file · Command reference

`qzx countLines`

What it does

Counts logical Unicode lines in a stable regular file using bounded-memory streaming and explicit newline evidence

Command maturity: Alpha

Available for real use and feedback while its interface and behavior can still evolve. This is the current development-checkout assessment. Every future immutable release tag preserves the exact assessment shipped by that version. Available in PyPI 0.2.2.0.15. This page documents the 0.2.2.0.15 alpha development checkout.

Behavior and built-in protections

Inspects without changing state

Direct execution for this operation

Works without invoking native programs

Works without network access

No elevation required by design

This safety classification was reviewed by Claude Opus 5.5 (Anthropic) against implementation digest sha256:c74a37eb51ff87d1f08b7e477cabe61369eb7cadb23054d9a1c9a00b33b0c381 on 2026-10-08.

Exact syntax

qzx countLines <file_path> [encoding] [follow_symlinks] --json

Parameters

Swipe or use the horizontal scrollbar to see every column.

Name	Type	Required	Default	Description
file_path	str	Yes	Not declared	Path to the regular text file to count
encoding	str	No	"auto"	Text encoding name, or 'auto' to use bounded content detection
follow_symlinks	bool	No	false	Follow reviewed symbolic-link or junction components to their resolved regular-file target

Input examples

qzx countLines source.py

Count source lines with automatic encoding detection

qzx countLines legacy.txt windows-1252

Count a file with an explicit legacy encoding

qzx countLines reviewed-link auto true

Count the resolved target of an explicitly reviewed link

For the complete structured payload, add --json: qzx countLines <file_path> [encoding] [follow_symlinks] --json

Representative output example

This illustrative JSON is derived from the current implementation-backed result contract. It shows what the command can return without claiming a recorded execution; values vary with inputs, host, permissions, and optional tools.

Example command: qzx countLines source.py --json

{
    "success": true,
    "message": "Counts logical Unicode lines in a stable regular file using bounded-memory streaming and explicit newline evidence. In this illustrative example, the command completed successfully.",
    "meta": {
        "command": "countLines",
        "command_maturity": {
            "stage": "alpha",
            "label": "Alpha",
            "sequence": 2,
            "public_executable": true,
            "stability": "interface_may_change",
            "summary": "Available for real use and feedback while its interface and behavior can still evolve.",
            "promotion_review_required": false,
            "assessment_scope": "development_checkout"
        },
        "duration_ms": 0,
        "schema_version": 1
    },
    "analyzed_path": "C:\\project\\example.txt",
    "blank_line_count": 3,
    "details": {
        "summary": "Additional structured context is included here."
    },
    "empty_line_count": 3,
    "encoding": "Example value",
    "file_path": "C:\\project\\example.txt",
    "line_count": 3,
    "non_blank_line_count": 3,
    "whitespace_only_line_count": 3
}

View the JSON result contract

{
    "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
    "type": "object",
    "required": [
        "success",
        "message",
        "meta"
    ],
    "properties": {
        "success": {
            "type": "boolean"
        },
        "message": {
            "type": "string"
        },
        "meta": {
            "type": "object",
            "required": [
                "command",
                "command_maturity",
                "duration_ms",
                "schema_version"
            ],
            "properties": {
                "command": {
                    "type": "string"
                },
                "command_maturity": {
                    "type": "object",
                    "required": [
                        "stage",
                        "label",
                        "sequence",
                        "public_executable",
                        "stability",
                        "summary",
                        "promotion_review_required",
                        "assessment_scope"
                    ],
                    "properties": {
                        "stage": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "label": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "sequence": {
                            "type": "integer"
                        },
                        "public_executable": {
                            "type": "boolean"
                        },
                        "stability": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "summary": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "promotion_review_required": {
                            "type": "boolean"
                        },
                        "assessment_scope": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "note": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "review": {
                            "type": "object",
                            "required": [
                                "reviewed_on",
                                "rationale",
                                "evidence"
                            ],
                            "properties": {
                                "reviewed_on": {
                                    "type": "string",
                                    "format": "date"
                                },
                                "rationale": {
                                    "type": "string"
                                },
                                "evidence": {
                                    "type": "array",
                                    "minItems": 1,
                                    "items": {
                                        "type": "string"
                                    }
                                },
                                "replacement": {
                                    "type": "string"
                                }
                            },
                            "additionalProperties": false
                        }
                    },
                    "additionalProperties": true
                },
                "duration_ms": {
                    "type": "number"
                },
                "schema_version": {
                    "type": "integer"
                }
            },
            "additionalProperties": true
        },
        "analyzed_path": [],
        "blank_line_count": [],
        "details": [],
        "empty_line_count": [],
        "encoding": [],
        "file_path": [],
        "line_count": [],
        "non_blank_line_count": [],
        "whitespace_only_line_count": []
    },
    "additionalProperties": true
}

Errors and limits

The public contract requires success=false and a descriptive message on failure. This catalog does not yet declare a command-specific error taxonomy; inspect the result and do not invent error codes.

QZX is alpha software. Optional dependencies, permissions, and host capabilities can change the result.

Evidence workflow: ready for deterministic automated capture.

Evidence and provenance

Implementation: src/qzx/commands/file/count_lines.py
Tests: tests/test_file_commands/test_count_lines.py
Documentation channel: Development documentation 0.2.2.0.15 · main · sha256:b91acee86268edb7cb018a94e089ff8e95835eda3f2cf08b39796c0ab9654693
Availability: 0.2.2.0.15 or earlier

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