`-p`	Port to serve on (default: `8080`)
`--host <ip>`		Host to bind to (default: `localhost`)
`--open`	`-o`	Open browser automatically
`--cors`		Enable CORS headers

Examples

bash

# Serve the default dist directory
tap serve

# Serve a specific directory
tap serve ./public

# Serve on a different port
tap serve dist --port 3000

# Open browser automatically
tap serve dist --open

# Make accessible on network
tap serve dist --host 0.0.0.0

TIP

Use tap serve to verify your production build before deploying. This catches issues like broken asset paths or base URL misconfiguration.

tap pdf

Export your presentation to PDF format.

Usage

bash

tap pdf <file>

Arguments

Argument	Description
`file`	Path to the markdown presentation file (required)

Flags

Flag	Short	Description
`--out <file>`	`-o`	Output filename (default: `<input>.pdf`)
`--format <type>`	`-f`	Export format: `slides`, `notes`, `both` (default: `slides`)
`--paper <size>`		Paper size: `letter`, `a4`, `16:9`, `4:3` (default: `16:9`)
`--margin <px>`	`-m`	Page margins in pixels (default: `0`)
`--quality <level>`	`-q`	Image quality: `low`, `medium`, `high` (default: `high`)
`--no-animations`		Export without animation frames

Export Formats

Format	Description
`slides`	Exports presentation slides only (default)
`notes`	Exports speaker notes as a document
`both`	Exports slides with corresponding notes below each

Examples

bash

# Basic PDF export
tap pdf slides.md

# Custom output filename
tap pdf slides.md --out quarterly-review.pdf

# Export slides with notes (handout format)
tap pdf slides.md --format both

# Export notes only (speaker script)
tap pdf slides.md --format notes

# A4 paper size with notes
tap pdf slides.md --format both --paper a4

# Letter size with margins
tap pdf slides.md --paper letter --margin 20

# Lower quality for smaller file size
tap pdf slides.md --quality medium

TIP

PDF export captures your presentation at export time. If you have live code execution, the results shown will be whatever was displayed when you ran the export.

tap add

Add a new slide or asset to an existing presentation.

Usage

bash

tap add [file]

Arguments

Argument	Description
`file`	Path to the presentation file (default: autodetect)

Flags

Flag	Short	Description
`--layout <name>`	`-l`	Layout for new slide (default: `default`)
`--position <n>`	`-p`	Insert position (slide number, default: end)
`--title <text>`	`-t`	Slide title
`--image <path>`	`-i`	Add an image to the assets
`--interactive`		Interactive mode with prompts

Examples

bash

# Add a blank slide at the end
tap add slides.md

# Add slide with specific layout
tap add slides.md --layout two-column

# Add slide at specific position
tap add slides.md --position 3 --title "New Section"

# Add slide with title
tap add slides.md --title "Conclusion" --layout section

# Import an image asset
tap add slides.md --image ./photo.png

# Interactive mode
tap add slides.md --interactive

Available Layouts

Use --layout with any of these options:

Layout	Description
`default`	Standard content slide
`title`	Title slide with centered content
`section`	Section divider
`two-column`	Two-column layout
`three-column`	Three-column layout
`code-focus`	Optimized for code blocks
`big-stat`	Large statistic display
`quote`	Quotation layout
`cover`	Full-bleed image background
`sidebar`	Main content with sidebar
`split-media`	Split view with media
`blank`	Empty slide

Global Flags

These flags work with all commands:

Flag	Description
`--help`	Show help for the command
`--version`	Show Tap version
`--verbose`	Enable verbose output
`--quiet`	Suppress non-error output
`--config <file>`	Path to config file
`--no-color`	Disable colored output

Examples

bash

# Show help
tap --help
tap dev --help

# Show version
tap --version

# Verbose mode for debugging
tap build slides.md --verbose

# Quiet mode for CI/CD
tap build slides.md --quiet

Quick Reference

Command	Description	Example
`tap new [name]`	Create new presentation	`tap new my-talk`
`tap dev <file>`	Start dev server	`tap dev slides.md`
`tap build <file>`	Build for production	`tap build slides.md`
`tap serve [dir]`	Serve built files	`tap serve dist`
`tap pdf <file>`	Export to PDF	`tap pdf slides.md`
`tap add [file]`	Add slide or asset	`tap add slides.md`

Exit Codes

Tap uses standard exit codes:

Code	Description
`0`	Success
`1`	General error
`2`	Invalid arguments or flags
`3`	File not found
`4`	Build error
`5`	Export error

Environment Variables

Configure Tap behavior via environment variables:

Variable	Description
`TAP_PORT`	Default port for `tap dev` (default: 3000)
`TAP_HOST`	Default host for `tap dev` (default: localhost)
`TAP_THEME`	Default theme for `tap new` (default: minimal)
`NO_COLOR`	Disable colored output when set

Environment variables can be overridden by command-line flags.

Next Steps

Frontmatter Options - Configure your presentation
Slide Directives - Per-slide settings
Layouts Reference - All available layouts
Drivers - Live code execution configuration

CLI Commands ​

Overview ​

tap new ​

Usage ​

Arguments ​

Flags ​

Examples ​

Output ​

tap dev ​

Usage ​

Arguments ​

Flags ​

Examples ​

URLs ​

Features ​

tap build ​

Usage ​

Arguments ​

Flags ​

Examples ​

Output Structure ​

tap serve ​

Usage ​

Arguments ​

Flags ​

Examples ​

tap pdf ​

Usage ​

Arguments ​

Flags ​

Export Formats ​

Examples ​

tap add ​

Usage ​

Arguments ​

Flags ​

Examples ​

Available Layouts ​

Global Flags ​

Examples ​

Quick Reference ​

Exit Codes ​

Environment Variables ​

Next Steps ​

CLI Commands

Overview

tap new

Usage

Arguments

Flags

Examples

Output

tap dev

Usage

Arguments

Flags

Examples

URLs

Features

tap build

Usage

Arguments

Flags

Examples

Output Structure

tap serve

Usage

Arguments

Flags

Examples

tap pdf

Usage

Arguments

Flags

Export Formats

Examples

tap add

Usage

Arguments

Flags

Examples

Available Layouts

Global Flags

Examples

Quick Reference

Exit Codes

Environment Variables

Next Steps