feat(help & spinners): improve help rendering, async spinner handling, and pipeline demo

- Refactored `Command.help_signature` to return `(usage, description, tags)` instead of a Rich `Padding`/`Panel`.
- Replaced `show_help()` with `render_help()` in `Command` and `Falyx`.
- Updated Falyx help rendering to use Rich `Panel`/`Padding` consistently for cleaner UI.
- Swapped `print()` calls for `console.print()` for styled output.
- Added hooks to `ProcessAction` to announce analysis start/finish.
- Added spinners to test and deploy steps; simplified retry setup.
- Converted `remove()` to `async def remove()` for consistency.
- Added async lock to prevent concurrent Live loop start/stop races.
- Added debug logging when starting/stopping the Live loop.
- Updated `spinner_teardown_hook` to `await sm.remove(...)` to align with async `remove()`.
- Removed `rich.panel`/`rich.padding` from `Command` since panels are now built in `Falyx` help rendering.
- Bumped `rich` dependency to `^14.0`.
- Bumped version to 0.1.78.

This commit polishes help display, demo UX, and spinner lifecycle safety—making spinners thread/async safe and help output more structured and readable.

README.md

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 - ⚙️ Full lifecycle hooks (before, after, success, error, teardown)
 - 📊 Execution tracing, logging, and introspection
 - 🧙‍♂️ Async-first design with Process support
-- 🧩 Extensible CLI menus and customizable output
+- 🧩 Extensible CLI menus, customizable bottom bars, and keyboard shortcuts
 
 > Built for developers who value *clarity*, *resilience*, and *visibility* in their terminal workflows.
 
@@ -21,12 +21,13 @@
 Modern CLI tools deserve the same resilience as production systems. Falyx makes it easy to:
 
 - Compose workflows using `Action`, `ChainedAction`, or `ActionGroup`
-- Inject the result of one step into the next (`last_result`)
-- Handle flaky operations with retries and exponential backoff
+- Inject the result of one step into the next (`last_result` / `auto_inject`)
+- Handle flaky operations with retries, backoff, and jitter
 - Roll back safely on failure with structured undo logic
-- Add observability with execution timing, result tracking, and hooks
+- Add observability with timing, tracebacks, and lifecycle hooks
 - Run in both interactive *and* headless (scriptable) modes
-- Customize output with Rich `Table`s (grouping, theming, etc.)
+- Support config-driven workflows with YAML or TOML
+- Visualize tagged command groups and menu state via Rich tables
 
 ---
 
@@ -52,18 +53,20 @@ poetry install
 import asyncio
 import random
 
-from falyx import Falyx, Action, ChainedAction
+from falyx import Falyx
+from falyx.action import Action, ChainedAction
 
 # A flaky async step that fails randomly
 async def flaky_step():
     await asyncio.sleep(0.2)
     if random.random() < 0.5:
         raise RuntimeError("Random failure!")
+    print("ok")
     return "ok"
 
 # Create the actions
-step1 = Action(name="step_1", action=flaky_step, retry=True)
-step2 = Action(name="step_2", action=flaky_step, retry=True)
+step1 = Action(name="step_1", action=flaky_step)
+step2 = Action(name="step_2", action=flaky_step)
 
 # Chain the actions
 chain = ChainedAction(name="my_pipeline", actions=[step1, step2])
@@ -74,9 +77,11 @@ falyx.add_command(
     key="R",
     description="Run My Pipeline",
     action=chain,
-    logging_hooks=True,
     preview_before_confirm=True,
     confirm=True,
+    retry_all=True,
+    spinner=True,
+    style="cyan",
 )
 
 # Entry point
@@ -85,76 +90,131 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
 ```
 
 ```bash
-❯ python simple.py
+$ python simple.py
                           🚀 Falyx Demo
 
            [R] Run My Pipeline
-  [Y] History                                         [Q] Exit
+           [H] Help              [Y] History   [X] Exit
 
 >
 ```
 
 ```bash
-❯ python simple.py run R
+$ python simple.py run r
 Command: 'R' — Run My Pipeline
 └── ⛓ ChainedAction 'my_pipeline'
     ├── ⚙ Action 'step_1'
     │   ↻ Retries: 3x, delay 1.0s, backoff 2.0x
     └── ⚙ Action 'step_2'
         ↻ Retries: 3x, delay 1.0s, backoff 2.0x
-Confirm execution of R — Run My Pipeline (calls `my_pipeline`)  [Y/n] y
-[2025-04-15 22:03:57] WARNING   ⚠️ Retry attempt 1/3 failed due to 'Random failure!'.
-✅ Result: ['ok', 'ok']
+❓ Confirm execution of R — Run My Pipeline (calls `my_pipeline`)  [Y/n] > y
+[2025-07-20 09:29:35] WARNING   Retry attempt 1/3 failed due to 'Random failure!'.
+ok
+[2025-07-20 09:29:38] WARNING   Retry attempt 1/3 failed due to 'Random failure!'.
+ok
 ```
 
 ---
 
 ## 📦 Core Features
 
-- ✅ Async-native `Action`, `ChainedAction`, `ActionGroup`
-- 🔁 Retry policies + exponential backoff
-- ⛓ Rollbacks on chained failures
-- 🎛️ Headless or interactive CLI with argparse and prompt_toolkit
-- 📊 Built-in execution registry, result tracking, and timing
-- 🧠 Supports `ProcessAction` for CPU-bound workloads
-- 🧩 Custom `Table` rendering for CLI menu views
-- 🔍 Hook lifecycle: `before`, `on_success`, `on_error`, `after`, `on_teardown`
+- ✅ Async-native `Action`, `ChainedAction`, `ActionGroup`, `ProcessAction`
+- 🔁 Retry policies with delay, backoff, jitter — opt-in per action or globally
+- ⛓ Rollbacks and lifecycle hooks for chained execution
+- 🎛️ Headless or interactive CLI powered by `argparse` + `prompt_toolkit`
+- 📊 In-memory `ExecutionRegistry` with result tracking, timing, and tracebacks
+- 🌐 CLI menu construction via config files or Python
+- ⚡ Bottom bar toggle switches and counters with `Ctrl+<key>` shortcuts
+- 🔍 Structured confirmation prompts and help rendering
+- 🪵 Flexible logging: Rich console for devs, JSON logs for ops
 
 ---
 
-## 🔍 Execution Trace
+### 🧰 Building Blocks
 
-```bash
-[2025-04-14 10:33:22] DEBUG    [Step 1] ⚙ flaky_step()
-[2025-04-14 10:33:22] INFO     [Step 1] 🔁 Retrying (1/3) in 1.0s...
-[2025-04-14 10:33:23] DEBUG    [Step 1] ✅ Success | Result: ok
-[2025-04-14 10:33:23] DEBUG    [My Pipeline] ✅ Result: ['ok', 'ok']
+- **`Action`**: A single unit of async (or sync) logic
+- **`ChainedAction`**: Execute a sequence of actions, with rollback and injection
+- **`ActionGroup`**: Run actions concurrently and collect results
+- **`ProcessAction`**: Use `multiprocessing` for CPU-bound workflows
+- **`Falyx`**: Interactive or headless CLI controller with history, menus, and theming
+- **`ExecutionContext`**: Metadata store per invocation (name, args, result, timing)
+- **`HookManager`**: Attach `before`, `after`, `on_success`, `on_error`, `on_teardown`
+
+---
+
+### 🔍 Logging
+```
+2025-07-20 09:29:32 [falyx] [INFO] Command 'R' selected.
+2025-07-20 09:29:32 [falyx] [INFO] [run_key] Executing: R — Run My Pipeline
+2025-07-20 09:29:33 [falyx] [INFO] [my_pipeline] Starting -> ChainedAction(name=my_pipeline, actions=['step_1', 'step_2'], args=(), kwargs={}, auto_inject=False, return_list=False)()
+2025-07-20 09:29:33 [falyx] [INFO] [step_1] Retrying (1/3) in 1.0s due to 'Random failure!'...
+2025-07-20 09:29:35 [falyx] [WARNING] [step_1] Retry attempt 1/3 failed due to 'Random failure!'.
+2025-07-20 09:29:35 [falyx] [INFO] [step_1] Retrying (2/3) in 2.0s due to 'Random failure!'...
+2025-07-20 09:29:37 [falyx] [INFO] [step_1] Retry succeeded on attempt 2.
+2025-07-20 09:29:37 [falyx] [INFO] [step_1] Recovered: step_1
+2025-07-20 09:29:37 [falyx] [DEBUG] [step_1] status=OK duration=3.627s result='ok' exception=None
+2025-07-20 09:29:37 [falyx] [INFO] [step_2] Retrying (1/3) in 1.0s due to 'Random failure!'...
+2025-07-20 09:29:38 [falyx] [WARNING] [step_2] Retry attempt 1/3 failed due to 'Random failure!'.
+2025-07-20 09:29:38 [falyx] [INFO] [step_2] Retrying (2/3) in 2.0s due to 'Random failure!'...
+2025-07-20 09:29:40 [falyx] [INFO] [step_2] Retry succeeded on attempt 2.
+2025-07-20 09:29:40 [falyx] [INFO] [step_2] Recovered: step_2
+2025-07-20 09:29:40 [falyx] [DEBUG] [step_2] status=OK duration=3.609s result='ok' exception=None
+2025-07-20 09:29:40 [falyx] [DEBUG] [my_pipeline] Success -> Result: 'ok'
+2025-07-20 09:29:40 [falyx] [DEBUG] [my_pipeline] Finished in 7.237s
+2025-07-20 09:29:40 [falyx] [DEBUG] [my_pipeline] status=OK duration=7.237s result='ok' exception=None
+2025-07-20 09:29:40 [falyx] [DEBUG] [Run My Pipeline] status=OK duration=7.238s result='ok' exception=None
 ```
 
----
+### 📊 History Tracking
 
-### 🧱 Core Building Blocks
+View full execution history:
 
-#### `Action`
-A single async unit of work. Painless retry support.
+```bash
+> history
+                                                   📊 Execution History
 
-#### `ChainedAction`
-Run tasks in sequence. Supports rollback on failure and context propagation.
+   Index   Name                           Start         End    Duration   Status        Result / Exception
+ ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+       0   step_1                      09:23:55    09:23:55      0.201s   ✅ Success    'ok'
+       1   step_2                      09:23:55    09:24:03      7.829s   ❌ Error      RuntimeError('Random failure!')
+       2   my_pipeline                 09:23:55    09:24:03      8.080s   ❌ Error      RuntimeError('Random failure!')
+       3   Run My Pipeline             09:23:55    09:24:03      8.082s   ❌ Error      RuntimeError('Random failure!')
+```
 
-#### `ActionGroup`
-Run tasks in parallel. Useful for fan-out operations like batch API calls.
+Inspect result by index:
 
-#### `ProcessAction`
-Offload CPU-bound work to another process — no extra code needed.
+```bash
+> history --result-index 0
+Action(name='step_1', action=flaky_step, args=(), kwargs={}, retry=True, rollback=False) ():
+ok
+```
 
-#### `Falyx`
-Your CLI controller — powers menus, subcommands, history, bottom bars, and more.
+Print last result includes tracebacks:
 
-#### `ExecutionContext`
-Tracks metadata, arguments, timing, and results for each action execution.
-
-#### `HookManager`
-Registers and triggers lifecycle hooks (`before`, `after`, `on_error`, etc.) for actions and commands.
+```bash
+> history --last-result
+Command(key='R', description='Run My Pipeline' action='ChainedAction(name=my_pipeline, actions=['step_1', 'step_2'],
+args=(), kwargs={}, auto_inject=False, return_list=False)') ():
+Traceback (most recent call last):
+  File ".../falyx/command.py", line 291, in __call__
+    result = await self.action(*combined_args, **combined_kwargs)
+             ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+  File ".../falyx/action/base_action.py", line 91, in __call__
+    return await self._run(*args, **kwargs)
+           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+  File ".../falyx/action/chained_action.py", line 212, in _run
+    result = await prepared(*combined_args, **updated_kwargs)
+             ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+  File ".../falyx/action/base_action.py", line 91, in __call__
+    return await self._run(*args, **kwargs)
+           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+  File ".../falyx/action/action.py", line 157, in _run
+    result = await self.action(*combined_args, **combined_kwargs)
+             ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+  File ".../falyx/examples/simple.py", line 15, in flaky_step
+    raise RuntimeError("Random failure!")
+RuntimeError: Random failure!
+```
 
 ---
 
@@ -162,6 +222,6 @@ Registers and triggers lifecycle hooks (`before`, `after`, `on_error`, etc.) for
 
 > “Like a phalanx: organized, resilient, and reliable.”
 
-Falyx is designed for developers who don’t just want CLI tools to run — they want them to **fail meaningfully**, **recover gracefully**, and **log clearly**.
+Falyx is designed for developers who don’t just want CLI tools to run — they want them to **fail meaningfully**, **recover intentionally**, and **log clearly**.
 
 ---

examples/action_example.py

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import asyncio
 
-from falyx import Action, ActionGroup, ChainedAction
+from falyx.action import Action, ActionGroup, ChainedAction
 
 
 # Actions can be defined as synchronous functions

examples/action_factory_demo.py

@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 import asyncio
 
 from falyx import Falyx
-from falyx.action import ActionFactoryAction, ChainedAction, HTTPAction, SelectionAction
+from falyx.action import ActionFactory, ChainedAction, HTTPAction, SelectionAction
 
 # Selection of a post ID to fetch (just an example set)
 post_selector = SelectionAction(
     name="Pick Post ID",
-    selections=["1", "2", "3", "4", "5"],
+    selections=["15", "25", "35", "45", "55"],
     title="Choose a Post ID to submit",
     prompt_message="Post ID > ",
     show_table=True,
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ post_selector = SelectionAction(
 
 
 # Factory that builds and executes the actual HTTP POST request
-def build_post_action(post_id) -> HTTPAction:
+async def build_post_action(post_id) -> HTTPAction:
     print(f"Building HTTPAction for Post ID: {post_id}")
     return HTTPAction(
         name=f"POST to /posts (id={post_id})",
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ def build_post_action(post_id) -> HTTPAction:
     )
 
 
-post_factory = ActionFactoryAction(
+post_factory = ActionFactory(
     name="Build HTTPAction from Post ID",
     factory=build_post_action,
     inject_last_result=True,

examples/argument_examples.py

@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+import asyncio
+from enum import Enum
+
+from falyx import Falyx
+from falyx.action import Action
+from falyx.parser.command_argument_parser import CommandArgumentParser
+
+
+class Place(Enum):
+    """Enum for different places."""
+
+    NEW_YORK = "New York"
+    SAN_FRANCISCO = "San Francisco"
+    LONDON = "London"
+
+    def __str__(self):
+        return self.value
+
+
+async def test_args(
+    service: str,
+    place: Place = Place.NEW_YORK,
+    region: str = "us-east-1",
+    tag: str | None = None,
+    verbose: bool | None = None,
+    number: int | None = None,
+) -> str:
+    if verbose:
+        print(f"Deploying {service}:{tag}:{number} to {region} at {place}...")
+    return f"{service}:{tag}:{number} deployed to {region} at {place}"
+
+
+def default_config(parser: CommandArgumentParser) -> None:
+    """Default argument configuration for the command."""
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "service",
+        type=str,
+        choices=["web", "database", "cache"],
+        help="Service name to deploy.",
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "place",
+        type=Place,
+        choices=list(Place),
+        default=Place.NEW_YORK,
+        help="Place where the service will be deployed.",
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--region",
+        type=str,
+        default="us-east-1",
+        help="Deployment region.",
+        choices=["us-east-1", "us-west-2", "eu-west-1"],
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--verbose",
+        action="store_bool_optional",
+        help="Enable verbose output.",
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--tag",
+        type=str,
+        help="Optional tag for the deployment.",
+        suggestions=["latest", "stable", "beta"],
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--number",
+        type=int,
+        help="Optional number argument.",
+    )
+    parser.add_tldr_examples(
+        [
+            ("web", "Deploy 'web' to the default location (New York)"),
+            ("cache London --tag beta", "Deploy 'cache' to London with tag"),
+            ("database --region us-west-2 --verbose", "Verbose deploy to west region"),
+        ]
+    )
+
+
+flx = Falyx(
+    "Argument Examples",
+    program="argument_examples.py",
+    hide_menu_table=True,
+    show_placeholder_menu=True,
+    enable_prompt_history=True,
+)
+
+flx.add_command(
+    key="T",
+    aliases=["test"],
+    description="Test Command",
+    help_text="A command to test argument parsing.",
+    action=Action(
+        name="test_args",
+        action=test_args,
+    ),
+    style="bold #B3EBF2",
+    argument_config=default_config,
+)
+
+asyncio.run(flx.run())

examples/auto_args_group.py

@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+import asyncio
+
+from falyx import Falyx
+from falyx.action import Action, ActionGroup
+
+
+# Define a shared async function
+async def say_hello(name: str, excited: bool = False):
+    if excited:
+        print(f"Hello, {name}!!!")
+    else:
+        print(f"Hello, {name}.")
+
+
+# Wrap the same callable in multiple Actions
+action1 = Action("say_hello_1", action=say_hello)
+action2 = Action("say_hello_2", action=say_hello)
+action3 = Action("say_hello_3", action=say_hello)
+
+# Combine into an ActionGroup
+group = ActionGroup(name="greet_group", actions=[action1, action2, action3])
+
+flx = Falyx("Test Group")
+flx.add_command(
+    key="G",
+    description="Greet someone with multiple variations.",
+    aliases=["greet", "hello"],
+    action=group,
+    arg_metadata={
+        "name": {
+            "help": "The name of the person to greet.",
+        },
+        "excited": {
+            "help": "Whether to greet excitedly.",
+        },
+    },
+)
+asyncio.run(flx.run())

examples/auto_parse_demo.py

@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+import asyncio
+
+from falyx import Falyx
+from falyx.action import Action, ChainedAction
+from falyx.utils import setup_logging
+
+setup_logging()
+
+
+async def deploy(service: str, region: str = "us-east-1", verbose: bool = False) -> str:
+    if verbose:
+        print(f"Deploying {service} to {region}...")
+    await asyncio.sleep(2)
+    if verbose:
+        print(f"{service} deployed successfully!")
+    return f"{service} deployed to {region}"
+
+
+flx = Falyx("Deployment CLI")
+
+flx.add_command(
+    key="D",
+    aliases=["deploy"],
+    description="Deploy",
+    help_text="Deploy a service to a specified region.",
+    action=Action(
+        name="deploy_service",
+        action=deploy,
+    ),
+    arg_metadata={
+        "service": "Service name",
+        "region": {
+            "help": "Deployment region",
+            "choices": ["us-east-1", "us-west-2", "eu-west-1"],
+        },
+        "verbose": {"help": "Enable verbose mode"},
+    },
+    tags=["deployment", "service"],
+)
+
+deploy_chain = ChainedAction(
+    name="DeployChain",
+    actions=[
+        Action(name="deploy_service", action=deploy),
+        Action(
+            name="notify",
+            action=lambda last_result: print(f"Notification: {last_result}"),
+        ),
+    ],
+    auto_inject=True,
+)
+
+flx.add_command(
+    key="N",
+    aliases=["notify"],
+    description="Deploy and Notify",
+    help_text="Deploy a service and notify.",
+    action=deploy_chain,
+    tags=["deployment", "service", "notification"],
+)
+
+asyncio.run(flx.run())

examples/confirm_example.py

@@ -0,0 +1,127 @@
+import asyncio
+from typing import Any
+
+from pydantic import BaseModel
+
+from falyx import Falyx
+from falyx.action import (
+    Action,
+    ActionFactory,
+    ChainedAction,
+    ConfirmAction,
+    SaveFileAction,
+)
+from falyx.parser import CommandArgumentParser
+
+
+class Dog(BaseModel):
+    name: str
+    age: int
+    breed: str
+
+
+async def get_dogs(*dog_names: str) -> list[Dog]:
+    """Simulate fetching dog data."""
+    await asyncio.sleep(0.1)  # Simulate network delay
+    dogs = [
+        Dog(name="Buddy", age=3, breed="Golden Retriever"),
+        Dog(name="Max", age=5, breed="Beagle"),
+        Dog(name="Bella", age=2, breed="Bulldog"),
+        Dog(name="Charlie", age=4, breed="Poodle"),
+        Dog(name="Lucy", age=1, breed="Labrador"),
+        Dog(name="Spot", age=6, breed="German Shepherd"),
+    ]
+    dogs = [
+        dog for dog in dogs if dog.name.upper() in (name.upper() for name in dog_names)
+    ]
+    if not dogs:
+        raise ValueError(f"No dogs found with the names: {', '.join(dog_names)}")
+    return dogs
+
+
+async def build_json_updates(dogs: list[Dog]) -> list[dict[str, Any]]:
+    """Build JSON updates for the dogs."""
+    print(f"Building JSON updates for {','.join(dog.name for dog in dogs)}")
+    return [dog.model_dump(mode="json") for dog in dogs]
+
+
+async def save_dogs(dogs) -> None:
+    if not dogs:
+        print("No dogs processed.")
+        return
+    for result in dogs:
+        print(f"Saving {Dog(**result)} to file.")
+        await SaveFileAction(
+            name="Save Dog Data",
+            file_path=f"dogs/{result['name']}.json",
+            data=result,
+            file_type="json",
+        )()
+
+
+async def build_chain(dogs: list[Dog]) -> ChainedAction:
+    return ChainedAction(
+        name="test_chain",
+        actions=[
+            Action(
+                name="build_json_updates",
+                action=build_json_updates,
+                kwargs={"dogs": dogs},
+            ),
+            ConfirmAction(
+                name="test_confirm",
+                prompt_message="Do you want to process the dogs?",
+                confirm_type="yes_no_cancel",
+                return_last_result=True,
+                inject_into="dogs",
+            ),
+            Action(
+                name="save_dogs",
+                action=save_dogs,
+                inject_into="dogs",
+            ),
+        ],
+        auto_inject=True,
+    )
+
+
+factory = ActionFactory(
+    name="Dog Post Factory",
+    factory=build_chain,
+    preview_kwargs={"dogs": ["Buddy", "Max"]},
+)
+
+
+def dog_config(parser: CommandArgumentParser) -> None:
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "dogs",
+        nargs="+",
+        action="action",
+        resolver=Action("Get Dogs", get_dogs),
+        lazy_resolver=False,
+        help="List of dogs to process.",
+    )
+    parser.add_tldr_examples(
+        [
+            ("max", "Process the dog named Max"),
+            ("bella buddy max", "Process the dogs named Bella, Buddy, and Max"),
+        ]
+    )
+
+
+async def main():
+    flx = Falyx("Save Dogs Example", program="confirm_example.py")
+
+    flx.add_command(
+        key="D",
+        description="Save Dog Data",
+        action=factory,
+        aliases=["save_dogs"],
+        argument_config=dog_config,
+    )
+
+    await flx.run()
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    asyncio.run(main())

examples/falyx.yaml

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ commands:
     description: Pipeline Demo
     action: pipeline_demo.pipeline
     tags: [pipeline, demo]
-    help_text: Run Demployment Pipeline with retries.
+    help_text: Run Deployment Pipeline with retries.
 
   - key: G
     description: Run HTTP Action Group

examples/falyx_demo.py

@@ -7,11 +7,9 @@ Licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE file for details.
 
 import asyncio
 import random
-from argparse import Namespace
 
 from falyx.action import Action, ActionGroup, ChainedAction
 from falyx.falyx import Falyx
-from falyx.parsers import FalyxParsers, get_arg_parsers
 from falyx.version import __version__
 
 
@@ -74,17 +72,10 @@ class Foo:
         await self.flx.run()
 
 
-def parse_args() -> Namespace:
-    parsers: FalyxParsers = get_arg_parsers()
-    return parsers.parse_args()
-
-
 async def main() -> None:
     """Build and return a Falyx instance with all your commands."""
-    args = parse_args()
     flx = Falyx(
         title="🚀 Falyx CLI",
-        cli_args=args,
         columns=5,
         welcome_message="Welcome to Falyx CLI!",
         exit_message="Goodbye!",
@@ -93,7 +84,7 @@ async def main() -> None:
 
     # --- Bottom bar info ---
     flx.bottom_bar.columns = 3
-    flx.bottom_bar.add_toggle_from_option("V", "Verbose", flx.options, "verbose")
+    flx.bottom_bar.add_toggle_from_option("B", "Verbose", flx.options, "verbose")
     flx.bottom_bar.add_toggle_from_option("U", "Debug Hooks", flx.options, "debug_hooks")
     flx.bottom_bar.add_static("Version", f"Falyx v{__version__}")
 

examples/file_select.py

@@ -2,18 +2,26 @@ import asyncio
 
 from falyx import Falyx
 from falyx.action import SelectFileAction
-from falyx.action.types import FileReturnType
+from falyx.action.action_types import FileType
 
 sf = SelectFileAction(
     name="select_file",
-    suffix_filter=".py",
+    suffix_filter=".yaml",
     title="Select a YAML file",
-    prompt_message="Choose > ",
-    return_type=FileReturnType.TEXT,
+    prompt_message="Choose 2 > ",
+    return_type=FileType.TEXT,
     columns=3,
+    number_selections=2,
 )
 
-flx = Falyx()
+flx = Falyx(
+    title="File Selection Example",
+    description="This example demonstrates how to select files using Falyx.",
+    version="1.0.0",
+    program="file_select.py",
+    hide_menu_table=True,
+    show_placeholder_menu=True,
+)
 
 flx.add_command(
     key="S",

examples/http_demo.py

@@ -2,9 +2,8 @@ import asyncio
 
 from rich.console import Console
 
-from falyx import ActionGroup, Falyx
-from falyx.action import HTTPAction
-from falyx.hook_manager import HookType
+from falyx import Falyx
+from falyx.action import ActionGroup, HTTPAction
 from falyx.hooks import ResultReporter
 
 console = Console()
@@ -49,7 +48,7 @@ action_group = ActionGroup(
 reporter = ResultReporter()
 
 action_group.hooks.register(
-    HookType.ON_SUCCESS,
+    "on_success",
     reporter.report,
 )
 

examples/menu_demo.py

@@ -2,8 +2,16 @@ import asyncio
 import time
 
 from falyx import Falyx
-from falyx.action import Action, ActionGroup, ChainedAction, MenuAction, ProcessAction
+from falyx.action import (
+    Action,
+    ActionGroup,
+    ChainedAction,
+    MenuAction,
+    ProcessAction,
+    PromptMenuAction,
+)
 from falyx.menu import MenuOption, MenuOptionMap
+from falyx.themes import OneColors
 
 
 # Basic coroutine for Action
@@ -77,20 +85,28 @@ parallel = ActionGroup(
 
 process = ProcessAction(name="compute", action=heavy_computation)
 
+menu_options = MenuOptionMap(
+    {
+        "A": MenuOption("Run basic Action", basic_action, style=OneColors.LIGHT_YELLOW),
+        "C": MenuOption("Run ChainedAction", chained, style=OneColors.MAGENTA),
+        "P": MenuOption("Run ActionGroup (parallel)", parallel, style=OneColors.CYAN),
+        "H": MenuOption("Run ProcessAction (heavy task)", process, style=OneColors.GREEN),
+    }
+)
+
 
 # Menu setup
 
 menu = MenuAction(
     name="main-menu",
     title="Choose a task to run",
-    menu_options=MenuOptionMap(
-        {
-            "1": MenuOption("Run basic Action", basic_action),
-            "2": MenuOption("Run ChainedAction", chained),
-            "3": MenuOption("Run ActionGroup (parallel)", parallel),
-            "4": MenuOption("Run ProcessAction (heavy task)", process),
-        }
-    ),
+    menu_options=menu_options,
+)
+
+
+prompt_menu = PromptMenuAction(
+    name="select-user",
+    menu_options=menu_options,
 )
 
 flx = Falyx(
@@ -108,6 +124,13 @@ flx.add_command(
     logging_hooks=True,
 )
 
+flx.add_command(
+    key="P",
+    description="Show Prompt Menu",
+    action=prompt_menu,
+    logging_hooks=True,
+)
+
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     asyncio.run(flx.run())

examples/pipeline_demo.py

@@ -1,61 +1,92 @@
 import asyncio
+import random
+import time
 
-from falyx import Action, ActionGroup, ChainedAction
-from falyx import ExecutionRegistry as er
-from falyx import ProcessAction
-from falyx.hook_manager import HookType
-from falyx.retry import RetryHandler, RetryPolicy
+from falyx import Falyx
+from falyx.action import Action, ActionGroup, ChainedAction, ProcessAction
+from falyx.console import console
 
 
 # Step 1: Fast I/O-bound setup (standard Action)
 async def checkout_code():
-    print("📥 Checking out code...")
+    console.print("🔄 Checking out code...")
     await asyncio.sleep(0.5)
+    console.print("📦 Code checked out successfully.")
 
 
 # Step 2: CPU-bound task (ProcessAction)
 def run_static_analysis():
-    print("🧠 Running static analysis (CPU-bound)...")
     total = 0
     for i in range(10_000_000):
         total += i % 3
+    time.sleep(2)
     return total
 
 
 # Step 3: Simulated flaky test with retry
 async def flaky_tests():
-    import random
-
+    console.print("🧪 Running tests...")
     await asyncio.sleep(0.3)
     if random.random() < 0.3:
         raise RuntimeError("❌ Random test failure!")
-    print("🧪 Tests passed.")
+    console.print("🧪 Tests passed.")
     return "ok"
 
 
 # Step 4: Multiple deploy targets (parallel ActionGroup)
 async def deploy_to(target: str):
-    print(f"🚀 Deploying to {target}...")
-    await asyncio.sleep(0.2)
+    console.print(f"🚀 Deploying to {target}...")
+    await asyncio.sleep(random.randint(2, 6))
+    console.print(f"✅ Deployment to {target} complete.")
     return f"{target} complete"
 
 
 def build_pipeline():
-    retry_handler = RetryHandler(RetryPolicy(max_retries=3, delay=0.5))
-
     # Base actions
     checkout = Action("Checkout", checkout_code)
-    analysis = ProcessAction("Static Analysis", run_static_analysis)
-    tests = Action("Run Tests", flaky_tests)
-    tests.hooks.register(HookType.ON_ERROR, retry_handler.retry_on_error)
+    analysis = ProcessAction(
+        "Static Analysis",
+        run_static_analysis,
+        spinner=True,
+        spinner_message="Analyzing code...",
+    )
+    analysis.hooks.register(
+        "before", lambda ctx: console.print("🧠 Running static analysis (CPU-bound)...")
+    )
+    analysis.hooks.register("after", lambda ctx: console.print("🧠 Analysis complete!"))
+    tests = Action(
+        "Run Tests",
+        flaky_tests,
+        retry=True,
+        spinner=True,
+        spinner_message="Running tests...",
+    )
 
     # Parallel deploys
     deploy_group = ActionGroup(
         "Deploy to All",
         [
-            Action("Deploy US", deploy_to, args=("us-west",)),
-            Action("Deploy EU", deploy_to, args=("eu-central",)),
-            Action("Deploy Asia", deploy_to, args=("asia-east",)),
+            Action(
+                "Deploy US",
+                deploy_to,
+                args=("us-west",),
+                spinner=True,
+                spinner_message="Deploying US...",
+            ),
+            Action(
+                "Deploy EU",
+                deploy_to,
+                args=("eu-central",),
+                spinner=True,
+                spinner_message="Deploying EU...",
+            ),
+            Action(
+                "Deploy Asia",
+                deploy_to,
+                args=("asia-east",),
+                spinner=True,
+                spinner_message="Deploying Asia...",
+            ),
         ],
     )
 
@@ -68,10 +99,22 @@ pipeline = build_pipeline()
 
 # Run the pipeline
 async def main():
-    pipeline = build_pipeline()
-    await pipeline()
-    er.summary()
-    await pipeline.preview()
+
+    flx = Falyx(
+        hide_menu_table=True, program="pipeline_demo.py", show_placeholder_menu=True
+    )
+    flx.add_command(
+        "P",
+        "Run Pipeline",
+        pipeline,
+        spinner=True,
+        spinner_type="line",
+        spinner_message="Running pipeline...",
+        tags=["pipeline", "demo"],
+        help_text="Run the full CI/CD pipeline demo.",
+    )
+
+    await flx.run()
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":

examples/process_pool.py

@@ -1,25 +1,36 @@
 from rich.console import Console
 
-from falyx import Falyx, ProcessAction
+from falyx import Falyx
+from falyx.action import ProcessPoolAction
+from falyx.action.process_pool_action import ProcessTask
+from falyx.execution_registry import ExecutionRegistry as er
 from falyx.themes import NordColors as nc
 
 console = Console()
 falyx = Falyx(title="🚀 Process Pool Demo")
 
 
-def generate_primes(n):
-    primes = []
-    for num in range(2, n):
+def generate_primes(start: int = 2, end: int = 100_000) -> list[int]:
+    primes: list[int] = []
+    console.print(f"Generating primes from {start} to {end}...", style=nc.YELLOW)
+    for num in range(start, end):
         if all(num % p != 0 for p in primes):
             primes.append(num)
-    console.print(f"Generated {len(primes)} primes up to {n}.", style=nc.GREEN)
+    console.print(
+        f"Generated {len(primes)} primes from {start} to {end}.", style=nc.GREEN
+    )
     return primes
 
 
-# Will not block the event loop
-heavy_action = ProcessAction("Prime Generator", generate_primes, args=(100_000,))
+actions = [ProcessTask(task=generate_primes)]
 
-falyx.add_command("R", "Generate Primes", heavy_action, spinner=True)
+# Will not block the event loop
+heavy_action = ProcessPoolAction(
+    name="Prime Generator",
+    actions=actions,
+)
+
+falyx.add_command("R", "Generate Primes", heavy_action)
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":

examples/run_key.py

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import asyncio
 
-from falyx import Action, Falyx
+from falyx import Falyx
+from falyx.action import Action
 
 
 async def main():

examples/selection_demo.py

@@ -1,22 +1,70 @@
 import asyncio
+from uuid import uuid4
 
-from falyx.selection import (
-    SelectionOption,
-    prompt_for_selection,
-    render_selection_dict_table,
-)
+from falyx import Falyx
+from falyx.action import SelectionAction
+from falyx.selection import SelectionOption
+from falyx.signals import CancelSignal
 
-menu = {
-    "A": SelectionOption("Run diagnostics", lambda: print("Running diagnostics...")),
-    "B": SelectionOption("Deploy to staging", lambda: print("Deploying...")),
+selections = {
+    "1": SelectionOption(
+        description="Production", value="3bc2616e-3696-11f0-a139-089204eb86ac"
+    ),
+    "2": SelectionOption(
+        description="Staging", value="42f2cd84-3696-11f0-a139-089204eb86ac"
+    ),
 }
 
-table = render_selection_dict_table(
-    title="Main Menu",
-    selections=menu,
+
+select = SelectionAction(
+    name="Select Deployment",
+    selections=selections,
+    title="Select a Deployment",
+    columns=2,
+    prompt_message="> ",
+    return_type="value",
+    show_table=True,
 )
 
-key = asyncio.run(prompt_for_selection(menu.keys(), table))
-print(f"You selected: {key}")
+list_selections = [uuid4() for _ in range(10)]
 
-menu[key.upper()].value()
+list_select = SelectionAction(
+    name="Select Deployments",
+    selections=list_selections,
+    title="Select Deployments",
+    columns=3,
+    prompt_message="Select 3 Deployments > ",
+    return_type="value",
+    show_table=True,
+    number_selections=3,
+)
+
+
+flx = Falyx()
+
+flx.add_command(
+    key="S",
+    description="Select a deployment",
+    action=select,
+    help_text="Select a deployment from the list",
+)
+flx.add_command(
+    key="L",
+    description="Select deployments",
+    action=list_select,
+    help_text="Select multiple deployments from the list",
+)
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+
+    try:
+        print(asyncio.run(select()))
+    except CancelSignal:
+        print("Selection was cancelled.")
+
+    try:
+        print(asyncio.run(list_select()))
+    except CancelSignal:
+        print("Selection was cancelled.")
+
+    asyncio.run(flx.run())

examples/shell_example.py

@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 import asyncio
 
-from falyx import Action, ChainedAction, Falyx
-from falyx.action import ShellAction
-from falyx.hook_manager import HookType
+from falyx import Falyx
+from falyx.action import Action, ChainedAction, ShellAction
 from falyx.hooks import ResultReporter
 from falyx.utils import setup_logging
 
@@ -42,12 +41,12 @@ reporter = ResultReporter()
 
 a1 = Action("a1", a1, inject_last_result=True)
 a1.hooks.register(
-    HookType.ON_SUCCESS,
+    "on_success",
     reporter.report,
 )
 a2 = Action("a2", a2, inject_last_result=True)
 a2.hooks.register(
-    HookType.ON_SUCCESS,
+    "on_success",
     reporter.report,
 )
 

examples/simple.py

@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 import asyncio
 import random
 
-from falyx import Action, ChainedAction, Falyx
+from falyx import Falyx
+from falyx.action import Action, ChainedAction
 from falyx.utils import setup_logging
 
 setup_logging()
@@ -10,15 +11,15 @@ setup_logging()
 # A flaky async step that fails randomly
 async def flaky_step() -> str:
     await asyncio.sleep(0.2)
-    if random.random() < 0.3:
+    if random.random() < 0.5:
         raise RuntimeError("Random failure!")
-    print("Flaky step succeeded!")
+    print("ok")
     return "ok"
 
 
 # Create a retry handler
-step1 = Action(name="step_1", action=flaky_step, retry=True)
-step2 = Action(name="step_2", action=flaky_step, retry=True)
+step1 = Action(name="step_1", action=flaky_step)
+step2 = Action(name="step_2", action=flaky_step)
 
 # Chain the actions
 chain = ChainedAction(name="my_pipeline", actions=[step1, step2])
@@ -32,6 +33,8 @@ falyx.add_command(
     logging_hooks=True,
     preview_before_confirm=True,
     confirm=True,
+    retry_all=True,
+    spinner=True,
 )
 
 # Entry point

examples/submenu.py

@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 import asyncio
 import random
 
-from falyx import Action, ChainedAction, Falyx
+from falyx import Falyx
+from falyx.action import Action, ChainedAction
 from falyx.utils import setup_logging
 
 setup_logging()

examples/type_validation.py

@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+import asyncio
+from uuid import UUID, uuid4
+
+from falyx import Falyx
+from falyx.parser import CommandArgumentParser
+
+flx = Falyx("Test Type Validation")
+
+
+def uuid_val(value: str) -> str:
+    """Custom validator to ensure a string is a valid UUID."""
+    UUID(value)
+    return value
+
+
+async def print_uuid(uuid: str) -> str:
+    """Prints the UUID if valid."""
+    print(f"Valid UUID: {uuid}")
+    return uuid
+
+
+flx.add_command(
+    "U",
+    "Print a valid UUID (arguemnts)",
+    print_uuid,
+    arguments=[
+        {
+            "flags": ["uuid"],
+            "type": uuid_val,
+            "help": "A valid UUID string",
+        }
+    ],
+)
+
+
+def uuid_parser(parser: CommandArgumentParser) -> None:
+    """Custom parser to ensure the UUID argument is valid."""
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "uuid",
+        type=uuid_val,
+        help="A valid UUID string",
+    )
+
+
+flx.add_command(
+    "I",
+    "Print a valid UUID (argument_config)",
+    print_uuid,
+    argument_config=uuid_parser,
+)
+
+flx.add_command(
+    "D",
+    "Print a valid UUID (arg_metadata)",
+    print_uuid,
+    arg_metadata={
+        "uuid": {
+            "type": uuid_val,
+            "help": "A valid UUID string",
+        }
+    },
+)
+
+
+def custom_parser(arguments: list[str]) -> tuple[tuple, dict]:
+    """Custom parser to ensure the UUID argument is valid."""
+    if len(arguments) != 1:
+        raise ValueError("Exactly one argument is required")
+    uuid_val(arguments[0])
+    return (arguments[0],), {}
+
+
+flx.add_command(
+    "C",
+    "Print a valid UUID (custom_parser)",
+    print_uuid,
+    custom_parser=custom_parser,
+)
+
+
+async def generate_uuid() -> str:
+    """Generates a new UUID."""
+    new_uuid = uuid4()
+    print(f"Generated UUID: {new_uuid}")
+    return new_uuid
+
+
+flx.add_command(
+    "G",
+    "Generate a new UUID",
+    lambda: print(uuid4()),
+)
+
+
+async def main() -> None:
+    await flx.run()
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    asyncio.run(main())

examples/user_input_demo.py

@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ chain = ChainedAction(
         "Name",
         UserInputAction(
             name="User Input",
-            prompt_text="Enter your {last_result}: ",
+            prompt_message="Enter your {last_result}: ",
             validator=validate_alpha(),
         ),
         Action(

falyx/__init__.py

@@ -7,24 +7,13 @@ Licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE file for details.
 
 import logging
 
-from .action.action import Action, ActionGroup, ChainedAction, ProcessAction
-from .command import Command
-from .context import ExecutionContext, SharedContext
 from .execution_registry import ExecutionRegistry
 from .falyx import Falyx
-from .hook_manager import HookType
 
 logger = logging.getLogger("falyx")
 
+
 __all__ = [
-    "Action",
-    "ChainedAction",
-    "ActionGroup",
-    "ProcessAction",
     "Falyx",
-    "Command",
-    "ExecutionContext",
-    "SharedContext",
     "ExecutionRegistry",
-    "HookType",
 ]

falyx/__main__.py

@@ -8,13 +8,13 @@ Licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE file for details.
 import asyncio
 import os
 import sys
-from argparse import Namespace
+from argparse import ArgumentParser, Namespace, _SubParsersAction
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Any
 
 from falyx.config import loader
 from falyx.falyx import Falyx
-from falyx.parsers import FalyxParsers, get_arg_parsers
+from falyx.parser import CommandArgumentParser, get_root_parser, get_subparsers
 
 
 def find_falyx_config() -> Path | None:
@@ -39,44 +39,81 @@ def bootstrap() -> Path | None:
     return config_path
 
 
-def get_falyx_parsers() -> FalyxParsers:
-    falyx_parsers: FalyxParsers = get_arg_parsers()
-    init_parser = falyx_parsers.subparsers.add_parser(
-        "init", help="Create a new Falyx CLI project"
+def init_config(parser: CommandArgumentParser) -> None:
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "name",
+        type=str,
+        help="Name of the new Falyx project",
+        default=".",
+        nargs="?",
     )
-    init_parser.add_argument("name", nargs="?", default=".", help="Project directory")
-    falyx_parsers.subparsers.add_parser(
-        "init-global", help="Set up ~/.config/falyx with example tasks"
-    )
-    return falyx_parsers
 
 
-def run(args: Namespace) -> Any:
+def init_callback(args: Namespace) -> None:
+    """Callback for the init command."""
     if args.command == "init":
         from falyx.init import init_project
 
         init_project(args.name)
-        return
-
-    if args.command == "init-global":
+    elif args.command == "init_global":
         from falyx.init import init_global
 
         init_global()
-        return
 
+
+def get_parsers() -> tuple[ArgumentParser, _SubParsersAction]:
+    root_parser: ArgumentParser = get_root_parser()
+    subparsers = get_subparsers(root_parser)
+    init_parser = subparsers.add_parser(
+        "init",
+        help="Initialize a new Falyx project",
+        description="Create a new Falyx project with mock configuration files.",
+        epilog="If no name is provided, the current directory will be used.",
+    )
+    init_parser.add_argument(
+        "name",
+        type=str,
+        help="Name of the new Falyx project",
+        default=".",
+        nargs="?",
+    )
+    subparsers.add_parser(
+        "init-global",
+        help="Initialize Falyx global configuration",
+        description="Create a global Falyx configuration at ~/.config/falyx/.",
+    )
+    return root_parser, subparsers
+
+
+def main() -> Any:
     bootstrap_path = bootstrap()
     if not bootstrap_path:
-        print("No Falyx config file found. Exiting.")
-        return None
+        from falyx.init import init_global, init_project
 
-    flx: Falyx = loader(bootstrap_path)
-    return asyncio.run(flx.run())
+        flx: Falyx = Falyx()
+        flx.add_command(
+            "I",
+            "Initialize a new Falyx project",
+            init_project,
+            aliases=["init"],
+            argument_config=init_config,
+            help_epilog="If no name is provided, the current directory will be used.",
+        )
+        flx.add_command(
+            "G",
+            "Initialize Falyx global configuration",
+            init_global,
+            aliases=["init-global"],
+            help_text="Create a global Falyx configuration at ~/.config/falyx/.",
+        )
+    else:
+        flx = loader(bootstrap_path)
 
+    root_parser, subparsers = get_parsers()
 
-def main():
-    parsers = get_falyx_parsers()
-    args = parsers.parse_args()
-    run(args)
+    return asyncio.run(
+        flx.run(root_parser=root_parser, subparsers=subparsers, callback=init_callback)
+    )
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":

falyx/action/__init__.py

@@ -5,21 +5,25 @@ Copyright (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC.
 Licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE file for details.
 """
 
-from .action import (
-    Action,
-    ActionGroup,
-    BaseAction,
-    ChainedAction,
-    FallbackAction,
-    LiteralInputAction,
-    ProcessAction,
-)
-from .action_factory import ActionFactoryAction
+from .action import Action
+from .action_factory import ActionFactory
+from .action_group import ActionGroup
+from .base_action import BaseAction
+from .chained_action import ChainedAction
+from .confirm_action import ConfirmAction
+from .fallback_action import FallbackAction
 from .http_action import HTTPAction
-from .io_action import BaseIOAction, ShellAction
+from .io_action import BaseIOAction
+from .literal_input_action import LiteralInputAction
+from .load_file_action import LoadFileAction
 from .menu_action import MenuAction
+from .process_action import ProcessAction
+from .process_pool_action import ProcessPoolAction
+from .prompt_menu_action import PromptMenuAction
+from .save_file_action import SaveFileAction
 from .select_file_action import SelectFileAction
 from .selection_action import SelectionAction
+from .shell_action import ShellAction
 from .signal_action import SignalAction
 from .user_input_action import UserInputAction
 
@@ -29,7 +33,7 @@ __all__ = [
     "BaseAction",
     "ChainedAction",
     "ProcessAction",
-    "ActionFactoryAction",
+    "ActionFactory",
     "HTTPAction",
     "BaseIOAction",
     "ShellAction",
@@ -40,4 +44,9 @@ __all__ = [
     "FallbackAction",
     "LiteralInputAction",
     "UserInputAction",
+    "PromptMenuAction",
+    "ProcessPoolAction",
+    "LoadFileAction",
+    "SaveFileAction",
+    "ConfirmAction",
 ]

falyx/action/action.py

@@ -1,167 +1,54 @@
 # Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
-"""action.py
+"""
+Defines `Action`, the core atomic unit in the Falyx CLI framework, used to wrap and
+execute a single callable or coroutine with structured lifecycle support.
 
-Core action system for Falyx.
+An `Action` is the simplest building block in Falyx's execution model, enabling
+developers to turn ordinary Python functions into hookable, retryable, introspectable
+workflow steps. It supports synchronous or asynchronous callables, argument injection,
+rollback handlers, and retry policies.
 
-This module defines the building blocks for executable actions and workflows,
-providing a structured way to compose, execute, recover, and manage sequences of
-operations.
+Key Features:
+- Lifecycle hooks: `before`, `on_success`, `on_error`, `after`, `on_teardown`
+- Optional `last_result` injection for chained workflows
+- Retry logic via configurable `RetryPolicy` and `RetryHandler`
+- Rollback function support for recovery and undo behavior
+- Rich preview output for introspection and dry-run diagnostics
 
-All actions are callable and follow a unified signature:
-    result = action(*args, **kwargs)
+Usage Scenarios:
+- Wrapping business logic, utility functions, or external API calls
+- Converting lightweight callables into structured CLI actions
+- Composing workflows using `Action`, `ChainedAction`, or `ActionGroup`
 
-Core guarantees:
-- Full hook lifecycle support (before, on_success, on_error, after, on_teardown).
-- Consistent timing and execution context tracking for each run.
-- Unified, predictable result handling and error propagation.
-- Optional last_result injection to enable flexible, data-driven workflows.
-- Built-in support for retries, rollbacks, parallel groups, chaining, and fallback
-  recovery.
+Example:
+    def compute(x, y):
+        return x + y
 
-Key components:
-- Action: wraps a function or coroutine into a standard executable unit.
-- ChainedAction: runs actions sequentially, optionally injecting last results.
-- ActionGroup: runs actions in parallel and gathers results.
-- ProcessAction: executes CPU-bound functions in a separate process.
-- LiteralInputAction: injects static values into workflows.
-- FallbackAction: gracefully recovers from failures or missing data.
+    Action(
+        name="AddNumbers",
+        action=compute,
+        args=(2, 3),
+    )
 
-This design promotes clean, fault-tolerant, modular CLI and automation systems.
+This module serves as the foundation for building robust, observable,
+and composable CLI automation flows in Falyx.
 """
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-import asyncio
-import random
-from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
-from concurrent.futures import ProcessPoolExecutor
-from functools import cached_property, partial
-from typing import Any, Callable
+from typing import Any, Awaitable, Callable
 
-from rich.console import Console
 from rich.tree import Tree
 
-from falyx.context import ExecutionContext, SharedContext
-from falyx.debug import register_debug_hooks
-from falyx.exceptions import EmptyChainError
+from falyx.action.base_action import BaseAction
+from falyx.context import ExecutionContext
 from falyx.execution_registry import ExecutionRegistry as er
-from falyx.hook_manager import Hook, HookManager, HookType
+from falyx.hook_manager import HookManager, HookType
 from falyx.logger import logger
-from falyx.options_manager import OptionsManager
 from falyx.retry import RetryHandler, RetryPolicy
 from falyx.themes import OneColors
 from falyx.utils import ensure_async
 
 
-class BaseAction(ABC):
-    """
-    Base class for actions. Actions can be simple functions or more
-    complex actions like `ChainedAction` or `ActionGroup`. They can also
-    be run independently or as part of Falyx.
-
-    inject_last_result (bool): Whether to inject the previous action's result
-                               into kwargs.
-    inject_into (str): The name of the kwarg key to inject the result as
-                                 (default: 'last_result').
-    _requires_injection (bool): Whether the action requires input injection.
-    """
-
-    def __init__(
-        self,
-        name: str,
-        *,
-        hooks: HookManager | None = None,
-        inject_last_result: bool = False,
-        inject_into: str = "last_result",
-        never_prompt: bool = False,
-        logging_hooks: bool = False,
-    ) -> None:
-        self.name = name
-        self.hooks = hooks or HookManager()
-        self.is_retryable: bool = False
-        self.shared_context: SharedContext | None = None
-        self.inject_last_result: bool = inject_last_result
-        self.inject_into: str = inject_into
-        self._never_prompt: bool = never_prompt
-        self._requires_injection: bool = False
-        self._skip_in_chain: bool = False
-        self.console = Console(color_system="auto")
-        self.options_manager: OptionsManager | None = None
-
-        if logging_hooks:
-            register_debug_hooks(self.hooks)
-
-    async def __call__(self, *args, **kwargs) -> Any:
-        return await self._run(*args, **kwargs)
-
-    @abstractmethod
-    async def _run(self, *args, **kwargs) -> Any:
-        raise NotImplementedError("_run must be implemented by subclasses")
-
-    @abstractmethod
-    async def preview(self, parent: Tree | None = None):
-        raise NotImplementedError("preview must be implemented by subclasses")
-
-    def set_options_manager(self, options_manager: OptionsManager) -> None:
-        self.options_manager = options_manager
-
-    def set_shared_context(self, shared_context: SharedContext) -> None:
-        self.shared_context = shared_context
-
-    def get_option(self, option_name: str, default: Any = None) -> Any:
-        """
-        Resolve an option from the OptionsManager if present, otherwise use the fallback.
-        """
-        if self.options_manager:
-            return self.options_manager.get(option_name, default)
-        return default
-
-    @property
-    def last_result(self) -> Any:
-        """Return the last result from the shared context."""
-        if self.shared_context:
-            return self.shared_context.last_result()
-        return None
-
-    @property
-    def never_prompt(self) -> bool:
-        return self.get_option("never_prompt", self._never_prompt)
-
-    def prepare(
-        self, shared_context: SharedContext, options_manager: OptionsManager | None = None
-    ) -> BaseAction:
-        """
-        Prepare the action specifically for sequential (ChainedAction) execution.
-        Can be overridden for chain-specific logic.
-        """
-        self.set_shared_context(shared_context)
-        if options_manager:
-            self.set_options_manager(options_manager)
-        return self
-
-    def _maybe_inject_last_result(self, kwargs: dict[str, Any]) -> dict[str, Any]:
-        if self.inject_last_result and self.shared_context:
-            key = self.inject_into
-            if key in kwargs:
-                logger.warning("[%s] ⚠️ Overriding '%s' with last_result", self.name, key)
-            kwargs = dict(kwargs)
-            kwargs[key] = self.shared_context.last_result()
-        return kwargs
-
-    def register_hooks_recursively(self, hook_type: HookType, hook: Hook):
-        """Register a hook for all actions and sub-actions."""
-        self.hooks.register(hook_type, hook)
-
-    async def _write_stdout(self, data: str) -> None:
-        """Override in subclasses that produce terminal output."""
-
-    def requires_io_injection(self) -> bool:
-        """Checks to see if the action requires input injection."""
-        return self._requires_injection
-
-    def __repr__(self) -> str:
-        return str(self)
-
-
 class Action(BaseAction):
     """
     Action wraps a simple function or coroutine into a standard executable unit.
@@ -173,11 +60,11 @@ class Action(BaseAction):
     - Optional rollback handlers for undo logic.
 
     Args:
-        name (str): Name of the action.
+        name (str): Name of the action. Used for logging and debugging.
         action (Callable): The function or coroutine to execute.
         rollback (Callable, optional): Rollback function to undo the action.
-        args (tuple, optional): Static positional arguments.
-        kwargs (dict, optional): Static keyword arguments.
+        args (tuple, optional): Positional arguments.
+        kwargs (dict, optional): Keyword arguments.
         hooks (HookManager, optional): Hook manager for lifecycle events.
         inject_last_result (bool, optional): Enable last_result injection.
         inject_into (str, optional): Name of injected key.
@@ -188,22 +75,36 @@ class Action(BaseAction):
     def __init__(
         self,
         name: str,
-        action: Callable[..., Any],
+        action: Callable[..., Any] | Callable[..., Awaitable[Any]],
         *,
-        rollback: Callable[..., Any] | None = None,
+        rollback: Callable[..., Any] | Callable[..., Awaitable[Any]] | None = None,
         args: tuple[Any, ...] = (),
         kwargs: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
         hooks: HookManager | None = None,
         inject_last_result: bool = False,
         inject_into: str = "last_result",
+        never_prompt: bool | None = None,
+        logging_hooks: bool = False,
         retry: bool = False,
         retry_policy: RetryPolicy | None = None,
+        spinner: bool = False,
+        spinner_message: str = "Processing...",
+        spinner_type: str = "dots",
+        spinner_style: str = OneColors.CYAN,
+        spinner_speed: float = 1.0,
     ) -> None:
         super().__init__(
             name,
             hooks=hooks,
             inject_last_result=inject_last_result,
             inject_into=inject_into,
+            never_prompt=never_prompt,
+            logging_hooks=logging_hooks,
+            spinner=spinner,
+            spinner_message=spinner_message,
+            spinner_type=spinner_type,
+            spinner_style=spinner_style,
+            spinner_speed=spinner_speed,
         )
         self.action = action
         self.rollback = rollback
@@ -215,19 +116,19 @@ class Action(BaseAction):
             self.enable_retry()
 
     @property
-    def action(self) -> Callable[..., Any]:
+    def action(self) -> Callable[..., Awaitable[Any]]:
         return self._action
 
     @action.setter
-    def action(self, value: Callable[..., Any]):
+    def action(self, value: Callable[..., Awaitable[Any]]):
         self._action = ensure_async(value)
 
     @property
-    def rollback(self) -> Callable[..., Any] | None:
+    def rollback(self) -> Callable[..., Awaitable[Any]] | None:
         return self._rollback
 
     @rollback.setter
-    def rollback(self, value: Callable[..., Any] | None):
+    def rollback(self, value: Callable[..., Awaitable[Any]] | None):
         if value is None:
             self._rollback = None
         else:
@@ -246,6 +147,13 @@ class Action(BaseAction):
         if policy.enabled:
             self.enable_retry()
 
+    def get_infer_target(self) -> tuple[Callable[..., Any], None]:
+        """
+        Returns the callable to be used for argument inference.
+        By default, it returns the action itself.
+        """
+        return self.action, None
+
     async def _run(self, *args, **kwargs) -> Any:
         combined_args = args + self.args
         combined_kwargs = self._maybe_inject_last_result({**self.kwargs, **kwargs})
@@ -268,7 +176,7 @@ class Action(BaseAction):
             context.exception = error
             await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.ON_ERROR, context)
             if context.result is not None:
-                logger.info("[%s] ✅ Recovered: %s", self.name, self.name)
+                logger.info("[%s] Recovered: %s", self.name, self.name)
                 return context.result
             raise
         finally:
@@ -297,558 +205,6 @@ class Action(BaseAction):
             f"Action(name={self.name!r}, action="
             f"{getattr(self._action, '__name__', repr(self._action))}, "
             f"args={self.args!r}, kwargs={self.kwargs!r}, "
-            f"retry={self.retry_policy.enabled})"
-        )
-
-
-class LiteralInputAction(Action):
-    """
-    LiteralInputAction injects a static value into a ChainedAction.
-
-    This allows embedding hardcoded values mid-pipeline, useful when:
-    - Providing default or fallback inputs.
-    - Starting a pipeline with a fixed input.
-    - Supplying missing context manually.
-
-    Args:
-        value (Any): The static value to inject.
-    """
-
-    def __init__(self, value: Any):
-        self._value = value
-
-        async def literal(*_, **__):
-            return value
-
-        super().__init__("Input", literal)
-
-    @cached_property
-    def value(self) -> Any:
-        """Return the literal value."""
-        return self._value
-
-    async def preview(self, parent: Tree | None = None):
-        label = [f"[{OneColors.LIGHT_YELLOW}]📥 LiteralInput[/] '{self.name}'"]
-        label.append(f" [dim](value = {repr(self.value)})[/dim]")
-        if parent:
-            parent.add("".join(label))
-        else:
-            self.console.print(Tree("".join(label)))
-
-    def __str__(self) -> str:
-        return f"LiteralInputAction(value={self.value!r})"
-
-
-class FallbackAction(Action):
-    """
-    FallbackAction provides a default value if the previous action failed or
-    returned None.
-
-    It injects the last result and checks:
-    - If last_result is not None, it passes it through unchanged.
-    - If last_result is None (e.g., due to failure), it replaces it with a fallback value.
-
-    Used in ChainedAction pipelines to gracefully recover from errors or missing data.
-    When activated, it consumes the preceding error and allows the chain to continue
-    normally.
-
-    Args:
-        fallback (Any): The fallback value to use if last_result is None.
-    """
-
-    def __init__(self, fallback: Any):
-        self._fallback = fallback
-
-        async def _fallback_logic(last_result):
-            return last_result if last_result is not None else fallback
-
-        super().__init__(name="Fallback", action=_fallback_logic, inject_last_result=True)
-
-    @cached_property
-    def fallback(self) -> Any:
-        """Return the fallback value."""
-        return self._fallback
-
-    async def preview(self, parent: Tree | None = None):
-        label = [f"[{OneColors.LIGHT_RED}]🛟 Fallback[/] '{self.name}'"]
-        label.append(f" [dim](uses fallback = {repr(self.fallback)})[/dim]")
-        if parent:
-            parent.add("".join(label))
-        else:
-            self.console.print(Tree("".join(label)))
-
-    def __str__(self) -> str:
-        return f"FallbackAction(fallback={self.fallback!r})"
-
-
-class ActionListMixin:
-    """Mixin for managing a list of actions."""
-
-    def __init__(self) -> None:
-        self.actions: list[BaseAction] = []
-
-    def set_actions(self, actions: list[BaseAction]) -> None:
-        """Replaces the current action list with a new one."""
-        self.actions.clear()
-        for action in actions:
-            self.add_action(action)
-
-    def add_action(self, action: BaseAction) -> None:
-        """Adds an action to the list."""
-        self.actions.append(action)
-
-    def remove_action(self, name: str) -> None:
-        """Removes an action by name."""
-        self.actions = [action for action in self.actions if action.name != name]
-
-    def has_action(self, name: str) -> bool:
-        """Checks if an action with the given name exists."""
-        return any(action.name == name for action in self.actions)
-
-    def get_action(self, name: str) -> BaseAction | None:
-        """Retrieves an action by name."""
-        for action in self.actions:
-            if action.name == name:
-                return action
-        return None
-
-
-class ChainedAction(BaseAction, ActionListMixin):
-    """
-    ChainedAction executes a sequence of actions one after another.
-
-    Features:
-    - Supports optional automatic last_result injection (auto_inject).
-    - Recovers from intermediate errors using FallbackAction if present.
-    - Rolls back all previously executed actions if a failure occurs.
-    - Handles literal values with LiteralInputAction.
-
-    Best used for defining robust, ordered workflows where each step can depend on
-    previous results.
-
-    Args:
-        name (str): Name of the chain.
-        actions (list): List of actions or literals to execute.
-        hooks (HookManager, optional): Hooks for lifecycle events.
-        inject_last_result (bool, optional): Whether to inject last results into kwargs
-                                             by default.
-        inject_into (str, optional): Key name for injection.
-        auto_inject (bool, optional): Auto-enable injection for subsequent actions.
-        return_list (bool, optional): Whether to return a list of all results. False
-                                      returns the last result.
-    """
-
-    def __init__(
-        self,
-        name: str,
-        actions: list[BaseAction | Any] | None = None,
-        *,
-        hooks: HookManager | None = None,
-        inject_last_result: bool = False,
-        inject_into: str = "last_result",
-        auto_inject: bool = False,
-        return_list: bool = False,
-    ) -> None:
-        super().__init__(
-            name,
-            hooks=hooks,
-            inject_last_result=inject_last_result,
-            inject_into=inject_into,
-        )
-        ActionListMixin.__init__(self)
-        self.auto_inject = auto_inject
-        self.return_list = return_list
-        if actions:
-            self.set_actions(actions)
-
-    def _wrap_if_needed(self, action: BaseAction | Any) -> BaseAction:
-        if isinstance(action, BaseAction):
-            return action
-        elif callable(action):
-            return Action(name=action.__name__, action=action)
-        else:
-            return LiteralInputAction(action)
-
-    def add_action(self, action: BaseAction | Any) -> None:
-        action = self._wrap_if_needed(action)
-        if self.actions and self.auto_inject and not action.inject_last_result:
-            action.inject_last_result = True
-        super().add_action(action)
-        if hasattr(action, "register_teardown") and callable(action.register_teardown):
-            action.register_teardown(self.hooks)
-
-    async def _run(self, *args, **kwargs) -> list[Any]:
-        if not self.actions:
-            raise EmptyChainError(f"[{self.name}] No actions to execute.")
-
-        shared_context = SharedContext(name=self.name, action=self)
-        if self.shared_context:
-            shared_context.add_result(self.shared_context.last_result())
-        updated_kwargs = self._maybe_inject_last_result(kwargs)
-        context = ExecutionContext(
-            name=self.name,
-            args=args,
-            kwargs=updated_kwargs,
-            action=self,
-            extra={"results": [], "rollback_stack": []},
-            shared_context=shared_context,
-        )
-        context.start_timer()
-        try:
-            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.BEFORE, context)
-
-            for index, action in enumerate(self.actions):
-                if action._skip_in_chain:
-                    logger.debug(
-                        "[%s] ⚠️ Skipping consumed action '%s'", self.name, action.name
-                    )
-                    continue
-                shared_context.current_index = index
-                prepared = action.prepare(shared_context, self.options_manager)
-                last_result = shared_context.last_result()
-                try:
-                    if self.requires_io_injection() and last_result is not None:
-                        result = await prepared(**{prepared.inject_into: last_result})
-                    else:
-                        result = await prepared(*args, **updated_kwargs)
-                except Exception as error:
-                    if index + 1 < len(self.actions) and isinstance(
-                        self.actions[index + 1], FallbackAction
-                    ):
-                        logger.warning(
-                            "[%s] ⚠️ Fallback triggered: %s, recovering with fallback "
-                            "'%s'.",
-                            self.name,
-                            error,
-                            self.actions[index + 1].name,
-                        )
-                        shared_context.add_result(None)
-                        context.extra["results"].append(None)
-                        fallback = self.actions[index + 1].prepare(shared_context)
-                        result = await fallback()
-                        fallback._skip_in_chain = True
-                    else:
-                        raise
-                shared_context.add_result(result)
-                context.extra["results"].append(result)
-                context.extra["rollback_stack"].append(prepared)
-
-            all_results = context.extra["results"]
-            assert (
-                all_results
-            ), f"[{self.name}] No results captured. Something seriously went wrong."
-            context.result = all_results if self.return_list else all_results[-1]
-            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.ON_SUCCESS, context)
-            return context.result
-
-        except Exception as error:
-            context.exception = error
-            shared_context.add_error(shared_context.current_index, error)
-            await self._rollback(context.extra["rollback_stack"], *args, **kwargs)
-            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.ON_ERROR, context)
-            raise
-        finally:
-            context.stop_timer()
-            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.AFTER, context)
-            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.ON_TEARDOWN, context)
-            er.record(context)
-
-    async def _rollback(self, rollback_stack, *args, **kwargs):
-        """
-        Roll back all executed actions in reverse order.
-
-        Rollbacks run even if a fallback recovered from failure,
-        ensuring consistent undo of all side effects.
-
-        Actions without rollback handlers are skipped.
-
-        Args:
-            rollback_stack (list): Actions to roll back.
-            *args, **kwargs: Passed to rollback handlers.
-        """
-        for action in reversed(rollback_stack):
-            rollback = getattr(action, "rollback", None)
-            if rollback:
-                try:
-                    logger.warning("[%s] ↩️ Rolling back...", action.name)
-                    await action.rollback(*args, **kwargs)
-                except Exception as error:
-                    logger.error("[%s] ⚠️ Rollback failed: %s", action.name, error)
-
-    def register_hooks_recursively(self, hook_type: HookType, hook: Hook):
-        """Register a hook for all actions and sub-actions."""
-        self.hooks.register(hook_type, hook)
-        for action in self.actions:
-            action.register_hooks_recursively(hook_type, hook)
-
-    async def preview(self, parent: Tree | None = None):
-        label = [f"[{OneColors.CYAN_b}]⛓ ChainedAction[/] '{self.name}'"]
-        if self.inject_last_result:
-            label.append(f" [dim](injects '{self.inject_into}')[/dim]")
-        tree = parent.add("".join(label)) if parent else Tree("".join(label))
-        for action in self.actions:
-            await action.preview(parent=tree)
-        if not parent:
-            self.console.print(tree)
-
-    def __str__(self):
-        return (
-            f"ChainedAction(name={self.name!r}, "
-            f"actions={[a.name for a in self.actions]!r}, "
-            f"auto_inject={self.auto_inject}, return_list={self.return_list})"
-        )
-
-
-class ActionGroup(BaseAction, ActionListMixin):
-    """
-    ActionGroup executes multiple actions concurrently in parallel.
-
-    It is ideal for independent tasks that can be safely run simultaneously,
-    improving overall throughput and responsiveness of workflows.
-
-    Core features:
-    - Parallel execution of all contained actions.
-    - Shared last_result injection across all actions if configured.
-    - Aggregated collection of individual results as (name, result) pairs.
-    - Hook lifecycle support (before, on_success, on_error, after, on_teardown).
-    - Error aggregation: captures all action errors and reports them together.
-
-    Behavior:
-    - If any action fails, the group collects the errors but continues executing
-      other actions without interruption.
-    - After all actions complete, ActionGroup raises a single exception summarizing
-      all failures, or returns all results if successful.
-
-    Best used for:
-    - Batch processing multiple independent tasks.
-    - Reducing latency for workflows with parallelizable steps.
-    - Isolating errors while maximizing successful execution.
-
-    Args:
-        name (str): Name of the chain.
-        actions (list): List of actions or literals to execute.
-        hooks (HookManager, optional): Hooks for lifecycle events.
-        inject_last_result (bool, optional): Whether to inject last results into kwargs
-                                             by default.
-        inject_into (str, optional): Key name for injection.
-    """
-
-    def __init__(
-        self,
-        name: str,
-        actions: list[BaseAction] | None = None,
-        *,
-        hooks: HookManager | None = None,
-        inject_last_result: bool = False,
-        inject_into: str = "last_result",
-    ):
-        super().__init__(
-            name,
-            hooks=hooks,
-            inject_last_result=inject_last_result,
-            inject_into=inject_into,
-        )
-        ActionListMixin.__init__(self)
-        if actions:
-            self.set_actions(actions)
-
-    def _wrap_if_needed(self, action: BaseAction | Any) -> BaseAction:
-        if isinstance(action, BaseAction):
-            return action
-        elif callable(action):
-            return Action(name=action.__name__, action=action)
-        else:
-            raise TypeError(
-                "ActionGroup only accepts BaseAction or callable, got "
-                f"{type(action).__name__}"
-            )
-
-    def add_action(self, action: BaseAction | Any) -> None:
-        action = self._wrap_if_needed(action)
-        super().add_action(action)
-        if hasattr(action, "register_teardown") and callable(action.register_teardown):
-            action.register_teardown(self.hooks)
-
-    async def _run(self, *args, **kwargs) -> list[tuple[str, Any]]:
-        shared_context = SharedContext(name=self.name, action=self, is_parallel=True)
-        if self.shared_context:
-            shared_context.set_shared_result(self.shared_context.last_result())
-        updated_kwargs = self._maybe_inject_last_result(kwargs)
-        context = ExecutionContext(
-            name=self.name,
-            args=args,
-            kwargs=updated_kwargs,
-            action=self,
-            extra={"results": [], "errors": []},
-            shared_context=shared_context,
-        )
-
-        async def run_one(action: BaseAction):
-            try:
-                prepared = action.prepare(shared_context, self.options_manager)
-                result = await prepared(*args, **updated_kwargs)
-                shared_context.add_result((action.name, result))
-                context.extra["results"].append((action.name, result))
-            except Exception as error:
-                shared_context.add_error(shared_context.current_index, error)
-                context.extra["errors"].append((action.name, error))
-
-        context.start_timer()
-        try:
-            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.BEFORE, context)
-            await asyncio.gather(*[run_one(a) for a in self.actions])
-
-            if context.extra["errors"]:
-                context.exception = Exception(
-                    f"{len(context.extra['errors'])} action(s) failed: "
-                    f"{' ,'.join(name for name, _ in context.extra["errors"])}"
-                )
-                await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.ON_ERROR, context)
-                raise context.exception
-
-            context.result = context.extra["results"]
-            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.ON_SUCCESS, context)
-            return context.result
-
-        except Exception as error:
-            context.exception = error
-            raise
-        finally:
-            context.stop_timer()
-            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.AFTER, context)
-            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.ON_TEARDOWN, context)
-            er.record(context)
-
-    def register_hooks_recursively(self, hook_type: HookType, hook: Hook):
-        """Register a hook for all actions and sub-actions."""
-        super().register_hooks_recursively(hook_type, hook)
-        for action in self.actions:
-            action.register_hooks_recursively(hook_type, hook)
-
-    async def preview(self, parent: Tree | None = None):
-        label = [f"[{OneColors.MAGENTA_b}]⏩ ActionGroup (parallel)[/] '{self.name}'"]
-        if self.inject_last_result:
-            label.append(f" [dim](receives '{self.inject_into}')[/dim]")
-        tree = parent.add("".join(label)) if parent else Tree("".join(label))
-        actions = self.actions.copy()
-        random.shuffle(actions)
-        await asyncio.gather(*(action.preview(parent=tree) for action in actions))
-        if not parent:
-            self.console.print(tree)
-
-    def __str__(self):
-        return (
-            f"ActionGroup(name={self.name!r}, actions={[a.name for a in self.actions]!r},"
-            f" inject_last_result={self.inject_last_result})"
-        )
-
-
-class ProcessAction(BaseAction):
-    """
-    ProcessAction runs a function in a separate process using ProcessPoolExecutor.
-
-    Features:
-    - Executes CPU-bound or blocking tasks without blocking the main event loop.
-    - Supports last_result injection into the subprocess.
-    - Validates that last_result is pickleable when injection is enabled.
-
-    Args:
-        name (str): Name of the action.
-        func (Callable): Function to execute in a new process.
-        args (tuple, optional): Positional arguments.
-        kwargs (dict, optional): Keyword arguments.
-        hooks (HookManager, optional): Hook manager for lifecycle events.
-        executor (ProcessPoolExecutor, optional): Custom executor if desired.
-        inject_last_result (bool, optional): Inject last result into the function.
-        inject_into (str, optional): Name of the injected key.
-    """
-
-    def __init__(
-        self,
-        name: str,
-        action: Callable[..., Any],
-        *,
-        args: tuple = (),
-        kwargs: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
-        hooks: HookManager | None = None,
-        executor: ProcessPoolExecutor | None = None,
-        inject_last_result: bool = False,
-        inject_into: str = "last_result",
-    ):
-        super().__init__(
-            name,
-            hooks=hooks,
-            inject_last_result=inject_last_result,
-            inject_into=inject_into,
-        )
-        self.action = action
-        self.args = args
-        self.kwargs = kwargs or {}
-        self.executor = executor or ProcessPoolExecutor()
-        self.is_retryable = True
-
-    async def _run(self, *args, **kwargs):
-        if self.inject_last_result:
-            last_result = self.shared_context.last_result()
-            if not self._validate_pickleable(last_result):
-                raise ValueError(
-                    f"Cannot inject last result into {self.name}: "
-                    f"last result is not pickleable."
-                )
-        combined_args = args + self.args
-        combined_kwargs = self._maybe_inject_last_result({**self.kwargs, **kwargs})
-        context = ExecutionContext(
-            name=self.name,
-            args=combined_args,
-            kwargs=combined_kwargs,
-            action=self,
-        )
-        loop = asyncio.get_running_loop()
-
-        context.start_timer()
-        try:
-            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.BEFORE, context)
-            result = await loop.run_in_executor(
-                self.executor, partial(self.action, *combined_args, **combined_kwargs)
-            )
-            context.result = result
-            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.ON_SUCCESS, context)
-            return result
-        except Exception as error:
-            context.exception = error
-            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.ON_ERROR, context)
-            if context.result is not None:
-                return context.result
-            raise
-        finally:
-            context.stop_timer()
-            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.AFTER, context)
-            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.ON_TEARDOWN, context)
-            er.record(context)
-
-    def _validate_pickleable(self, obj: Any) -> bool:
-        try:
-            import pickle
-
-            pickle.dumps(obj)
-            return True
-        except (pickle.PicklingError, TypeError):
-            return False
-
-    async def preview(self, parent: Tree | None = None):
-        label = [
-            f"[{OneColors.DARK_YELLOW_b}]🧠 ProcessAction (new process)[/] '{self.name}'"
-        ]
-        if self.inject_last_result:
-            label.append(f" [dim](injects '{self.inject_into}')[/dim]")
-        if parent:
-            parent.add("".join(label))
-        else:
-            self.console.print(Tree("".join(label)))
-
-    def __str__(self) -> str:
-        return (
-            f"ProcessAction(name={self.name!r}, "
-            f"action={getattr(self.action, '__name__', repr(self.action))}, "
-            f"args={self.args!r}, kwargs={self.kwargs!r})"
+            f"retry={self.retry_policy.enabled}, "
+            f"rollback={self.rollback is not None})"
         )

falyx/action/action_factory.py

@@ -1,10 +1,41 @@
 # Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
-"""action_factory.py"""
-from typing import Any
+"""
+Defines `ActionFactory`, a dynamic Falyx Action that defers the construction of its
+underlying logic to runtime using a user-defined factory function.
+
+This pattern is useful when the specific Action to execute cannot be determined until
+execution time—such as when branching on data, generating parameterized HTTP requests,
+or selecting configuration-aware flows. `ActionFactory` integrates seamlessly with the
+Falyx lifecycle system and supports hook propagation, teardown registration, and
+contextual previewing.
+
+Key Features:
+- Accepts a factory function that returns a `BaseAction` instance
+- Supports injection of `last_result` and arbitrary args/kwargs
+- Integrates into chained or standalone workflows
+- Automatically previews generated action tree
+- Propagates shared context and teardown hooks to the returned action
+
+Common Use Cases:
+- Conditional or data-driven action generation
+- Configurable workflows with dynamic behavior
+- Adapter for factory-style dependency injection in CLI flows
+
+Example:
+    def generate_request_action(env):
+        return HTTPAction(f"GET /status/{env}", url=f"https://api/{env}/status")
+
+    ActionFactory(
+        name="GetEnvStatus",
+        factory=generate_request_action,
+        inject_last_result=True,
+    )
+"""
+from typing import Any, Callable
 
 from rich.tree import Tree
 
-from falyx.action.action import BaseAction
+from falyx.action.base_action import BaseAction
 from falyx.context import ExecutionContext
 from falyx.execution_registry import ExecutionRegistry as er
 from falyx.hook_manager import HookType
@@ -14,7 +45,7 @@ from falyx.themes import OneColors
 from falyx.utils import ensure_async
 
 
-class ActionFactoryAction(BaseAction):
+class ActionFactory(BaseAction):
     """
     Dynamically creates and runs another Action at runtime using a factory function.
 
@@ -22,10 +53,14 @@ class ActionFactoryAction(BaseAction):
     where the structure of the next action depends on runtime values.
 
     Args:
-        name (str): Name of the action.
+        name (str): Name of the action. Used for logging and debugging.
         factory (Callable): A function that returns a BaseAction given args/kwargs.
         inject_last_result (bool): Whether to inject last_result into the factory.
         inject_into (str): The name of the kwarg to inject last_result as.
+        args (tuple, optional): Positional arguments for the factory.
+        kwargs (dict, optional): Keyword arguments for the factory.
+        preview_args (tuple, optional): Positional arguments for the preview.
+        preview_kwargs (dict, optional): Keyword arguments for the preview.
     """
 
     def __init__(
@@ -35,6 +70,8 @@ class ActionFactoryAction(BaseAction):
         *,
         inject_last_result: bool = False,
         inject_into: str = "last_result",
+        args: tuple[Any, ...] = (),
+        kwargs: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
         preview_args: tuple[Any, ...] = (),
         preview_kwargs: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
     ):
@@ -44,6 +81,8 @@ class ActionFactoryAction(BaseAction):
             inject_into=inject_into,
         )
         self.factory = factory
+        self.args = args
+        self.kwargs = kwargs or {}
         self.preview_args = preview_args
         self.preview_kwargs = preview_kwargs or {}
 
@@ -55,7 +94,12 @@ class ActionFactoryAction(BaseAction):
     def factory(self, value: ActionFactoryProtocol):
         self._factory = ensure_async(value)
 
+    def get_infer_target(self) -> tuple[Callable[..., Any], None]:
+        return self.factory, None
+
     async def _run(self, *args, **kwargs) -> Any:
+        args = (*self.args, *args)
+        kwargs = {**self.kwargs, **kwargs}
         updated_kwargs = self._maybe_inject_last_result(kwargs)
         context = ExecutionContext(
             name=f"{self.name} (factory)",
@@ -85,7 +129,7 @@ class ActionFactoryAction(BaseAction):
                     )
             if self.options_manager:
                 generated_action.set_options_manager(self.options_manager)
-            context.result = await generated_action(*args, **kwargs)
+            context.result = await generated_action()
             await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.ON_SUCCESS, context)
             return context.result
         except Exception as error:
@@ -103,7 +147,16 @@ class ActionFactoryAction(BaseAction):
         tree = parent.add(label) if parent else Tree(label)
 
         try:
+            generated = None
+            if self.args or self.kwargs:
+                try:
+                    generated = await self.factory(*self.args, **self.kwargs)
+                except TypeError:
+                    ...
+
+            if not generated:
                 generated = await self.factory(*self.preview_args, **self.preview_kwargs)
+
             if isinstance(generated, BaseAction):
                 await generated.preview(parent=tree)
             else:
@@ -115,3 +168,11 @@ class ActionFactoryAction(BaseAction):
 
         if not parent:
             self.console.print(tree)
+
+    def __str__(self) -> str:
+        return (
+            f"ActionFactory(name={self.name!r}, "
+            f"inject_last_result={self.inject_last_result}, "
+            f"factory={self._factory.__name__ if hasattr(self._factory, '__name__') else type(self._factory).__name__}, "
+            f"args={self.args!r}, kwargs={self.kwargs!r})"
+        )

falyx/action/action_group.py

@@ -0,0 +1,248 @@
+# Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
+"""
+Defines `ActionGroup`, a Falyx Action that executes multiple sub-actions concurrently
+using asynchronous parallelism.
+
+`ActionGroup` is designed for workflows where several independent actions can run
+simultaneously to improve responsiveness and reduce latency. It ensures robust error
+isolation, shared result tracking, and full lifecycle hook integration while preserving
+Falyx's introspectability and chaining capabilities.
+
+Key Features:
+- Executes all actions in parallel via `asyncio.gather`
+- Aggregates results as a list of `(name, result)` tuples
+- Collects and reports multiple errors without interrupting execution
+- Compatible with `SharedContext`, `OptionsManager`, and `last_result` injection
+- Teardown-aware: propagates teardown registration across all child actions
+- Fully previewable via Rich tree rendering
+
+Use Cases:
+- Batch execution of independent tasks (e.g., multiple file operations, API calls)
+- Concurrent report generation or validations
+- High-throughput CLI pipelines where latency is critical
+
+Raises:
+- `EmptyGroupError`: If no actions are added to the group
+- `Exception`: Summarizes all failed actions after execution
+
+Example:
+    ActionGroup(
+        name="ParallelChecks",
+        actions=[Action(...), Action(...), ChainedAction(...)],
+    )
+
+This module complements `ChainedAction` by offering breadth-wise (parallel) execution
+as opposed to depth-wise (sequential) execution.
+"""
+import asyncio
+import random
+from typing import Any, Awaitable, Callable, Sequence
+
+from rich.tree import Tree
+
+from falyx.action.action import Action
+from falyx.action.action_mixins import ActionListMixin
+from falyx.action.base_action import BaseAction
+from falyx.context import ExecutionContext, SharedContext
+from falyx.exceptions import EmptyGroupError
+from falyx.execution_registry import ExecutionRegistry as er
+from falyx.hook_manager import Hook, HookManager, HookType
+from falyx.logger import logger
+from falyx.options_manager import OptionsManager
+from falyx.parser.utils import same_argument_definitions
+from falyx.themes.colors import OneColors
+
+
+class ActionGroup(BaseAction, ActionListMixin):
+    """
+    ActionGroup executes multiple actions concurrently in parallel.
+
+    It is ideal for independent tasks that can be safely run simultaneously,
+    improving overall throughput and responsiveness of workflows.
+
+    Core features:
+    - Parallel execution of all contained actions.
+    - Shared last_result injection across all actions if configured.
+    - Aggregated collection of individual results as (name, result) pairs.
+    - Hook lifecycle support (before, on_success, on_error, after, on_teardown).
+    - Error aggregation: captures all action errors and reports them together.
+
+    Behavior:
+    - If any action fails, the group collects the errors but continues executing
+      other actions without interruption.
+    - After all actions complete, ActionGroup raises a single exception summarizing
+      all failures, or returns all results if successful.
+
+    Best used for:
+    - Batch processing multiple independent tasks.
+    - Reducing latency for workflows with parallelizable steps.
+    - Isolating errors while maximizing successful execution.
+
+    Args:
+        name (str): Name of the chain.
+        actions (list): List of actions or literals to execute.
+        args (tuple, optional): Positional arguments.
+        kwargs (dict, optional): Keyword arguments.
+        hooks (HookManager, optional): Hooks for lifecycle events.
+        inject_last_result (bool, optional): Whether to inject last results into kwargs
+                                             by default.
+        inject_into (str, optional): Key name for injection.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        name: str,
+        actions: (
+            Sequence[BaseAction | Callable[..., Any] | Callable[..., Awaitable]] | None
+        ) = None,
+        *,
+        args: tuple[Any, ...] = (),
+        kwargs: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
+        hooks: HookManager | None = None,
+        inject_last_result: bool = False,
+        inject_into: str = "last_result",
+        never_prompt: bool | None = None,
+        logging_hooks: bool = False,
+        spinner: bool = False,
+        spinner_message: str = "Processing...",
+        spinner_type: str = "dots",
+        spinner_style: str = OneColors.CYAN,
+        spinner_speed: float = 1.0,
+    ):
+        super().__init__(
+            name,
+            hooks=hooks,
+            inject_last_result=inject_last_result,
+            inject_into=inject_into,
+            never_prompt=never_prompt,
+            logging_hooks=logging_hooks,
+            spinner=spinner,
+            spinner_message=spinner_message,
+            spinner_type=spinner_type,
+            spinner_style=spinner_style,
+            spinner_speed=spinner_speed,
+        )
+        ActionListMixin.__init__(self)
+        self.args = args
+        self.kwargs = kwargs or {}
+        if actions:
+            self.set_actions(actions)
+
+    def _wrap_if_needed(self, action: BaseAction | Callable[..., Any]) -> BaseAction:
+        if isinstance(action, BaseAction):
+            return action
+        elif callable(action):
+            return Action(name=action.__name__, action=action)
+        else:
+            raise TypeError(
+                "ActionGroup only accepts BaseAction or callable, got "
+                f"{type(action).__name__}"
+            )
+
+    def add_action(self, action: BaseAction | Callable[..., Any]) -> None:
+        action = self._wrap_if_needed(action)
+        super().add_action(action)
+        if hasattr(action, "register_teardown") and callable(action.register_teardown):
+            action.register_teardown(self.hooks)
+
+    def set_actions(self, actions: Sequence[BaseAction | Callable[..., Any]]) -> None:
+        """Replaces the current action list with a new one."""
+        self.actions.clear()
+        for action in actions:
+            self.add_action(action)
+
+    def set_options_manager(self, options_manager: OptionsManager) -> None:
+        super().set_options_manager(options_manager)
+        for action in self.actions:
+            action.set_options_manager(options_manager)
+
+    def get_infer_target(self) -> tuple[Callable[..., Any] | None, dict[str, Any] | None]:
+        arg_defs = same_argument_definitions(self.actions)
+        if arg_defs:
+            return self.actions[0].get_infer_target()
+        logger.debug(
+            "[%s] auto_args disabled: mismatched ActionGroup arguments",
+            self.name,
+        )
+        return None, None
+
+    async def _run(self, *args, **kwargs) -> list[tuple[str, Any]]:
+        if not self.actions:
+            raise EmptyGroupError(f"[{self.name}] No actions to execute.")
+
+        combined_args = args + self.args
+        combined_kwargs = {**self.kwargs, **kwargs}
+
+        shared_context = SharedContext(name=self.name, action=self, is_parallel=True)
+        if self.shared_context:
+            shared_context.set_shared_result(self.shared_context.last_result())
+        updated_kwargs = self._maybe_inject_last_result(combined_kwargs)
+        context = ExecutionContext(
+            name=self.name,
+            args=combined_args,
+            kwargs=updated_kwargs,
+            action=self,
+            extra={"results": [], "errors": []},
+            shared_context=shared_context,
+        )
+
+        async def run_one(action: BaseAction):
+            try:
+                prepared = action.prepare(shared_context, self.options_manager)
+                result = await prepared(*combined_args, **updated_kwargs)
+                shared_context.add_result((action.name, result))
+                context.extra["results"].append((action.name, result))
+            except Exception as error:
+                shared_context.add_error(shared_context.current_index, error)
+                context.extra["errors"].append((action.name, error))
+
+        context.start_timer()
+        try:
+            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.BEFORE, context)
+            await asyncio.gather(*[run_one(a) for a in self.actions])
+
+            if context.extra["errors"]:
+                context.exception = Exception(
+                    f"{len(context.extra['errors'])} action(s) failed: "
+                    f"{' ,'.join(name for name, _ in context.extra['errors'])}"
+                )
+                await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.ON_ERROR, context)
+                raise context.exception
+
+            context.result = context.extra["results"]
+            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.ON_SUCCESS, context)
+            return context.result
+
+        except Exception as error:
+            context.exception = error
+            raise
+        finally:
+            context.stop_timer()
+            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.AFTER, context)
+            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.ON_TEARDOWN, context)
+            er.record(context)
+
+    def register_hooks_recursively(self, hook_type: HookType, hook: Hook):
+        """Register a hook for all actions and sub-actions."""
+        super().register_hooks_recursively(hook_type, hook)
+        for action in self.actions:
+            action.register_hooks_recursively(hook_type, hook)
+
+    async def preview(self, parent: Tree | None = None):
+        label = [f"[{OneColors.MAGENTA_b}]⏩ ActionGroup (parallel)[/] '{self.name}'"]
+        if self.inject_last_result:
+            label.append(f" [dim](receives '{self.inject_into}')[/dim]")
+        tree = parent.add("".join(label)) if parent else Tree("".join(label))
+        actions = self.actions.copy()
+        random.shuffle(actions)
+        await asyncio.gather(*(action.preview(parent=tree) for action in actions))
+        if not parent:
+            self.console.print(tree)
+
+    def __str__(self):
+        return (
+            f"ActionGroup(name={self.name}, actions={[a.name for a in self.actions]}, "
+            f"args={self.args!r}, kwargs={self.kwargs!r}, "
+            f"inject_last_result={self.inject_last_result}, "
+            f"inject_into={self.inject_into})"
+        )

falyx/action/action_mixins.py

@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+# Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
+"""
+Provides reusable mixins for managing collections of `BaseAction` instances
+within composite Falyx actions such as `ActionGroup` or `ChainedAction`.
+
+The primary export, `ActionListMixin`, encapsulates common functionality for
+maintaining a mutable list of named actions—such as adding, removing, or retrieving
+actions by name—without duplicating logic across composite action types.
+"""
+
+from typing import Sequence
+
+from falyx.action.base_action import BaseAction
+
+
+class ActionListMixin:
+    """
+    Mixin for managing a list of named `BaseAction` objects.
+
+    Provides helper methods for setting, adding, removing, checking, and
+    retrieving actions in composite Falyx constructs like `ActionGroup`.
+
+    Attributes:
+        actions (list[BaseAction]): The internal list of managed actions.
+
+    Methods:
+        set_actions(actions): Replaces all current actions with the given list.
+        add_action(action): Adds a new action to the list.
+        remove_action(name): Removes an action by its name.
+        has_action(name): Returns True if an action with the given name exists.
+        get_action(name): Returns the action matching the name, or None.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self) -> None:
+        self.actions: list[BaseAction] = []
+
+    def set_actions(self, actions: Sequence[BaseAction]) -> None:
+        """Replaces the current action list with a new one."""
+        self.actions.clear()
+        for action in actions:
+            self.add_action(action)
+
+    def add_action(self, action: BaseAction) -> None:
+        """Adds an action to the list."""
+        self.actions.append(action)
+
+    def remove_action(self, name: str) -> None:
+        """Removes all actions with the given name."""
+        self.actions = [action for action in self.actions if action.name != name]
+
+    def has_action(self, name: str) -> bool:
+        """Checks if an action with the given name exists."""
+        return any(action.name == name for action in self.actions)
+
+    def get_action(self, name: str) -> BaseAction | None:
+        """Retrieves a single action with the given name."""
+        for action in self.actions:
+            if action.name == name:
+                return action
+        return None

falyx/action/action_types.py

@@ -0,0 +1,205 @@
+# Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
+"""
+Defines strongly-typed enums used throughout the Falyx CLI framework for
+representing common structured values like file formats, selection return types,
+and confirmation modes.
+
+These enums support alias resolution, graceful coercion from string inputs,
+and are used for input validation, serialization, and CLI configuration parsing.
+
+Exports:
+- FileType: Defines supported file formats for `LoadFileAction` and `SaveFileAction`
+- SelectionReturnType: Defines structured return modes for `SelectionAction`
+- ConfirmType: Defines selectable confirmation types for prompts and guards
+
+Key Features:
+- Custom `_missing_()` methods for forgiving string coercion and error reporting
+- Aliases and normalization support for user-friendly config-driven workflows
+- Useful in CLI flag parsing, YAML configs, and dynamic schema validation
+
+Example:
+    FileType("yml") → FileType.YAML
+    SelectionReturnType("value") → SelectionReturnType.VALUE
+    ConfirmType("YES_NO") → ConfirmType.YES_NO
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from enum import Enum
+
+
+class FileType(Enum):
+    """
+    Represents supported file types for reading and writing in Falyx Actions.
+
+    Used by `LoadFileAction` and `SaveFileAction` to determine how to parse or
+    serialize file content. Includes alias resolution for common extensions like
+    `.yml`, `.txt`, and `filepath`.
+
+    Members:
+        TEXT: Raw encoded text as a string.
+        PATH: Returns the file path (as a Path object).
+        JSON: JSON-formatted object.
+        TOML: TOML-formatted object.
+        YAML: YAML-formatted object.
+        CSV: List of rows (as lists) from a CSV file.
+        TSV: Same as CSV, but tab-delimited.
+        XML: Raw XML as a ElementTree.
+
+    Example:
+        FileType("yml")  → FileType.YAML
+    """
+
+    TEXT = "text"
+    PATH = "path"
+    JSON = "json"
+    TOML = "toml"
+    YAML = "yaml"
+    CSV = "csv"
+    TSV = "tsv"
+    XML = "xml"
+
+    @classmethod
+    def choices(cls) -> list[FileType]:
+        """Return a list of all hook type choices."""
+        return list(cls)
+
+    @classmethod
+    def _get_alias(cls, value: str) -> str:
+        aliases = {
+            "yml": "yaml",
+            "txt": "text",
+            "file": "path",
+            "filepath": "path",
+        }
+        return aliases.get(value, value)
+
+    @classmethod
+    def _missing_(cls, value: object) -> FileType:
+        if not isinstance(value, str):
+            raise ValueError(f"Invalid {cls.__name__}: {value!r}")
+        normalized = value.strip().lower()
+        alias = cls._get_alias(normalized)
+        for member in cls:
+            if member.value == alias:
+                return member
+        valid = ", ".join(member.value for member in cls)
+        raise ValueError(f"Invalid {cls.__name__}: '{value}'. Must be one of: {valid}")
+
+    def __str__(self) -> str:
+        """Return the string representation of the confirm type."""
+        return self.value
+
+
+class SelectionReturnType(Enum):
+    """
+    Controls what is returned from a `SelectionAction` when using a selection map.
+
+    Determines how the user's choice(s) from a `dict[str, SelectionOption]` are
+    transformed and returned by the action.
+
+    Members:
+        KEY: Return the selected key(s) only.
+        VALUE: Return the value(s) associated with the selected key(s).
+        DESCRIPTION: Return the description(s) of the selected item(s).
+        DESCRIPTION_VALUE: Return a dict of {description: value} pairs.
+        ITEMS: Return full `SelectionOption` objects as a dict {key: SelectionOption}.
+
+    Example:
+        return_type=SelectionReturnType.VALUE  → returns raw values like 'prod'
+    """
+
+    KEY = "key"
+    VALUE = "value"
+    DESCRIPTION = "description"
+    DESCRIPTION_VALUE = "description_value"
+    ITEMS = "items"
+
+    @classmethod
+    def choices(cls) -> list[SelectionReturnType]:
+        """Return a list of all hook type choices."""
+        return list(cls)
+
+    @classmethod
+    def _get_alias(cls, value: str) -> str:
+        aliases = {
+            "desc": "description",
+            "desc_value": "description_value",
+        }
+        return aliases.get(value, value)
+
+    @classmethod
+    def _missing_(cls, value: object) -> SelectionReturnType:
+        if not isinstance(value, str):
+            raise ValueError(f"Invalid {cls.__name__}: {value!r}")
+        normalized = value.strip().lower()
+        alias = cls._get_alias(normalized)
+        for member in cls:
+            if member.value == alias:
+                return member
+        valid = ", ".join(member.value for member in cls)
+        raise ValueError(f"Invalid {cls.__name__}: '{value}'. Must be one of: {valid}")
+
+    def __str__(self) -> str:
+        """Return the string representation of the confirm type."""
+        return self.value
+
+
+class ConfirmType(Enum):
+    """
+    Enum for defining prompt styles in confirmation dialogs.
+
+    Used by confirmation actions to control user input behavior and available choices.
+
+    Members:
+        YES_NO: Prompt with Yes / No options.
+        YES_CANCEL: Prompt with Yes / Cancel options.
+        YES_NO_CANCEL: Prompt with Yes / No / Cancel options.
+        TYPE_WORD: Require user to type a specific confirmation word (e.g., "delete").
+        TYPE_WORD_CANCEL: Same as TYPE_WORD, but allows cancellation.
+        OK_CANCEL: Prompt with OK / Cancel options.
+        ACKNOWLEDGE: Single confirmation button (e.g., "Acknowledge").
+
+    Example:
+        ConfirmType("yes_no_cancel") → ConfirmType.YES_NO_CANCEL
+    """
+
+    YES_NO = "yes_no"
+    YES_CANCEL = "yes_cancel"
+    YES_NO_CANCEL = "yes_no_cancel"
+    TYPE_WORD = "type_word"
+    TYPE_WORD_CANCEL = "type_word_cancel"
+    OK_CANCEL = "ok_cancel"
+    ACKNOWLEDGE = "acknowledge"
+
+    @classmethod
+    def choices(cls) -> list[ConfirmType]:
+        """Return a list of all hook type choices."""
+        return list(cls)
+
+    @classmethod
+    def _get_alias(cls, value: str) -> str:
+        aliases = {
+            "yes": "yes_no",
+            "ok": "ok_cancel",
+            "type": "type_word",
+            "word": "type_word",
+            "word_cancel": "type_word_cancel",
+            "ack": "acknowledge",
+        }
+        return aliases.get(value, value)
+
+    @classmethod
+    def _missing_(cls, value: object) -> ConfirmType:
+        if not isinstance(value, str):
+            raise ValueError(f"Invalid {cls.__name__}: {value!r}")
+        normalized = value.strip().lower()
+        alias = cls._get_alias(normalized)
+        for member in cls:
+            if member.value == alias:
+                return member
+        valid = ", ".join(member.value for member in cls)
+        raise ValueError(f"Invalid {cls.__name__}: '{value}'. Must be one of: {valid}")
+
+    def __str__(self) -> str:
+        """Return the string representation of the confirm type."""
+        return self.value

falyx/action/base_action.py

@@ -0,0 +1,187 @@
+# Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
+"""
+Core action system for Falyx.
+
+This module defines the building blocks for executable actions and workflows,
+providing a structured way to compose, execute, recover, and manage sequences of
+operations.
+
+All actions are callable and follow a unified signature:
+    result = action(*args, **kwargs)
+
+Core guarantees:
+- Full hook lifecycle support (before, on_success, on_error, after, on_teardown).
+- Consistent timing and execution context tracking for each run.
+- Unified, predictable result handling and error propagation.
+- Optional last_result injection to enable flexible, data-driven workflows.
+- Built-in support for retries, rollbacks, parallel groups, chaining, and fallback
+  recovery.
+
+Key components:
+- Action: wraps a function or coroutine into a standard executable unit.
+- ChainedAction: runs actions sequentially, optionally injecting last results.
+- ActionGroup: runs actions in parallel and gathers results.
+- ProcessAction: executes CPU-bound functions in a separate process.
+- LiteralInputAction: injects static values into workflows.
+- FallbackAction: gracefully recovers from failures or missing data.
+
+This design promotes clean, fault-tolerant, modular CLI and automation systems.
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
+from typing import Any, Callable
+
+from rich.console import Console
+from rich.tree import Tree
+
+from falyx.console import console
+from falyx.context import SharedContext
+from falyx.debug import register_debug_hooks
+from falyx.hook_manager import Hook, HookManager, HookType
+from falyx.hooks import spinner_before_hook, spinner_teardown_hook
+from falyx.logger import logger
+from falyx.options_manager import OptionsManager
+from falyx.themes import OneColors
+
+
+class BaseAction(ABC):
+    """
+    Base class for actions. Actions can be simple functions or more
+    complex actions like `ChainedAction` or `ActionGroup`. They can also
+    be run independently or as part of Falyx.
+
+    Args:
+        name (str): Name of the action. Used for logging and debugging.
+        hooks (HookManager | None): Hook manager for lifecycle events.
+        inject_last_result (bool): Whether to inject the previous action's result
+                                   into kwargs.
+        inject_into (str): The name of the kwarg key to inject the result as
+                           (default: 'last_result').
+        never_prompt (bool | None): Whether to never prompt for input.
+        logging_hooks (bool): Whether to register debug hooks for logging.
+        ignore_in_history (bool): Whether to ignore this action in execution history last result.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        name: str,
+        *,
+        hooks: HookManager | None = None,
+        inject_last_result: bool = False,
+        inject_into: str = "last_result",
+        never_prompt: bool | None = None,
+        logging_hooks: bool = False,
+        ignore_in_history: bool = False,
+        spinner: bool = False,
+        spinner_message: str = "Processing...",
+        spinner_type: str = "dots",
+        spinner_style: str = OneColors.CYAN,
+        spinner_speed: float = 1.0,
+    ) -> None:
+        self.name = name
+        self.hooks = hooks or HookManager()
+        self.is_retryable: bool = False
+        self.shared_context: SharedContext | None = None
+        self.inject_last_result: bool = inject_last_result
+        self.inject_into: str = inject_into
+        self._never_prompt: bool | None = never_prompt
+        self._skip_in_chain: bool = False
+        self.console: Console = console
+        self.options_manager: OptionsManager | None = None
+        self.ignore_in_history: bool = ignore_in_history
+        self.spinner_message = spinner_message
+        self.spinner_type = spinner_type
+        self.spinner_style = spinner_style
+        self.spinner_speed = spinner_speed
+
+        if spinner:
+            self.hooks.register(HookType.BEFORE, spinner_before_hook)
+            self.hooks.register(HookType.ON_TEARDOWN, spinner_teardown_hook)
+
+        if logging_hooks:
+            register_debug_hooks(self.hooks)
+
+    async def __call__(self, *args, **kwargs) -> Any:
+        return await self._run(*args, **kwargs)
+
+    @abstractmethod
+    async def _run(self, *args, **kwargs) -> Any:
+        raise NotImplementedError("_run must be implemented by subclasses")
+
+    @abstractmethod
+    async def preview(self, parent: Tree | None = None):
+        raise NotImplementedError("preview must be implemented by subclasses")
+
+    @abstractmethod
+    def get_infer_target(self) -> tuple[Callable[..., Any] | None, dict[str, Any] | None]:
+        """
+        Returns the callable to be used for argument inference.
+        By default, it returns None.
+        """
+        raise NotImplementedError("get_infer_target must be implemented by subclasses")
+
+    def set_options_manager(self, options_manager: OptionsManager) -> None:
+        self.options_manager = options_manager
+
+    def set_shared_context(self, shared_context: SharedContext) -> None:
+        self.shared_context = shared_context
+
+    def get_option(self, option_name: str, default: Any = None) -> Any:
+        """
+        Resolve an option from the OptionsManager if present, otherwise use the fallback.
+        """
+        if self.options_manager:
+            return self.options_manager.get(option_name, default)
+        return default
+
+    @property
+    def last_result(self) -> Any:
+        """Return the last result from the shared context."""
+        if self.shared_context:
+            return self.shared_context.last_result()
+        return None
+
+    @property
+    def never_prompt(self) -> bool:
+        if self._never_prompt is not None:
+            return self._never_prompt
+        return self.get_option("never_prompt", False)
+
+    @property
+    def spinner_manager(self):
+        """Shortcut to access SpinnerManager via the OptionsManager."""
+        if not self.options_manager:
+            raise RuntimeError("SpinnerManager is not available (no OptionsManager set).")
+        return self.options_manager.spinners
+
+    def prepare(
+        self, shared_context: SharedContext, options_manager: OptionsManager | None = None
+    ) -> BaseAction:
+        """
+        Prepare the action specifically for sequential (ChainedAction) execution.
+        Can be overridden for chain-specific logic.
+        """
+        self.set_shared_context(shared_context)
+        if options_manager:
+            self.set_options_manager(options_manager)
+        return self
+
+    def _maybe_inject_last_result(self, kwargs: dict[str, Any]) -> dict[str, Any]:
+        if self.inject_last_result and self.shared_context:
+            key = self.inject_into
+            if key in kwargs:
+                logger.warning("[%s] Overriding '%s' with last_result", self.name, key)
+            kwargs = dict(kwargs)
+            kwargs[key] = self.shared_context.last_result()
+        return kwargs
+
+    def register_hooks_recursively(self, hook_type: HookType, hook: Hook):
+        """Register a hook for all actions and sub-actions."""
+        self.hooks.register(hook_type, hook)
+
+    async def _write_stdout(self, data: str) -> None:
+        """Override in subclasses that produce terminal output."""
+
+    def __repr__(self) -> str:
+        return str(self)

falyx/action/chained_action.py

@@ -0,0 +1,322 @@
+# Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
+"""
+Defines `ChainedAction`, a core Falyx construct for executing a sequence of actions
+in strict order, optionally injecting results from previous steps into subsequent ones.
+
+`ChainedAction` is designed for linear workflows where each step may depend on
+the output of the previous one. It supports rollback semantics, fallback recovery,
+and advanced error handling using `SharedContext`. Literal values are supported via
+automatic wrapping with `LiteralInputAction`.
+
+Key Features:
+- Executes a list of actions sequentially
+- Optional `auto_inject` to forward `last_result` into each step
+- Supports fallback recovery using `FallbackAction` when an error occurs
+- Rollback stack to undo already-completed actions on failure
+- Integrates with the full Falyx hook lifecycle
+- Previews and introspects workflow structure via `Rich`
+
+Use Cases:
+- Ordered pipelines (e.g., build → test → deploy)
+- Data transformations or ETL workflows
+- Linear decision trees or interactive wizards
+
+Special Behaviors:
+- Literal inputs (e.g., strings, numbers) are converted to `LiteralInputAction`
+- If an action raises and is followed by a `FallbackAction`, it will be skipped and recovered
+- If a `BreakChainSignal` is raised, the chain stops early and rollbacks are triggered
+
+Raises:
+- `EmptyChainError`: If no actions are present
+- `BreakChainSignal`: When explicitly triggered by a child action
+- `Exception`: For all unhandled failures during chained execution
+
+Example:
+    ChainedAction(
+        name="DeployFlow",
+        actions=[
+            ActionGroup(
+                name="PreDeploymentChecks",
+                actions=[
+                    Action(
+                        name="ValidateInputs",
+                        action=validate_inputs,
+                    ),
+                    Action(
+                        name="CheckDependencies",
+                        action=check_dependencies,
+                    ),
+                ],
+            ),
+            Action(
+                name="BuildArtifact",
+                action=build_artifact,
+            ),
+            Action(
+                name="Upload",
+                action=upload,
+            ),
+            Action(
+                name="NotifySuccess",
+                action=notify_success,
+            ),
+        ],
+        auto_inject=True,
+    )
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from typing import Any, Awaitable, Callable, Sequence
+
+from rich.tree import Tree
+
+from falyx.action.action import Action
+from falyx.action.action_mixins import ActionListMixin
+from falyx.action.base_action import BaseAction
+from falyx.action.fallback_action import FallbackAction
+from falyx.action.literal_input_action import LiteralInputAction
+from falyx.context import ExecutionContext, SharedContext
+from falyx.exceptions import EmptyChainError
+from falyx.execution_registry import ExecutionRegistry as er
+from falyx.hook_manager import Hook, HookManager, HookType
+from falyx.logger import logger
+from falyx.options_manager import OptionsManager
+from falyx.signals import BreakChainSignal
+from falyx.themes import OneColors
+
+
+class ChainedAction(BaseAction, ActionListMixin):
+    """
+    ChainedAction executes a sequence of actions one after another.
+
+    Features:
+    - Supports optional automatic last_result injection (auto_inject).
+    - Recovers from intermediate errors using FallbackAction if present.
+    - Rolls back all previously executed actions if a failure occurs.
+    - Handles literal values with LiteralInputAction.
+
+    Best used for defining robust, ordered workflows where each step can depend on
+    previous results.
+
+    Args:
+        name (str): Name of the chain. Used for logging and debugging.
+        actions (list): List of actions or literals to execute.
+        args (tuple, optional): Positional arguments.
+        kwargs (dict, optional): Keyword arguments.
+        hooks (HookManager, optional): Hooks for lifecycle events.
+        inject_last_result (bool, optional): Whether to inject last results into kwargs
+                                             by default.
+        inject_into (str, optional): Key name for injection.
+        auto_inject (bool, optional): Auto-enable injection for subsequent actions.
+        return_list (bool, optional): Whether to return a list of all results. False
+                                      returns the last result.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        name: str,
+        actions: (
+            Sequence[BaseAction | Callable[..., Any] | Callable[..., Awaitable[Any]]]
+            | None
+        ) = None,
+        *,
+        args: tuple[Any, ...] = (),
+        kwargs: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
+        hooks: HookManager | None = None,
+        inject_last_result: bool = False,
+        inject_into: str = "last_result",
+        auto_inject: bool = False,
+        return_list: bool = False,
+        never_prompt: bool | None = None,
+        logging_hooks: bool = False,
+        spinner: bool = False,
+        spinner_message: str = "Processing...",
+        spinner_type: str = "dots",
+        spinner_style: str = OneColors.CYAN,
+        spinner_speed: float = 1.0,
+    ) -> None:
+        super().__init__(
+            name,
+            hooks=hooks,
+            inject_last_result=inject_last_result,
+            inject_into=inject_into,
+            never_prompt=never_prompt,
+            logging_hooks=logging_hooks,
+            spinner=spinner,
+            spinner_message=spinner_message,
+            spinner_type=spinner_type,
+            spinner_style=spinner_style,
+            spinner_speed=spinner_speed,
+        )
+        ActionListMixin.__init__(self)
+        self.args = args
+        self.kwargs = kwargs or {}
+        self.auto_inject = auto_inject
+        self.return_list = return_list
+        if actions:
+            self.set_actions(actions)
+
+    def _wrap_if_needed(self, action: BaseAction | Callable[..., Any]) -> BaseAction:
+        if isinstance(action, BaseAction):
+            return action
+        elif callable(action):
+            return Action(name=action.__name__, action=action)
+        else:
+            return LiteralInputAction(action)
+
+    def add_action(self, action: BaseAction | Callable[..., Any]) -> None:
+        action = self._wrap_if_needed(action)
+        if self.actions and self.auto_inject and not action.inject_last_result:
+            action.inject_last_result = True
+        super().add_action(action)
+        if hasattr(action, "register_teardown") and callable(action.register_teardown):
+            action.register_teardown(self.hooks)
+
+    def set_actions(self, actions: Sequence[BaseAction | Callable[..., Any]]) -> None:
+        """Replaces the current action list with a new one."""
+        self.actions.clear()
+        for action in actions:
+            self.add_action(action)
+
+    def set_options_manager(self, options_manager: OptionsManager) -> None:
+        super().set_options_manager(options_manager)
+        for action in self.actions:
+            action.set_options_manager(options_manager)
+
+    def get_infer_target(self) -> tuple[Callable[..., Any] | None, dict[str, Any] | None]:
+        if self.actions:
+            return self.actions[0].get_infer_target()
+        return None, None
+
+    def _clear_args(self):
+        return (), {}
+
+    async def _run(self, *args, **kwargs) -> Any:
+        if not self.actions:
+            raise EmptyChainError(f"[{self.name}] No actions to execute.")
+
+        combined_args = args + self.args
+        combined_kwargs = {**self.kwargs, **kwargs}
+
+        shared_context = SharedContext(name=self.name, action=self)
+        if self.shared_context:
+            shared_context.add_result(self.shared_context.last_result())
+        updated_kwargs = self._maybe_inject_last_result(combined_kwargs)
+        context = ExecutionContext(
+            name=self.name,
+            args=combined_args,
+            kwargs=updated_kwargs,
+            action=self,
+            extra={"results": [], "rollback_stack": []},
+            shared_context=shared_context,
+        )
+        context.start_timer()
+        try:
+            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.BEFORE, context)
+
+            for index, action in enumerate(self.actions):
+                if action._skip_in_chain:
+                    logger.debug(
+                        "[%s] Skipping consumed action '%s'", self.name, action.name
+                    )
+                    continue
+                shared_context.current_index = index
+                prepared = action.prepare(shared_context, self.options_manager)
+                try:
+                    result = await prepared(*combined_args, **updated_kwargs)
+                except Exception as error:
+                    if index + 1 < len(self.actions) and isinstance(
+                        self.actions[index + 1], FallbackAction
+                    ):
+                        logger.warning(
+                            "[%s] Fallback triggered: %s, recovering with fallback "
+                            "'%s'.",
+                            self.name,
+                            error,
+                            self.actions[index + 1].name,
+                        )
+                        shared_context.add_result(None)
+                        context.extra["results"].append(None)
+                        fallback = self.actions[index + 1].prepare(shared_context)
+                        result = await fallback()
+                        fallback._skip_in_chain = True
+                    else:
+                        raise
+                shared_context.add_result(result)
+                context.extra["results"].append(result)
+                context.extra["rollback_stack"].append(
+                    (prepared, combined_args, updated_kwargs)
+                )
+                combined_args, updated_kwargs = self._clear_args()
+
+            all_results = context.extra["results"]
+            assert (
+                all_results
+            ), f"[{self.name}] No results captured. Something seriously went wrong."
+            context.result = all_results if self.return_list else all_results[-1]
+            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.ON_SUCCESS, context)
+            return context.result
+        except BreakChainSignal as error:
+            logger.info("[%s] Chain broken: %s", self.name, error)
+            context.exception = error
+            shared_context.add_error(shared_context.current_index, error)
+            await self._rollback(context.extra["rollback_stack"])
+        except Exception as error:
+            context.exception = error
+            shared_context.add_error(shared_context.current_index, error)
+            await self._rollback(context.extra["rollback_stack"])
+            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.ON_ERROR, context)
+            raise
+        finally:
+            context.stop_timer()
+            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.AFTER, context)
+            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.ON_TEARDOWN, context)
+            er.record(context)
+
+    async def _rollback(
+        self, rollback_stack: list[tuple[Action, tuple[Any, ...], dict[str, Any]]]
+    ):
+        """
+        Roll back all executed actions in reverse order.
+
+        Rollbacks run even if a fallback recovered from failure,
+        ensuring consistent undo of all side effects.
+
+        Actions without rollback handlers are skipped.
+
+        Args:
+            rollback_stack (list): Actions to roll back.
+            *args, **kwargs: Passed to rollback handlers.
+        """
+        for action, args, kwargs in reversed(rollback_stack):
+            rollback = getattr(action, "rollback", None)
+            if rollback:
+                try:
+                    logger.warning("[%s] Rolling back...", action.name)
+                    await rollback(*args, **kwargs)
+                except Exception as error:
+                    logger.error("[%s] Rollback failed: %s", action.name, error)
+
+    def register_hooks_recursively(self, hook_type: HookType, hook: Hook):
+        """Register a hook for all actions and sub-actions."""
+        super().register_hooks_recursively(hook_type, hook)
+        for action in self.actions:
+            action.register_hooks_recursively(hook_type, hook)
+
+    async def preview(self, parent: Tree | None = None):
+        label = [f"[{OneColors.CYAN_b}]⛓ ChainedAction[/] '{self.name}'"]
+        if self.inject_last_result:
+            label.append(f" [dim](injects '{self.inject_into}')[/dim]")
+        tree = parent.add("".join(label)) if parent else Tree("".join(label))
+        for action in self.actions:
+            await action.preview(parent=tree)
+        if not parent:
+            self.console.print(tree)
+
+    def __str__(self):
+        return (
+            f"ChainedAction(name={self.name}, "
+            f"actions={[a.name for a in self.actions]}, "
+            f"args={self.args!r}, kwargs={self.kwargs!r}, "
+            f"auto_inject={self.auto_inject}, return_list={self.return_list})"
+        )

falyx/action/confirm_action.py

@@ -0,0 +1,272 @@
+# Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
+"""
+Defines `ConfirmAction`, a Falyx Action that prompts the user for confirmation
+before continuing execution.
+
+`ConfirmAction` supports a wide range of confirmation strategies, including:
+- Yes/No-style prompts
+- OK/Cancel dialogs
+- Typed confirmation (e.g., "CONFIRM" or "DELETE")
+- Acknowledge-only flows
+
+It is useful for adding safety gates, user-driven approval steps, or destructive
+operation guards in CLI workflows. This Action supports both interactive use and
+non-interactive (headless) behavior via `never_prompt`, as well as full hook lifecycle
+integration and optional result passthrough.
+
+Key Features:
+- Supports all common confirmation types (see `ConfirmType`)
+- Integrates with `PromptSession` for prompt_toolkit-based UX
+- Configurable fallback word validation and behavior on cancel
+- Can return the injected `last_result` instead of a boolean
+- Fully compatible with Falyx hooks, preview, and result injection
+
+Use Cases:
+- Safety checks before deleting, pushing, or overwriting resources
+- Gatekeeping interactive workflows
+- Validating irreversible or sensitive operations
+
+Example:
+    ConfirmAction(
+        name="ConfirmDeploy",
+        message="Are you sure you want to deploy to production?",
+        confirm_type="yes_no_cancel",
+    )
+
+Raises:
+- `CancelSignal`: When the user chooses to abort the action
+- `ValueError`: If an invalid `confirm_type` is provided
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from typing import Any
+
+from prompt_toolkit import PromptSession
+from rich.tree import Tree
+
+from falyx.action.action_types import ConfirmType
+from falyx.action.base_action import BaseAction
+from falyx.context import ExecutionContext
+from falyx.execution_registry import ExecutionRegistry as er
+from falyx.hook_manager import HookType
+from falyx.logger import logger
+from falyx.prompt_utils import (
+    confirm_async,
+    rich_text_to_prompt_text,
+    should_prompt_user,
+)
+from falyx.signals import CancelSignal
+from falyx.themes import OneColors
+from falyx.validators import word_validator, words_validator
+
+
+class ConfirmAction(BaseAction):
+    """
+    Action to confirm an operation with the user.
+
+    There are several ways to confirm an action, such as using a simple
+    yes/no prompt. You can also use a confirmation type that requires the user
+    to type a specific word or phrase to confirm the action, or use an OK/Cancel
+    dialog.
+
+    This action can be used to ensure that the user explicitly agrees to proceed
+    with an operation.
+
+    Attributes:
+        name (str): Name of the action. Used for logging and debugging.
+        prompt_message (str): The confirmation message to display.
+        confirm_type (ConfirmType | str): The type of confirmation to use.
+            Options include YES_NO, YES_CANCEL, YES_NO_CANCEL, TYPE_WORD, and OK_CANCEL.
+        prompt_session (PromptSession | None): The session to use for input.
+        confirm (bool): Whether to prompt the user for confirmation.
+        word (str): The word to type for TYPE_WORD confirmation.
+        return_last_result (bool): Whether to return the last result of the action
+                                   instead of a boolean.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        name: str,
+        prompt_message: str = "Confirm?",
+        confirm_type: ConfirmType | str = ConfirmType.YES_NO,
+        prompt_session: PromptSession | None = None,
+        never_prompt: bool = False,
+        word: str = "CONFIRM",
+        return_last_result: bool = False,
+        inject_last_result: bool = True,
+        inject_into: str = "last_result",
+    ):
+        """
+        Initialize the ConfirmAction.
+
+        Args:
+            message (str): The confirmation message to display.
+            confirm_type (ConfirmType): The type of confirmation to use.
+                Options include YES_NO, YES_CANCEL, YES_NO_CANCEL, TYPE_WORD, and OK_CANCEL.
+            prompt_session (PromptSession | None): The session to use for input.
+            confirm (bool): Whether to prompt the user for confirmation.
+            word (str): The word to type for TYPE_WORD confirmation.
+            return_last_result (bool): Whether to return the last result of the action.
+        """
+        super().__init__(
+            name=name,
+            inject_last_result=inject_last_result,
+            inject_into=inject_into,
+            never_prompt=never_prompt,
+        )
+        self.prompt_message = prompt_message
+        self.confirm_type = ConfirmType(confirm_type)
+        self.prompt_session = prompt_session or PromptSession(
+            interrupt_exception=CancelSignal
+        )
+        self.word = word
+        self.return_last_result = return_last_result
+
+    async def _confirm(self) -> bool:
+        """Confirm the action with the user."""
+        match self.confirm_type:
+            case ConfirmType.YES_NO:
+                return await confirm_async(
+                    rich_text_to_prompt_text(self.prompt_message),
+                    suffix=rich_text_to_prompt_text(
+                        f" [[{OneColors.GREEN_b}]Y[/]]es, "
+                        f"[[{OneColors.DARK_RED_b}]N[/]]o > "
+                    ),
+                    session=self.prompt_session,
+                )
+            case ConfirmType.YES_NO_CANCEL:
+                error_message = "Enter 'Y', 'y' to confirm, 'N', 'n' to decline, or 'C', 'c' to abort."
+                answer = await self.prompt_session.prompt_async(
+                    rich_text_to_prompt_text(
+                        f"❓ {self.prompt_message} [[{OneColors.GREEN_b}]Y[/]]es, "
+                        f"[[{OneColors.DARK_YELLOW_b}]N[/]]o, "
+                        f"or [[{OneColors.DARK_RED_b}]C[/]]ancel to abort > "
+                    ),
+                    validator=words_validator(
+                        ["Y", "N", "C"], error_message=error_message
+                    ),
+                )
+                if answer.upper() == "C":
+                    raise CancelSignal(f"Action '{self.name}' was cancelled by the user.")
+                return answer.upper() == "Y"
+            case ConfirmType.TYPE_WORD:
+                answer = await self.prompt_session.prompt_async(
+                    rich_text_to_prompt_text(
+                        f"❓ {self.prompt_message} [[{OneColors.GREEN_b}]{self.word.upper()}[/]] "
+                        f"to confirm or [[{OneColors.DARK_RED}]N[/{OneColors.DARK_RED}]] > "
+                    ),
+                    validator=word_validator(self.word),
+                )
+                return answer.upper().strip() != "N"
+            case ConfirmType.TYPE_WORD_CANCEL:
+                answer = await self.prompt_session.prompt_async(
+                    rich_text_to_prompt_text(
+                        f"❓ {self.prompt_message} [[{OneColors.GREEN_b}]{self.word.upper()}[/]] "
+                        f"to confirm or [[{OneColors.DARK_RED}]N[/{OneColors.DARK_RED}]] > "
+                    ),
+                    validator=word_validator(self.word),
+                )
+                if answer.upper().strip() == "N":
+                    raise CancelSignal(f"Action '{self.name}' was cancelled by the user.")
+                return answer.upper().strip() == self.word.upper().strip()
+            case ConfirmType.YES_CANCEL:
+                answer = await confirm_async(
+                    rich_text_to_prompt_text(self.prompt_message),
+                    suffix=rich_text_to_prompt_text(
+                        f" [[{OneColors.GREEN_b}]Y[/]]es, "
+                        f"[[{OneColors.DARK_RED_b}]N[/]]o > "
+                    ),
+                    session=self.prompt_session,
+                )
+                if not answer:
+                    raise CancelSignal(f"Action '{self.name}' was cancelled by the user.")
+                return answer
+            case ConfirmType.OK_CANCEL:
+                error_message = "Enter 'O', 'o' to confirm or 'C', 'c' to abort."
+                answer = await self.prompt_session.prompt_async(
+                    rich_text_to_prompt_text(
+                        f"❓ {self.prompt_message} [[{OneColors.GREEN_b}]O[/]]k to confirm, "
+                        f"[[{OneColors.DARK_RED}]C[/]]ancel to abort > "
+                    ),
+                    validator=words_validator(["O", "C"], error_message=error_message),
+                )
+                if answer.upper() == "C":
+                    raise CancelSignal(f"Action '{self.name}' was cancelled by the user.")
+                return answer.upper() == "O"
+            case ConfirmType.ACKNOWLEDGE:
+                answer = await self.prompt_session.prompt_async(
+                    rich_text_to_prompt_text(
+                        f"❓ {self.prompt_message} [[{OneColors.CYAN_b}]A[/]]cknowledge > "
+                    ),
+                    validator=word_validator("A"),
+                )
+                return answer.upper().strip() == "A"
+            case _:
+                raise ValueError(f"Unknown confirm_type: {self.confirm_type}")
+
+    def get_infer_target(self) -> tuple[None, None]:
+        return None, None
+
+    async def _run(self, *args, **kwargs) -> Any:
+        combined_kwargs = self._maybe_inject_last_result(kwargs)
+        context = ExecutionContext(
+            name=self.name, args=args, kwargs=combined_kwargs, action=self
+        )
+        context.start_timer()
+        try:
+            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.BEFORE, context)
+            if (
+                self.never_prompt
+                or self.options_manager
+                and not should_prompt_user(confirm=True, options=self.options_manager)
+            ):
+                logger.debug(
+                    "Skipping confirmation for '%s' due to never_prompt or options_manager settings.",
+                    self.name,
+                )
+                if self.return_last_result:
+                    result = combined_kwargs[self.inject_into]
+                else:
+                    result = True
+            else:
+                answer = await self._confirm()
+                if self.return_last_result and answer:
+                    result = combined_kwargs[self.inject_into]
+                else:
+                    result = answer
+            logger.debug("Action '%s' confirmed with result: %s", self.name, result)
+            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.ON_SUCCESS, context)
+            return result
+        except Exception as error:
+            context.exception = error
+            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.ON_ERROR, context)
+            raise
+        finally:
+            context.stop_timer()
+            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.AFTER, context)
+            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.ON_TEARDOWN, context)
+            er.record(context)
+
+    async def preview(self, parent: Tree | None = None) -> None:
+        tree = (
+            Tree(
+                f"[{OneColors.CYAN_b}]ConfirmAction[/]: {self.name}",
+                guide_style=OneColors.BLUE_b,
+            )
+            if not parent
+            else parent.add(f"[{OneColors.CYAN_b}]ConfirmAction[/]: {self.name}")
+        )
+        tree.add(f"[bold]Message:[/] {self.prompt_message}")
+        tree.add(f"[bold]Type:[/] {self.confirm_type.value}")
+        tree.add(f"[bold]Prompt Required:[/] {'No' if self.never_prompt else 'Yes'}")
+        if self.confirm_type in (ConfirmType.TYPE_WORD, ConfirmType.TYPE_WORD_CANCEL):
+            tree.add(f"[bold]Confirmation Word:[/] {self.word}")
+        if parent is None:
+            self.console.print(tree)
+
+    def __str__(self) -> str:
+        return (
+            f"ConfirmAction(name={self.name}, message={self.prompt_message}, "
+            f"confirm_type={self.confirm_type}, return_last_result={self.return_last_result})"
+        )

falyx/action/fallback_action.py

@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+# Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
+"""
+Defines `FallbackAction`, a lightweight recovery Action used within `ChainedAction`
+pipelines to gracefully handle errors or missing results from a preceding step.
+
+When placed immediately after a failing or null-returning Action, `FallbackAction`
+injects the `last_result` and checks whether it is `None`. If so, it substitutes a
+predefined fallback value and allows the chain to continue. If `last_result` is valid,
+it is passed through unchanged.
+
+This mechanism allows workflows to recover from failure or gaps in data
+without prematurely terminating the entire chain.
+
+Key Features:
+- Injects and inspects `last_result`
+- Replaces `None` with a fallback value
+- Consumes upstream errors when used with `ChainedAction`
+- Fully compatible with Falyx's preview and hook systems
+
+Typical Use Cases:
+- Graceful degradation in chained workflows
+- Providing default values when earlier steps are optional
+- Replacing missing data with static or precomputed values
+
+Example:
+    ChainedAction(
+        name="FetchWithFallback",
+        actions=[
+            Action("MaybeFetchRemoteAction", action=fetch_data),
+            FallbackAction(fallback={"data": "default"}),
+            Action("ProcessDataAction", action=process_data),
+        ],
+        auto_inject=True,
+    )
+
+The `FallbackAction` ensures that even if `MaybeFetchRemoteAction` fails or returns
+None, `ProcessDataAction` still receives a usable input.
+"""
+from functools import cached_property
+from typing import Any
+
+from rich.tree import Tree
+
+from falyx.action.action import Action
+from falyx.themes import OneColors
+
+
+class FallbackAction(Action):
+    """
+    FallbackAction provides a default value if the previous action failed or
+    returned None.
+
+    It injects the last result and checks:
+    - If last_result is not None, it passes it through unchanged.
+    - If last_result is None (e.g., due to failure), it replaces it with a fallback value.
+
+    Used in ChainedAction pipelines to gracefully recover from errors or missing data.
+    When activated, it consumes the preceding error and allows the chain to continue
+    normally.
+
+    Args:
+        fallback (Any): The fallback value to use if last_result is None.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, fallback: Any):
+        self._fallback = fallback
+
+        async def _fallback_logic(last_result):
+            return last_result if last_result is not None else fallback
+
+        super().__init__(name="Fallback", action=_fallback_logic, inject_last_result=True)
+
+    @cached_property
+    def fallback(self) -> Any:
+        """Return the fallback value."""
+        return self._fallback
+
+    async def preview(self, parent: Tree | None = None):
+        label = [f"[{OneColors.LIGHT_RED}]🛟 Fallback[/] '{self.name}'"]
+        label.append(f" [dim](uses fallback = {repr(self.fallback)})[/dim]")
+        if parent:
+            parent.add("".join(label))
+        else:
+            self.console.print(Tree("".join(label)))
+
+    def __str__(self) -> str:
+        return f"FallbackAction(fallback={self.fallback!r})"

falyx/action/http_action.py

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
-"""http_action.py
+"""
 Defines an Action subclass for making HTTP requests using aiohttp within Falyx workflows.
 
 Features:
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ async def close_shared_http_session(context: ExecutionContext) -> None:
         if session and should_close:
             await session.close()
     except Exception as error:
-        logger.warning("⚠️ Error closing shared HTTP session: %s", error)
+        logger.warning("Error closing shared HTTP session: %s", error)
 
 
 class HTTPAction(Action):
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ class HTTPAction(Action):
     - Retry and result injection compatible
 
     Args:
-        name (str): Name of the action.
+        name (str): Name of the action. Used for logging and debugging.
         method (str): HTTP method (e.g., 'GET', 'POST').
         url (str): The request URL.
         headers (dict[str, str], optional): Request headers.
@@ -77,6 +77,11 @@ class HTTPAction(Action):
         inject_into: str = "last_result",
         retry: bool = False,
         retry_policy=None,
+        spinner: bool = False,
+        spinner_message: str = "Processing...",
+        spinner_type: str = "dots",
+        spinner_style: str = OneColors.CYAN,
+        spinner_speed: float = 1.0,
     ):
         self.method = method.upper()
         self.url = url
@@ -95,6 +100,11 @@ class HTTPAction(Action):
             inject_into=inject_into,
             retry=retry,
             retry_policy=retry_policy,
+            spinner=spinner,
+            spinner_message=spinner_message,
+            spinner_type=spinner_type,
+            spinner_style=spinner_style,
+            spinner_speed=spinner_speed,
         )
 
     async def _request(self, *_, **__) -> dict[str, Any]:

falyx/action/io_action.py

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
-"""io_action.py
+"""
 BaseIOAction: A base class for stream- or buffer-based IO-driven Actions.
 
 This module defines `BaseIOAction`, a specialized variant of `BaseAction`
@@ -16,19 +16,15 @@ Common usage includes shell-like filters, input transformers, or any tool that
 needs to consume input from another process or pipeline.
 """
 import asyncio
-import shlex
-import subprocess
 import sys
-from typing import Any
+from typing import Any, Callable
 
 from rich.tree import Tree
 
-from falyx.action.action import BaseAction
+from falyx.action.base_action import BaseAction
 from falyx.context import ExecutionContext
-from falyx.exceptions import FalyxError
 from falyx.execution_registry import ExecutionRegistry as er
 from falyx.hook_manager import HookManager, HookType
-from falyx.logger import logger
 from falyx.themes import OneColors
 
 
@@ -52,8 +48,11 @@ class BaseIOAction(BaseAction):
     - `to_output(data)`: Convert result into output string or bytes.
     - `_run(parsed_input, *args, **kwargs)`: Core execution logic.
 
-    Attributes:
+    Args:
+        name (str): Name of the action. Used for logging and debugging.
+        hooks (HookManager | None): Hook manager for lifecycle events.
         mode (str): Either "buffered" or "stream". Controls input behavior.
+        logging_hooks (bool): Whether to register debug hooks for logging.
         inject_last_result (bool): Whether to inject shared context input.
     """
 
@@ -73,7 +72,6 @@ class BaseIOAction(BaseAction):
             inject_last_result=inject_last_result,
         )
         self.mode = mode
-        self._requires_injection = True
 
     def from_input(self, raw: str | bytes) -> Any:
         raise NotImplementedError
@@ -81,23 +79,23 @@ class BaseIOAction(BaseAction):
     def to_output(self, result: Any) -> str | bytes:
         raise NotImplementedError
 
-    async def _resolve_input(self, kwargs: dict[str, Any]) -> str | bytes:
-        last_result = kwargs.pop(self.inject_into, None)
-
+    async def _resolve_input(
+        self, args: tuple[Any], kwargs: dict[str, Any]
+    ) -> str | bytes:
         data = await self._read_stdin()
         if data:
             return self.from_input(data)
 
-        if last_result is not None:
-            return last_result
+        if len(args) == 1:
+            return self.from_input(args[0])
 
         if self.inject_last_result and self.shared_context:
             return self.shared_context.last_result()
 
-        logger.debug(
-            "[%s] No input provided and no last result found for injection.", self.name
-        )
-        raise FalyxError("No input provided and no last result to inject.")
+        return ""
+
+    def get_infer_target(self) -> tuple[Callable[..., Any] | None, dict[str, Any] | None]:
+        return None, None
 
     async def __call__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         context = ExecutionContext(
@@ -117,8 +115,8 @@ class BaseIOAction(BaseAction):
                     pass
                 result = getattr(self, "_last_result", None)
             else:
-                parsed_input = await self._resolve_input(kwargs)
-                result = await self._run(parsed_input, *args, **kwargs)
+                parsed_input = await self._resolve_input(args, kwargs)
+                result = await self._run(parsed_input)
                 output = self.to_output(result)
                 await self._write_stdout(output)
             context.result = result
@@ -172,85 +170,3 @@ class BaseIOAction(BaseAction):
             parent.add("".join(label))
         else:
             self.console.print(Tree("".join(label)))
-
-
-class ShellAction(BaseIOAction):
-    """
-    ShellAction wraps a shell command template for CLI pipelines.
-
-    This Action takes parsed input (from stdin, literal, or last_result),
-    substitutes it into the provided shell command template, and executes
-    the command asynchronously using subprocess.
-
-    Designed for quick integration with shell tools like `grep`, `ping`, `jq`, etc.
-
-    ⚠️ Security Warning:
-    By default, ShellAction uses `shell=True`, which can be dangerous with
-    unsanitized input. To mitigate this, set `safe_mode=True` to use `shell=False`
-    with `shlex.split()`.
-
-    Features:
-    - Automatically handles input parsing (str/bytes)
-    - `safe_mode=True` disables shell interpretation and runs with `shell=False`
-    - Captures stdout and stderr from shell execution
-    - Raises on non-zero exit codes with stderr as the error
-    - Result is returned as trimmed stdout string
-    - Compatible with ChainedAction and Command.requires_input detection
-
-    Args:
-        name (str): Name of the action.
-        command_template (str): Shell command to execute. Must include `{}` to include
-                                input. If no placeholder is present, the input is not
-                                included.
-        safe_mode (bool): If True, runs with `shell=False` using shlex parsing
-                          (default: False).
-    """
-
-    def __init__(
-        self, name: str, command_template: str, safe_mode: bool = False, **kwargs
-    ):
-        super().__init__(name=name, **kwargs)
-        self.command_template = command_template
-        self.safe_mode = safe_mode
-
-    def from_input(self, raw: str | bytes) -> str:
-        if not isinstance(raw, (str, bytes)):
-            raise TypeError(
-                f"{self.name} expected str or bytes input, got {type(raw).__name__}"
-            )
-        return raw.strip() if isinstance(raw, str) else raw.decode("utf-8").strip()
-
-    async def _run(self, parsed_input: str) -> str:
-        # Replace placeholder in template, or use raw input as full command
-        command = self.command_template.format(parsed_input)
-        if self.safe_mode:
-            args = shlex.split(command)
-            result = subprocess.run(args, capture_output=True, text=True, check=True)
-        else:
-            result = subprocess.run(
-                command, shell=True, text=True, capture_output=True, check=True
-            )
-        if result.returncode != 0:
-            raise RuntimeError(result.stderr.strip())
-        return result.stdout.strip()
-
-    def to_output(self, result: str) -> str:
-        return result
-
-    async def preview(self, parent: Tree | None = None):
-        label = [f"[{OneColors.GREEN_b}]⚙ ShellAction[/] '{self.name}'"]
-        label.append(f"\n[dim]Template:[/] {self.command_template}")
-        label.append(
-            f"\n[dim]Safe mode:[/] {'Enabled' if self.safe_mode else 'Disabled'}"
-        )
-        if self.inject_last_result:
-            label.append(f" [dim](injects '{self.inject_into}')[/dim]")
-        tree = parent.add("".join(label)) if parent else Tree("".join(label))
-        if not parent:
-            self.console.print(tree)
-
-    def __str__(self):
-        return (
-            f"ShellAction(name={self.name!r}, command_template={self.command_template!r},"
-            f" safe_mode={self.safe_mode})"
-        )

falyx/action/literal_input_action.py

@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+# Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
+"""
+Defines `LiteralInputAction`, a lightweight Falyx Action that injects a static,
+predefined value into a `ChainedAction` workflow.
+
+This Action is useful for embedding literal values (e.g., strings, numbers,
+dicts) as part of a CLI pipeline without writing custom callables. It behaves
+like a constant-returning function that can serve as the starting point,
+fallback, or manual override within a sequence of actions.
+
+Key Features:
+- Wraps any static value as a Falyx-compatible Action
+- Fully hookable and previewable like any other Action
+- Enables declarative workflows with no required user input
+- Compatible with auto-injection and shared context in `ChainedAction`
+
+Common Use Cases:
+- Supplying default parameters or configuration values mid-pipeline
+- Starting a chain with a fixed value (e.g., base URL, credentials)
+- Bridging gaps between conditional or dynamically generated Actions
+
+Example:
+    ChainedAction(
+        name="SendStaticMessage",
+        actions=[
+            LiteralInputAction("hello world"),
+            SendMessageAction(),
+        ]
+    )
+
+The `LiteralInputAction` is a foundational building block for pipelines that
+require predictable, declarative value injection at any stage.
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from functools import cached_property
+from typing import Any
+
+from rich.tree import Tree
+
+from falyx.action.action import Action
+from falyx.themes import OneColors
+
+
+class LiteralInputAction(Action):
+    """
+    LiteralInputAction injects a static value into a ChainedAction.
+
+    This allows embedding hardcoded values mid-pipeline, useful when:
+    - Providing default or fallback inputs.
+    - Starting a pipeline with a fixed input.
+    - Supplying missing context manually.
+
+    Args:
+        value (Any): The static value to inject.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, value: Any):
+        self._value = value
+
+        async def literal(*_, **__):
+            return value
+
+        super().__init__("Input", literal)
+
+    @cached_property
+    def value(self) -> Any:
+        """Return the literal value."""
+        return self._value
+
+    async def preview(self, parent: Tree | None = None):
+        label = [f"[{OneColors.LIGHT_YELLOW}]📥 LiteralInput[/] '{self.name}'"]
+        label.append(f" [dim](value = {repr(self.value)})[/dim]")
+        if parent:
+            parent.add("".join(label))
+        else:
+            self.console.print(Tree("".join(label)))
+
+    def __str__(self) -> str:
+        return f"LiteralInputAction(value={self.value!r})"

falyx/action/load_file_action.py

@@ -0,0 +1,264 @@
+# Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
+"""
+Defines `LoadFileAction`, a Falyx Action for reading and parsing the contents of a file
+at runtime in a structured, introspectable, and lifecycle-aware manner.
+
+This action supports multiple common file types—including plain text, structured data
+formats (JSON, YAML, TOML), tabular formats (CSV, TSV), XML, and raw Path objects—
+making it ideal for configuration loading, data ingestion, and file-driven workflows.
+
+It integrates seamlessly with Falyx pipelines and supports `last_result` injection,
+Rich-powered previews, and lifecycle hook execution.
+
+Key Features:
+- Format-aware parsing for structured and unstructured files
+- Supports injection of `last_result` as the target file path
+- Headless-compatible via `never_prompt` and argument overrides
+- Lifecycle hooks: before, success, error, after, teardown
+- Preview renders file metadata, size, modified timestamp, and parsed content
+- Fully typed and alias-compatible via `FileType`
+
+Supported File Types:
+- `TEXT`: Raw text string (UTF-8)
+- `PATH`: The file path itself as a `Path` object
+- `JSON`, `YAML`, `TOML`: Parsed into `dict` or `list`
+- `CSV`, `TSV`: Parsed into `list[list[str]]`
+- `XML`: Returns the root `ElementTree.Element`
+
+Example:
+    LoadFileAction(
+        name="LoadSettings",
+        file_path="config/settings.yaml",
+        file_type="yaml"
+    )
+
+This module is a foundational building block for file-driven CLI workflows in Falyx.
+It is often paired with `SaveFileAction`, `SelectionAction`, or `ConfirmAction` for
+robust and interactive pipelines.
+"""
+import csv
+import json
+import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET
+from datetime import datetime
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Any
+
+import toml
+import yaml
+from rich.tree import Tree
+
+from falyx.action.action_types import FileType
+from falyx.action.base_action import BaseAction
+from falyx.context import ExecutionContext
+from falyx.execution_registry import ExecutionRegistry as er
+from falyx.hook_manager import HookType
+from falyx.logger import logger
+from falyx.themes import OneColors
+
+
+class LoadFileAction(BaseAction):
+    """
+    LoadFileAction loads and parses the contents of a file at runtime.
+
+    This action supports multiple common file formats—including plain text, JSON,
+    YAML, TOML, XML, CSV, and TSV—and returns a parsed representation of the file.
+    It can be used to inject external data into a CLI workflow, load configuration files,
+    or process structured datasets interactively or in headless mode.
+
+    Key Features:
+    - Supports rich previewing of file metadata and contents
+    - Auto-injects `last_result` as `file_path` if configured
+    - Hookable at every lifecycle stage (before, success, error, after, teardown)
+    - Supports both static and dynamic file targets (via args or injected values)
+
+    Args:
+        name (str): Name of the action for tracking and logging.
+        file_path (str | Path | None): Path to the file to be loaded. Can be passed
+            directly or injected via `last_result`.
+        file_type (FileType | str): Type of file to parse. Options include:
+            TEXT, JSON, YAML, TOML, CSV, TSV, XML, PATH.
+        encoding (str): Encoding to use when reading files (default: 'UTF-8').
+        inject_last_result (bool): Whether to use the last result as the file path.
+        inject_into (str): Name of the kwarg to inject `last_result` into (default: 'file_path').
+
+    Returns:
+        Any: The parsed file content. Format depends on `file_type`:
+            - TEXT: str
+            - JSON/YAML/TOML: dict or list
+            - CSV/TSV: list[list[str]]
+            - XML: xml.etree.ElementTree
+            - PATH: Path object
+
+    Raises:
+        ValueError: If `file_path` is missing or invalid.
+        FileNotFoundError: If the file does not exist.
+        TypeError: If `file_type` is unsupported or the factory does not return a BaseAction.
+        Any parsing errors will be logged but not raised unless fatal.
+
+    Example:
+        LoadFileAction(
+            name="LoadConfig",
+            file_path="config/settings.yaml",
+            file_type="yaml"
+        )
+    """
+
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        name: str,
+        file_path: str | Path | None = None,
+        file_type: FileType | str = FileType.TEXT,
+        encoding: str = "UTF-8",
+        inject_last_result: bool = False,
+        inject_into: str = "file_path",
+    ):
+        super().__init__(
+            name=name, inject_last_result=inject_last_result, inject_into=inject_into
+        )
+        self._file_path = self._coerce_file_path(file_path)
+        self._file_type = FileType(file_type)
+        self.encoding = encoding
+
+    @property
+    def file_path(self) -> Path | None:
+        """Get the file path as a Path object."""
+        return self._file_path
+
+    @file_path.setter
+    def file_path(self, value: str | Path):
+        """Set the file path, converting to Path if necessary."""
+        self._file_path = self._coerce_file_path(value)
+
+    def _coerce_file_path(self, file_path: str | Path | None) -> Path | None:
+        """Coerce the file path to a Path object."""
+        if isinstance(file_path, Path):
+            return file_path
+        elif isinstance(file_path, str):
+            return Path(file_path)
+        elif file_path is None:
+            return None
+        else:
+            raise TypeError("file_path must be a string or Path object")
+
+    @property
+    def file_type(self) -> FileType:
+        """Get the file type."""
+        return self._file_type
+
+    def get_infer_target(self) -> tuple[None, None]:
+        return None, None
+
+    async def load_file(self) -> Any:
+        """Load and parse the file based on its type."""
+        if self.file_path is None:
+            raise ValueError("file_path must be set before loading a file")
+        elif not self.file_path.exists():
+            raise FileNotFoundError(f"File not found: {self.file_path}")
+        elif not self.file_path.is_file():
+            raise ValueError(f"Path is not a regular file: {self.file_path}")
+        value: Any = None
+        try:
+            if self.file_type == FileType.TEXT:
+                value = self.file_path.read_text(encoding=self.encoding)
+            elif self.file_type == FileType.PATH:
+                value = self.file_path
+            elif self.file_type == FileType.JSON:
+                value = json.loads(self.file_path.read_text(encoding=self.encoding))
+            elif self.file_type == FileType.TOML:
+                value = toml.loads(self.file_path.read_text(encoding=self.encoding))
+            elif self.file_type == FileType.YAML:
+                value = yaml.safe_load(self.file_path.read_text(encoding=self.encoding))
+            elif self.file_type == FileType.CSV:
+                with open(self.file_path, newline="", encoding=self.encoding) as csvfile:
+                    reader = csv.reader(csvfile)
+                    value = list(reader)
+            elif self.file_type == FileType.TSV:
+                with open(self.file_path, newline="", encoding=self.encoding) as tsvfile:
+                    reader = csv.reader(tsvfile, delimiter="\t")
+                    value = list(reader)
+            elif self.file_type == FileType.XML:
+                tree = ET.parse(
+                    self.file_path, parser=ET.XMLParser(encoding=self.encoding)
+                )
+                root = tree.getroot()
+                value = root
+            else:
+                raise ValueError(f"Unsupported return type: {self.file_type}")
+
+        except Exception as error:
+            logger.error("Failed to parse %s: %s", self.file_path.name, error)
+        return value
+
+    async def _run(self, *args, **kwargs) -> Any:
+        context = ExecutionContext(name=self.name, args=args, kwargs=kwargs, action=self)
+        context.start_timer()
+        try:
+            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.BEFORE, context)
+
+            if "file_path" in kwargs:
+                self.file_path = kwargs["file_path"]
+            elif self.inject_last_result and self.last_result:
+                self.file_path = self.last_result
+
+            result = await self.load_file()
+            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.ON_SUCCESS, context)
+            return result
+        except Exception as error:
+            context.exception = error
+            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.ON_ERROR, context)
+            raise
+        finally:
+            context.stop_timer()
+            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.AFTER, context)
+            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.ON_TEARDOWN, context)
+            er.record(context)
+
+    async def preview(self, parent: Tree | None = None):
+        label = f"[{OneColors.GREEN}]📄 LoadFileAction[/] '{self.name}'"
+        tree = parent.add(label) if parent else Tree(label)
+
+        tree.add(f"[dim]Path:[/] {self.file_path}")
+        tree.add(f"[dim]Type:[/] {self.file_type.name if self.file_type else 'None'}")
+        if self.file_path is None:
+            tree.add(f"[{OneColors.DARK_RED_b}]❌ File path is not set[/]")
+        elif not self.file_path.exists():
+            tree.add(f"[{OneColors.DARK_RED_b}]❌ File does not exist[/]")
+        elif not self.file_path.is_file():
+            tree.add(f"[{OneColors.LIGHT_YELLOW_b}]⚠️ Not a regular file[/]")
+        else:
+            try:
+                stat = self.file_path.stat()
+                tree.add(f"[dim]Size:[/] {stat.st_size:,} bytes")
+                tree.add(
+                    f"[dim]Modified:[/] {datetime.fromtimestamp(stat.st_mtime):%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S}"
+                )
+                tree.add(
+                    f"[dim]Created:[/] {datetime.fromtimestamp(stat.st_ctime):%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S}"
+                )
+                if self.file_type == FileType.TEXT:
+                    preview_lines = self.file_path.read_text(
+                        encoding="UTF-8"
+                    ).splitlines()[:10]
+                    content_tree = tree.add("[dim]Preview (first 10 lines):[/]")
+                    for line in preview_lines:
+                        content_tree.add(f"[dim]{line}[/]")
+                elif self.file_type in {FileType.JSON, FileType.YAML, FileType.TOML}:
+                    raw = self.load_file()
+                    if raw is not None:
+                        preview_str = (
+                            json.dumps(raw, indent=2)
+                            if isinstance(raw, dict)
+                            else str(raw)
+                        )
+                        preview_lines = preview_str.splitlines()[:10]
+                        content_tree = tree.add("[dim]Parsed preview:[/]")
+                        for line in preview_lines:
+                            content_tree.add(f"[dim]{line}[/]")
+            except Exception as e:
+                tree.add(f"[{OneColors.DARK_RED_b}]❌ Error reading file:[/] {e}")
+
+        if not parent:
+            self.console.print(tree)
+
+    def __str__(self) -> str:
+        return f"LoadFileAction(file_path={self.file_path}, file_type={self.file_type})"

falyx/action/menu_action.py

@@ -1,26 +1,113 @@
 # Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
-"""menu_action.py"""
+"""
+Defines `MenuAction`, a one-shot, interactive menu-style Falyx Action that presents
+a set of labeled options to the user and executes the corresponding action based on
+their selection.
+
+Unlike the persistent top-level Falyx menu, `MenuAction` is intended for embedded,
+self-contained decision points within a workflow. It supports both interactive and
+non-interactive (headless) usage, integrates fully with the Falyx hook lifecycle,
+and allows optional defaulting or input injection from previous actions.
+
+Each selectable item is defined in a `MenuOptionMap`, mapping a single-character or
+keyword to a `MenuOption`, which includes a description and a corresponding `BaseAction`.
+
+Key Features:
+- Renders a Rich-powered multi-column menu table
+- Accepts custom prompt sessions or tables
+- Supports `last_result` injection for context-aware defaults
+- Gracefully handles `BackSignal` and `QuitSignal` for flow control
+- Compatible with preview trees and introspection tools
+
+Use Cases:
+- In-workflow submenus or branches
+- Interactive control points in chained or grouped workflows
+- Configurable menus for multi-step user-driven automation
+
+Example:
+    MenuAction(
+        name="SelectEnv",
+        menu_options=MenuOptionMap(options={
+            "D": MenuOption("Deploy to Dev", DeployDevAction()),
+            "P": MenuOption("Deploy to Prod", DeployProdAction()),
+        }),
+        default_selection="D",
+    )
+
+This module is ideal for enabling structured, discoverable, and declarative
+menus in both interactive and programmatic CLI automation.
+"""
 from typing import Any
 
 from prompt_toolkit import PromptSession
-from rich.console import Console
 from rich.table import Table
 from rich.tree import Tree
 
-from falyx.action.action import BaseAction
+from falyx.action.base_action import BaseAction
 from falyx.context import ExecutionContext
 from falyx.execution_registry import ExecutionRegistry as er
 from falyx.hook_manager import HookType
 from falyx.logger import logger
 from falyx.menu import MenuOptionMap
+from falyx.prompt_utils import rich_text_to_prompt_text
 from falyx.selection import prompt_for_selection, render_table_base
-from falyx.signals import BackSignal, QuitSignal
+from falyx.signals import BackSignal, CancelSignal, QuitSignal
 from falyx.themes import OneColors
 from falyx.utils import chunks
 
 
 class MenuAction(BaseAction):
-    """MenuAction class for creating single use menu actions."""
+    """
+    MenuAction displays a one-time interactive menu of predefined options,
+    each mapped to a corresponding Action.
+
+    Unlike the main Falyx menu system, `MenuAction` is intended for scoped,
+    self-contained selection logic—ideal for small in-flow menus, decision branches,
+    or embedded control points in larger workflows.
+
+    Each selectable item is defined in a `MenuOptionMap`, which maps a string key
+    to a `MenuOption`, bundling a description and a callable Action.
+
+    Key Features:
+    - One-shot selection from labeled actions
+    - Optional default or last_result-based selection
+    - Full hook lifecycle (before, success, error, after, teardown)
+    - Works with or without rendering a table (for headless use)
+    - Compatible with `BackSignal` and `QuitSignal` for graceful control flow exits
+
+    Args:
+        name (str): Name of the action. Used for logging and debugging.
+        menu_options (MenuOptionMap): Mapping of keys to `MenuOption` objects.
+        title (str): Table title displayed when prompting the user.
+        columns (int): Number of columns in the rendered table.
+        prompt_message (str): Prompt text displayed before selection.
+        default_selection (str): Key to use if no user input is provided.
+        inject_last_result (bool): Whether to inject `last_result` into args/kwargs.
+        inject_into (str): Key under which to inject `last_result`.
+        prompt_session (PromptSession | None): Custom session for Prompt Toolkit input.
+        never_prompt (bool): If True, skips interaction and uses default or last_result.
+        include_reserved (bool): Whether to include reserved keys (like 'X' for Exit).
+        show_table (bool): Whether to render the Rich menu table.
+        custom_table (Table | None): Pre-rendered Rich Table (bypasses auto-building).
+
+    Returns:
+        Any: The result of the selected option's Action.
+
+    Raises:
+        BackSignal: When the user chooses to return to a previous menu.
+        QuitSignal: When the user chooses to exit the program.
+        ValueError: If `never_prompt=True` but no default selection is resolvable.
+        Exception: Any error raised during the execution of the selected Action.
+
+    Example:
+        MenuAction(
+            name="ChooseBranch",
+            menu_options=MenuOptionMap(options={
+                "A": MenuOption("Run analysis", ActionGroup(...)),
+                "B": MenuOption("Run report", Action(...)),
+            }),
+        )
+    """
 
     def __init__(
         self,
@@ -33,7 +120,6 @@ class MenuAction(BaseAction):
         default_selection: str = "",
         inject_last_result: bool = False,
         inject_into: str = "last_result",
-        console: Console | None = None,
         prompt_session: PromptSession | None = None,
         never_prompt: bool = False,
         include_reserved: bool = True,
@@ -49,10 +135,11 @@ class MenuAction(BaseAction):
         self.menu_options = menu_options
         self.title = title
         self.columns = columns
-        self.prompt_message = prompt_message
+        self.prompt_message = rich_text_to_prompt_text(prompt_message)
         self.default_selection = default_selection
-        self.console = console or Console(color_system="auto")
-        self.prompt_session = prompt_session or PromptSession()
+        self.prompt_session = prompt_session or PromptSession(
+            interrupt_exception=CancelSignal
+        )
         self.include_reserved = include_reserved
         self.show_table = show_table
         self.custom_table = custom_table
@@ -73,6 +160,9 @@ class MenuAction(BaseAction):
             table.add_row(*row)
         return table
 
+    def get_infer_target(self) -> tuple[None, None]:
+        return None, None
+
     async def _run(self, *args, **kwargs) -> Any:
         kwargs = self._maybe_inject_last_result(kwargs)
         context = ExecutionContext(
@@ -105,15 +195,18 @@ class MenuAction(BaseAction):
             key = effective_default
             if not self.never_prompt:
                 table = self._build_table()
-                key = await prompt_for_selection(
+                key_ = await prompt_for_selection(
                     self.menu_options.keys(),
                     table,
                     default_selection=self.default_selection,
-                    console=self.console,
                     prompt_session=self.prompt_session,
                     prompt_message=self.prompt_message,
                     show_table=self.show_table,
                 )
+                if isinstance(key_, str):
+                    key = key_
+                else:
+                    assert False, "Unreachable, MenuAction only supports single selection"
             option = self.menu_options[key]
             result = await option.action(*args, **kwargs)
             context.result = result
@@ -121,10 +214,10 @@ class MenuAction(BaseAction):
             return result
 
         except BackSignal:
-            logger.debug("[%s][BackSignal] ← Returning to previous menu", self.name)
+            logger.debug("[%s][BackSignal] <- Returning to previous menu", self.name)
             return None
         except QuitSignal:
-            logger.debug("[%s][QuitSignal] ← Exiting application", self.name)
+            logger.debug("[%s][QuitSignal] <- Exiting application", self.name)
             raise
         except Exception as error:
             context.exception = error

falyx/action/process_action.py

@@ -0,0 +1,181 @@
+# Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
+"""
+Defines `ProcessAction`, a Falyx Action that executes a blocking or CPU-bound function
+in a separate process using `concurrent.futures.ProcessPoolExecutor`.
+
+This is useful for offloading expensive computations or subprocess-compatible operations
+from the main event loop, while maintaining Falyx's composable, hookable, and injectable
+execution model.
+
+`ProcessAction` mirrors the behavior of a normal `Action`, but ensures isolation from
+the asyncio event loop and handles serialization (pickling) of arguments and injected
+state.
+
+Key Features:
+- Runs a callable in a separate Python process
+- Compatible with `last_result` injection for chained workflows
+- Validates that injected values are pickleable before dispatch
+- Supports hook lifecycle (`before`, `on_success`, `on_error`, etc.)
+- Custom executor support for reuse or configuration
+
+Use Cases:
+- CPU-intensive operations (e.g., image processing, simulations, data transformations)
+- Blocking third-party libraries that don't cooperate with asyncio
+- CLI workflows that require subprocess-level parallelism or safety
+
+Example:
+    ProcessAction(
+        name="ComputeChecksum",
+        action=calculate_sha256,
+        args=("large_file.bin",),
+    )
+
+Raises:
+- `ValueError`: If an injected value is not pickleable
+- `Exception`: Propagated from the subprocess on failure
+
+This module enables structured offloading of workload in CLI pipelines while maintaining
+full introspection and lifecycle management.
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import asyncio
+from concurrent.futures import ProcessPoolExecutor
+from functools import partial
+from typing import Any, Callable
+
+from rich.tree import Tree
+
+from falyx.action.base_action import BaseAction
+from falyx.context import ExecutionContext
+from falyx.execution_registry import ExecutionRegistry as er
+from falyx.hook_manager import HookManager, HookType
+from falyx.themes import OneColors
+
+
+class ProcessAction(BaseAction):
+    """
+    ProcessAction runs a function in a separate process using ProcessPoolExecutor.
+
+    Features:
+    - Executes CPU-bound or blocking tasks without blocking the main event loop.
+    - Supports last_result injection into the subprocess.
+    - Validates that last_result is pickleable when injection is enabled.
+
+    Args:
+        name (str): Name of the action.
+        func (Callable): Function to execute in a new process.
+        args (tuple, optional): Positional arguments.
+        kwargs (dict, optional): Keyword arguments.
+        hooks (HookManager, optional): Hook manager for lifecycle events.
+        executor (ProcessPoolExecutor, optional): Custom executor if desired.
+        inject_last_result (bool, optional): Inject last result into the function.
+        inject_into (str, optional): Name of the injected key.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        name: str,
+        action: Callable[..., Any],
+        *,
+        args: tuple = (),
+        kwargs: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
+        hooks: HookManager | None = None,
+        executor: ProcessPoolExecutor | None = None,
+        inject_last_result: bool = False,
+        inject_into: str = "last_result",
+        never_prompt: bool | None = None,
+        logging_hooks: bool = False,
+        spinner: bool = False,
+        spinner_message: str = "Processing...",
+        spinner_type: str = "dots",
+        spinner_style: str = OneColors.CYAN,
+        spinner_speed: float = 1.0,
+    ):
+        super().__init__(
+            name,
+            hooks=hooks,
+            inject_last_result=inject_last_result,
+            inject_into=inject_into,
+            never_prompt=never_prompt,
+            logging_hooks=logging_hooks,
+            spinner=spinner,
+            spinner_message=spinner_message,
+            spinner_type=spinner_type,
+            spinner_style=spinner_style,
+            spinner_speed=spinner_speed,
+        )
+        self.action = action
+        self.args = args
+        self.kwargs = kwargs or {}
+        self.executor = executor or ProcessPoolExecutor()
+        self.is_retryable = True
+
+    def get_infer_target(self) -> tuple[Callable[..., Any] | None, None]:
+        return self.action, None
+
+    async def _run(self, *args, **kwargs) -> Any:
+        if self.inject_last_result and self.shared_context:
+            last_result = self.shared_context.last_result()
+            if not self._validate_pickleable(last_result):
+                raise ValueError(
+                    f"Cannot inject last result into {self.name}: "
+                    f"last result is not pickleable."
+                )
+        combined_args = args + self.args
+        combined_kwargs = self._maybe_inject_last_result({**self.kwargs, **kwargs})
+        context = ExecutionContext(
+            name=self.name,
+            args=combined_args,
+            kwargs=combined_kwargs,
+            action=self,
+        )
+        loop = asyncio.get_running_loop()
+
+        context.start_timer()
+        try:
+            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.BEFORE, context)
+            result = await loop.run_in_executor(
+                self.executor, partial(self.action, *combined_args, **combined_kwargs)
+            )
+            context.result = result
+            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.ON_SUCCESS, context)
+            return result
+        except Exception as error:
+            context.exception = error
+            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.ON_ERROR, context)
+            if context.result is not None:
+                return context.result
+            raise
+        finally:
+            context.stop_timer()
+            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.AFTER, context)
+            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.ON_TEARDOWN, context)
+            er.record(context)
+
+    def _validate_pickleable(self, obj: Any) -> bool:
+        try:
+            import pickle
+
+            pickle.dumps(obj)
+            return True
+        except (pickle.PicklingError, TypeError):
+            return False
+
+    async def preview(self, parent: Tree | None = None):
+        label = [
+            f"[{OneColors.DARK_YELLOW_b}]🧠 ProcessAction (new process)[/] '{self.name}'"
+        ]
+        if self.inject_last_result:
+            label.append(f" [dim](injects '{self.inject_into}')[/dim]")
+        if parent:
+            parent.add("".join(label))
+        else:
+            self.console.print(Tree("".join(label)))
+
+    def __str__(self) -> str:
+        return (
+            f"ProcessAction(name={self.name!r}, "
+            f"action={getattr(self.action, '__name__', repr(self.action))}, "
+            f"args={self.args!r}, kwargs={self.kwargs!r})"
+        )

falyx/action/process_pool_action.py

@@ -0,0 +1,235 @@
+# Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
+"""
+Defines `ProcessPoolAction`, a parallelized action executor that distributes
+tasks across multiple processes using Python's `concurrent.futures.ProcessPoolExecutor`.
+
+This module enables structured execution of CPU-bound tasks in parallel while
+retaining Falyx's core guarantees: lifecycle hooks, error isolation, execution context
+tracking, and introspectable previews.
+
+Key Components:
+- ProcessTask: Lightweight wrapper for a task + args/kwargs
+- ProcessPoolAction: Parallel action that runs tasks concurrently in separate processes
+
+Use this module to accelerate workflows involving expensive computation or
+external resources that benefit from true parallelism.
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import asyncio
+import random
+from concurrent.futures import ProcessPoolExecutor
+from dataclasses import dataclass, field
+from functools import partial
+from typing import Any, Callable, Sequence
+
+from rich.tree import Tree
+
+from falyx.action.base_action import BaseAction
+from falyx.context import ExecutionContext, SharedContext
+from falyx.exceptions import EmptyPoolError
+from falyx.execution_registry import ExecutionRegistry as er
+from falyx.hook_manager import HookManager, HookType
+from falyx.logger import logger
+from falyx.parser.utils import same_argument_definitions
+from falyx.themes import OneColors
+
+
+@dataclass
+class ProcessTask:
+    """
+    Represents a callable task with its arguments for parallel execution.
+
+    This lightweight container is used to queue individual tasks for execution
+    inside a `ProcessPoolAction`.
+
+    Attributes:
+        task (Callable): A function to execute.
+        args (tuple): Positional arguments to pass to the function.
+        kwargs (dict): Keyword arguments to pass to the function.
+
+    Raises:
+        TypeError: If `task` is not callable.
+    """
+
+    task: Callable[..., Any]
+    args: tuple = ()
+    kwargs: dict[str, Any] = field(default_factory=dict)
+
+    def __post_init__(self):
+        if not callable(self.task):
+            raise TypeError(f"Expected a callable task, got {type(self.task).__name__}")
+
+
+class ProcessPoolAction(BaseAction):
+    """
+    Executes a set of independent tasks in parallel using a process pool.
+
+    `ProcessPoolAction` is ideal for CPU-bound tasks that benefit from
+    concurrent execution in separate processes. Each task is wrapped in a
+    `ProcessTask` instance and executed in a `concurrent.futures.ProcessPoolExecutor`.
+
+    Key Features:
+    - Parallel, process-based execution
+    - Hook lifecycle support across all stages
+    - Supports argument injection (e.g., `last_result`)
+    - Compatible with retry behavior and shared context propagation
+    - Captures all task results (including exceptions) and records execution context
+
+    Args:
+        name (str): Name of the action. Used for logging and debugging.
+        actions (Sequence[ProcessTask] | None): A list of tasks to run.
+        hooks (HookManager | None): Optional hook manager for lifecycle events.
+        executor (ProcessPoolExecutor | None): Custom executor instance (optional).
+        inject_last_result (bool): Whether to inject the last result into task kwargs.
+        inject_into (str): Name of the kwarg to use for injected result.
+
+    Returns:
+        list[Any]: A list of task results in submission order. Exceptions are preserved.
+
+    Raises:
+        EmptyPoolError: If no actions are registered.
+        ValueError: If injected `last_result` is not pickleable.
+
+    Example:
+        ProcessPoolAction(
+            name="ParallelTransforms",
+            actions=[
+                ProcessTask(func_a, args=(1,)),
+                ProcessTask(func_b, kwargs={"x": 2}),
+            ]
+        )
+    """
+
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        name: str,
+        actions: Sequence[ProcessTask] | None = None,
+        *,
+        hooks: HookManager | None = None,
+        executor: ProcessPoolExecutor | None = None,
+        inject_last_result: bool = False,
+        inject_into: str = "last_result",
+    ):
+        super().__init__(
+            name,
+            hooks=hooks,
+            inject_last_result=inject_last_result,
+            inject_into=inject_into,
+        )
+        self.executor = executor or ProcessPoolExecutor()
+        self.is_retryable = True
+        self.actions: list[ProcessTask] = []
+        if actions:
+            self.set_actions(actions)
+
+    def set_actions(self, actions: Sequence[ProcessTask]) -> None:
+        """Replaces the current action list with a new one."""
+        self.actions.clear()
+        for action in actions:
+            self.add_action(action)
+
+    def add_action(self, action: ProcessTask) -> None:
+        if not isinstance(action, ProcessTask):
+            raise TypeError(f"Expected a ProcessTask, got {type(action).__name__}")
+        self.actions.append(action)
+
+    def get_infer_target(self) -> tuple[Callable[..., Any] | None, None]:
+        arg_defs = same_argument_definitions([action.task for action in self.actions])
+        if arg_defs:
+            return self.actions[0].task, None
+        logger.debug(
+            "[%s] auto_args disabled: mismatched ProcessPoolAction arguments",
+            self.name,
+        )
+        return None, None
+
+    async def _run(self, *args, **kwargs) -> Any:
+        if not self.actions:
+            raise EmptyPoolError(f"[{self.name}] No actions to execute.")
+        shared_context = SharedContext(name=self.name, action=self, is_parallel=True)
+        if self.shared_context:
+            shared_context.set_shared_result(self.shared_context.last_result())
+        if self.inject_last_result and self.shared_context:
+            last_result = self.shared_context.last_result()
+            if not self._validate_pickleable(last_result):
+                raise ValueError(
+                    f"Cannot inject last result into {self.name}: "
+                    f"last result is not pickleable."
+                )
+        updated_kwargs = self._maybe_inject_last_result(kwargs)
+        context = ExecutionContext(
+            name=self.name,
+            args=args,
+            kwargs=updated_kwargs,
+            action=self,
+        )
+        loop = asyncio.get_running_loop()
+
+        context.start_timer()
+        try:
+            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.BEFORE, context)
+            futures = [
+                loop.run_in_executor(
+                    self.executor,
+                    partial(
+                        task.task,
+                        *(*args, *task.args),
+                        **{**updated_kwargs, **task.kwargs},
+                    ),
+                )
+                for task in self.actions
+            ]
+            results = await asyncio.gather(*futures, return_exceptions=True)
+            context.result = results
+            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.ON_SUCCESS, context)
+            return results
+        except Exception as error:
+            context.exception = error
+            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.ON_ERROR, context)
+            if context.result is not None:
+                return context.result
+            raise
+        finally:
+            context.stop_timer()
+            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.AFTER, context)
+            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.ON_TEARDOWN, context)
+            er.record(context)
+
+    def _validate_pickleable(self, obj: Any) -> bool:
+        try:
+            import pickle
+
+            pickle.dumps(obj)
+            return True
+        except (pickle.PicklingError, TypeError):
+            return False
+
+    async def preview(self, parent: Tree | None = None):
+        label = [f"[{OneColors.DARK_YELLOW_b}]🧠 ProcessPoolAction[/] '{self.name}'"]
+        if self.inject_last_result:
+            label.append(f" [dim](receives '{self.inject_into}')[/dim]")
+        tree = parent.add("".join(label)) if parent else Tree("".join(label))
+        actions = self.actions.copy()
+        random.shuffle(actions)
+        for action in actions:
+            label = [
+                f"[{OneColors.DARK_YELLOW_b}]  - {getattr(action.task, '__name__', repr(action.task))}[/] "
+                f"[dim]({', '.join(map(repr, action.args))})[/]"
+            ]
+            if action.kwargs:
+                label.append(
+                    f" [dim]({', '.join(f'{k}={v!r}' for k, v in action.kwargs.items())})[/]"
+                )
+            tree.add("".join(label))
+
+        if not parent:
+            self.console.print(tree)
+
+    def __str__(self) -> str:
+        return (
+            f"ProcessPoolAction(name={self.name!r}, "
+            f"actions={[getattr(action.task, '__name__', repr(action.task)) for action in self.actions]}, "
+            f"inject_last_result={self.inject_last_result}, "
+            f"inject_into={self.inject_into!r})"
+        )

falyx/action/prompt_menu_action.py

@@ -0,0 +1,191 @@
+# Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
+"""
+Defines `PromptMenuAction`, a Falyx Action that prompts the user to choose from
+a list of labeled options using a single-line prompt input. Each option corresponds
+to a `MenuOption` that wraps a description and an executable action.
+
+Unlike `MenuAction`, this action renders a flat, inline prompt (e.g., `Option1 | Option2`)
+without using a rich table. It is ideal for compact decision points, hotkey-style menus,
+or contextual user input flows.
+
+Key Components:
+- PromptMenuAction: Inline prompt-driven menu runner
+"""
+from typing import Any
+
+from prompt_toolkit import PromptSession
+from prompt_toolkit.formatted_text import FormattedText, merge_formatted_text
+from rich.tree import Tree
+
+from falyx.action.base_action import BaseAction
+from falyx.context import ExecutionContext
+from falyx.execution_registry import ExecutionRegistry as er
+from falyx.hook_manager import HookType
+from falyx.logger import logger
+from falyx.menu import MenuOptionMap
+from falyx.prompt_utils import rich_text_to_prompt_text
+from falyx.signals import BackSignal, CancelSignal, QuitSignal
+from falyx.themes import OneColors
+
+
+class PromptMenuAction(BaseAction):
+    """
+    Displays a single-line interactive prompt for selecting an option from a menu.
+
+    `PromptMenuAction` is a lightweight alternative to `MenuAction`, offering a more
+    compact selection interface. Instead of rendering a full table, it displays
+    available keys inline as a placeholder (e.g., `A | B | C`) and accepts the user's
+    input to execute the associated action.
+
+    Each key is defined in a `MenuOptionMap`, which maps to a `MenuOption` containing
+    a description and an executable action.
+
+    Key Features:
+    - Minimal UI: rendered as a single prompt line with placeholder
+    - Optional fallback to `default_selection` or injected `last_result`
+    - Fully hookable lifecycle (before, success, error, after, teardown)
+    - Supports reserved keys and structured error recovery
+
+    Args:
+        name (str): Name of the action. Used for logging and debugging.
+        menu_options (MenuOptionMap): A mapping of keys to `MenuOption` objects.
+        prompt_message (str): Text displayed before user input (default: "Select > ").
+        default_selection (str): Fallback key if no input is provided.
+        inject_last_result (bool): Whether to use `last_result` as a fallback input key.
+        inject_into (str): Kwarg name under which to inject the last result.
+        prompt_session (PromptSession | None): Custom Prompt Toolkit session.
+        never_prompt (bool): If True, skips user input and uses `default_selection`.
+        include_reserved (bool): Whether to include reserved keys in logic and preview.
+
+    Returns:
+        Any: The result of the selected option's action.
+
+    Raises:
+        BackSignal: If the user signals to return to the previous menu.
+        QuitSignal: If the user signals to exit the CLI entirely.
+        ValueError: If `never_prompt` is enabled but no fallback is available.
+        Exception: If an error occurs during the action's execution.
+
+    Example:
+        PromptMenuAction(
+            name="HotkeyPrompt",
+            menu_options=MenuOptionMap(options={
+                "R": MenuOption("Run", ChainedAction(...)),
+                "S": MenuOption("Skip", Action(...)),
+            }),
+            prompt_message="Choose action > ",
+        )
+    """
+
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        name: str,
+        menu_options: MenuOptionMap,
+        *,
+        prompt_message: str = "Select > ",
+        default_selection: str = "",
+        inject_last_result: bool = False,
+        inject_into: str = "last_result",
+        prompt_session: PromptSession | None = None,
+        never_prompt: bool = False,
+        include_reserved: bool = True,
+    ):
+        super().__init__(
+            name,
+            inject_last_result=inject_last_result,
+            inject_into=inject_into,
+            never_prompt=never_prompt,
+        )
+        self.menu_options = menu_options
+        self.prompt_message = rich_text_to_prompt_text(prompt_message)
+        self.default_selection = default_selection
+        self.prompt_session = prompt_session or PromptSession(
+            interrupt_exception=CancelSignal
+        )
+        self.include_reserved = include_reserved
+
+    def get_infer_target(self) -> tuple[None, None]:
+        return None, None
+
+    async def _run(self, *args, **kwargs) -> Any:
+        kwargs = self._maybe_inject_last_result(kwargs)
+        context = ExecutionContext(
+            name=self.name,
+            args=args,
+            kwargs=kwargs,
+            action=self,
+        )
+
+        effective_default = self.default_selection
+        maybe_result = str(self.last_result)
+        if maybe_result in self.menu_options:
+            effective_default = maybe_result
+        elif self.inject_last_result:
+            logger.warning(
+                "[%s] Injected last result '%s' not found in menu options",
+                self.name,
+                maybe_result,
+            )
+
+        if self.never_prompt and not effective_default:
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"[{self.name}] 'never_prompt' is True but no valid default_selection"
+                " was provided."
+            )
+
+        context.start_timer()
+        try:
+            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.BEFORE, context)
+            key = effective_default
+            if not self.never_prompt:
+                placeholder_formatted_text = []
+                for index, (key, option) in enumerate(self.menu_options.items()):
+                    placeholder_formatted_text.append(option.render_prompt(key))
+                    if index < len(self.menu_options) - 1:
+                        placeholder_formatted_text.append(
+                            FormattedText([(OneColors.WHITE, " | ")])
+                        )
+                placeholder = merge_formatted_text(placeholder_formatted_text)
+                key = await self.prompt_session.prompt_async(
+                    message=self.prompt_message, placeholder=placeholder
+                )
+            option = self.menu_options[key]
+            result = await option.action(*args, **kwargs)
+            context.result = result
+            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.ON_SUCCESS, context)
+            return result
+
+        except BackSignal:
+            logger.debug("[%s][BackSignal] ← Returning to previous menu", self.name)
+            return None
+        except QuitSignal:
+            logger.debug("[%s][QuitSignal] ← Exiting application", self.name)
+            raise
+        except Exception as error:
+            context.exception = error
+            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.ON_ERROR, context)
+            raise
+        finally:
+            context.stop_timer()
+            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.AFTER, context)
+            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.ON_TEARDOWN, context)
+            er.record(context)
+
+    async def preview(self, parent: Tree | None = None):
+        label = f"[{OneColors.LIGHT_YELLOW_b}]📋 PromptMenuAction[/] '{self.name}'"
+        tree = parent.add(label) if parent else Tree(label)
+        for key, option in self.menu_options.items():
+            tree.add(
+                f"[dim]{key}[/]: {option.description} → [italic]{option.action.name}[/]"
+            )
+            await option.action.preview(parent=tree)
+        if not parent:
+            self.console.print(tree)
+
+    def __str__(self) -> str:
+        return (
+            f"PromptMenuAction(name={self.name!r}, options={list(self.menu_options.keys())!r}, "
+            f"default_selection={self.default_selection!r}, "
+            f"include_reserved={self.include_reserved}, "
+            f"prompt={'off' if self.never_prompt else 'on'})"
+        )

falyx/action/save_file_action.py

@@ -0,0 +1,296 @@
+# Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
+"""
+Defines `SaveFileAction`, a Falyx Action for writing structured or unstructured data
+to a file in a variety of supported formats.
+
+Supports overwrite control, automatic directory creation, and full lifecycle hook
+integration. Compatible with chaining and injection of upstream results via
+`inject_last_result`.
+
+Supported formats: TEXT, JSON, YAML, TOML, CSV, TSV, XML
+
+Key Features:
+- Auto-serialization of Python data to structured formats
+- Flexible path control with directory creation and overwrite handling
+- Injection of data via chaining (`last_result`)
+- Preview mode with file metadata visualization
+
+Common use cases:
+- Writing processed results to disk
+- Logging artifacts from batch pipelines
+- Exporting config or user input to JSON/YAML for reuse
+"""
+import csv
+import json
+import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET
+from datetime import datetime
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Any, Literal
+
+import toml
+import yaml
+from rich.tree import Tree
+
+from falyx.action.action_types import FileType
+from falyx.action.base_action import BaseAction
+from falyx.context import ExecutionContext
+from falyx.execution_registry import ExecutionRegistry as er
+from falyx.hook_manager import HookType
+from falyx.logger import logger
+from falyx.themes import OneColors
+
+
+class SaveFileAction(BaseAction):
+    """
+    Saves data to a file in the specified format.
+
+    `SaveFileAction` serializes and writes input data to disk using the format
+    defined by `file_type`. It supports plain text and structured formats like
+    JSON, YAML, TOML, CSV, TSV, and XML. Files may be overwritten or appended
+    based on settings, and parent directories are created if missing.
+
+    Data can be provided directly via the `data` argument or dynamically injected
+    from the previous Action using `inject_last_result`.
+
+    Key Features:
+    - Format-aware saving with validation
+    - Lifecycle hook support (before, success, error, after, teardown)
+    - Chain-compatible via last_result injection
+    - Supports safe overwrite behavior and preview diagnostics
+
+    Args:
+        name (str): Name of the action. Used for logging and debugging.
+        file_path (str | Path): Destination file path.
+        file_type (FileType | str): Output format (e.g., "json", "yaml", "text").
+        mode (Literal["w", "a"]): File mode—write or append. Default is "w".
+        encoding (str): Encoding to use when writing files (default: "UTF-8").
+        data (Any): Data to save. If omitted, uses last_result injection.
+        overwrite (bool): Whether to overwrite existing files. Default is True.
+        create_dirs (bool): Whether to auto-create parent directories.
+        inject_last_result (bool): Inject previous result as input if enabled.
+        inject_into (str): Name of kwarg to inject last_result into (default: "data").
+
+    Returns:
+        str: The full path to the saved file.
+
+    Raises:
+        FileExistsError: If the file exists and `overwrite` is False.
+        FileNotFoundError: If parent directory is missing and `create_dirs` is False.
+        ValueError: If data format is invalid for the target file type.
+        Exception: Any errors encountered during file writing.
+
+    Example:
+        SaveFileAction(
+            name="SaveOutput",
+            file_path="output/data.json",
+            file_type="json",
+            inject_last_result=True
+        )
+    """
+
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        name: str,
+        file_path: str,
+        file_type: FileType | str = FileType.TEXT,
+        mode: Literal["w", "a"] = "w",
+        encoding: str = "UTF-8",
+        data: Any = None,
+        overwrite: bool = True,
+        create_dirs: bool = True,
+        inject_last_result: bool = False,
+        inject_into: str = "data",
+    ):
+        """
+        SaveFileAction allows saving data to a file.
+
+        Args:
+            name (str): Name of the action.
+            file_path (str | Path): Path to the file where data will be saved.
+            file_type (FileType | str): Format to write to (e.g. TEXT, JSON, YAML).
+            mode (Literal["w", "a"]): File mode (default: "w").
+            encoding (str): Encoding to use when writing files (default: "UTF-8").
+            data (Any): Data to be saved (if not using inject_last_result).
+            overwrite (bool): Whether to overwrite the file if it exists.
+            create_dirs (bool): Whether to create parent directories if they do not exist.
+            inject_last_result (bool): Whether to inject result from previous action.
+            inject_into (str): Kwarg name to inject the last result as.
+        """
+        super().__init__(
+            name=name, inject_last_result=inject_last_result, inject_into=inject_into
+        )
+        self._file_path = self._coerce_file_path(file_path)
+        self._file_type = FileType(file_type)
+        self.data = data
+        self.overwrite = overwrite
+        self.mode = mode
+        self.create_dirs = create_dirs
+        self.encoding = encoding
+
+    @property
+    def file_path(self) -> Path | None:
+        """Get the file path as a Path object."""
+        return self._file_path
+
+    @file_path.setter
+    def file_path(self, value: str | Path):
+        """Set the file path, converting to Path if necessary."""
+        self._file_path = self._coerce_file_path(value)
+
+    def _coerce_file_path(self, file_path: str | Path | None) -> Path | None:
+        """Coerce the file path to a Path object."""
+        if isinstance(file_path, Path):
+            return file_path
+        elif isinstance(file_path, str):
+            return Path(file_path)
+        elif file_path is None:
+            return None
+        else:
+            raise TypeError("file_path must be a string or Path object")
+
+    @property
+    def file_type(self) -> FileType:
+        """Get the file type."""
+        return self._file_type
+
+    def get_infer_target(self) -> tuple[None, None]:
+        return None, None
+
+    def _dict_to_xml(self, data: dict, root: ET.Element) -> None:
+        """Convert a dictionary to XML format."""
+        for key, value in data.items():
+            if isinstance(value, dict):
+                sub_element = ET.SubElement(root, key)
+                self._dict_to_xml(value, sub_element)
+            elif isinstance(value, list):
+                for item in value:
+                    item_element = ET.SubElement(root, key)
+                    if isinstance(item, dict):
+                        self._dict_to_xml(item, item_element)
+                    else:
+                        item_element.text = str(item)
+            else:
+                element = ET.SubElement(root, key)
+                element.text = str(value)
+
+    async def save_file(self, data: Any) -> None:
+        """Save data to the specified file in the desired format."""
+        if self.file_path is None:
+            raise ValueError("file_path must be set before saving a file")
+        elif self.file_path.exists() and not self.overwrite:
+            raise FileExistsError(f"File already exists: {self.file_path}")
+
+        if self.file_path.parent and not self.file_path.parent.exists():
+            if self.create_dirs:
+                self.file_path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+            else:
+                raise FileNotFoundError(
+                    f"Directory does not exist: {self.file_path.parent}"
+                )
+
+        try:
+            if self.file_type == FileType.TEXT:
+                self.file_path.write_text(data, encoding=self.encoding)
+            elif self.file_type == FileType.JSON:
+                self.file_path.write_text(
+                    json.dumps(data, indent=4), encoding=self.encoding
+                )
+            elif self.file_type == FileType.TOML:
+                self.file_path.write_text(toml.dumps(data), encoding=self.encoding)
+            elif self.file_type == FileType.YAML:
+                self.file_path.write_text(yaml.dump(data), encoding=self.encoding)
+            elif self.file_type == FileType.CSV:
+                if not isinstance(data, list) or not all(
+                    isinstance(row, list) for row in data
+                ):
+                    raise ValueError(
+                        f"{self.file_type.name} file type requires a list of lists"
+                    )
+                with open(
+                    self.file_path, mode=self.mode, newline="", encoding=self.encoding
+                ) as csvfile:
+                    writer = csv.writer(csvfile)
+                    writer.writerows(data)
+            elif self.file_type == FileType.TSV:
+                if not isinstance(data, list) or not all(
+                    isinstance(row, list) for row in data
+                ):
+                    raise ValueError(
+                        f"{self.file_type.name} file type requires a list of lists"
+                    )
+                with open(
+                    self.file_path, mode=self.mode, newline="", encoding=self.encoding
+                ) as tsvfile:
+                    writer = csv.writer(tsvfile, delimiter="\t")
+                    writer.writerows(data)
+            elif self.file_type == FileType.XML:
+                if not isinstance(data, dict):
+                    raise ValueError("XML file type requires data to be a dictionary")
+                root = ET.Element("root")
+                self._dict_to_xml(data, root)
+                tree = ET.ElementTree(root)
+                tree.write(self.file_path, encoding=self.encoding, xml_declaration=True)
+            else:
+                raise ValueError(f"Unsupported file type: {self.file_type}")
+
+        except Exception as error:
+            logger.error("Failed to save %s: %s", self.file_path.name, error)
+            raise
+
+    async def _run(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        combined_kwargs = self._maybe_inject_last_result(kwargs)
+        data = self.data or combined_kwargs.get(self.inject_into)
+
+        context = ExecutionContext(
+            name=self.name, args=args, kwargs=combined_kwargs, action=self
+        )
+        context.start_timer()
+
+        try:
+            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.BEFORE, context)
+
+            await self.save_file(data)
+            logger.debug("File saved successfully: %s", self.file_path)
+
+            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.ON_SUCCESS, context)
+            return str(self.file_path)
+
+        except Exception as error:
+            context.exception = error
+            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.ON_ERROR, context)
+            raise
+        finally:
+            context.stop_timer()
+            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.AFTER, context)
+            await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.ON_TEARDOWN, context)
+            er.record(context)
+
+    async def preview(self, parent: Tree | None = None):
+        label = f"[{OneColors.CYAN}]💾 SaveFileAction[/] '{self.name}'"
+        tree = parent.add(label) if parent else Tree(label)
+
+        tree.add(f"[dim]Path:[/] {self.file_path}")
+        tree.add(f"[dim]Type:[/] {self.file_type.name}")
+        tree.add(f"[dim]Overwrite:[/] {self.overwrite}")
+
+        if self.file_path and self.file_path.exists():
+            if self.overwrite:
+                tree.add(f"[{OneColors.LIGHT_YELLOW}]⚠️ File will be overwritten[/]")
+            else:
+                tree.add(
+                    f"[{OneColors.DARK_RED}]❌ File exists and overwrite is disabled[/]"
+                )
+            stat = self.file_path.stat()
+            tree.add(f"[dim]Size:[/] {stat.st_size:,} bytes")
+            tree.add(
+                f"[dim]Modified:[/] {datetime.fromtimestamp(stat.st_mtime):%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S}"
+            )
+            tree.add(
+                f"[dim]Created:[/] {datetime.fromtimestamp(stat.st_ctime):%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S}"
+            )
+
+        if not parent:
+            self.console.print(tree)
+
+    def __str__(self) -> str:
+        return f"SaveFileAction(file_path={self.file_path}, file_type={self.file_type})"

falyx/action/select_file_action.py

@@ -1,5 +1,47 @@
 # Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
-"""select_file_action.py"""
+"""
+Defines `SelectFileAction`, a Falyx Action that allows users to select one or more
+files from a target directory and optionally return either their content or path,
+parsed based on a selected `FileType`.
+
+This action combines rich interactive selection (via `SelectionOption`) with
+format-aware parsing, making it ideal for loading external resources, injecting
+config files, or dynamically selecting inputs mid-pipeline.
+
+Supports filtering by file suffix, customizable prompt layout, multi-select mode,
+and automatic content parsing for common formats.
+
+Key Features:
+- Lists files from a directory and renders them in a Rich-powered menu
+- Supports suffix filtering (e.g., only `.yaml` or `.json` files)
+- Returns content parsed as `str`, `dict`, `list`, or raw `Path` depending on `FileType`
+- Works in single or multi-selection mode
+- Fully compatible with Falyx hooks and context system
+- Graceful cancellation via `CancelSignal`
+
+Supported Return Types (`FileType`):
+- `TEXT`: UTF-8 string content
+- `PATH`: File path object (`Path`)
+- `JSON`, `YAML`, `TOML`: Parsed dictionaries or lists
+- `CSV`, `TSV`: `list[list[str]]` from structured rows
+- `XML`: `ElementTree.Element` root object
+
+Use Cases:
+- Prompting users to select a config file during setup
+- Dynamically loading data into chained workflows
+- CLI interfaces that require structured file ingestion
+
+Example:
+    SelectFileAction(
+        name="ChooseConfigFile",
+        directory="configs/",
+        suffix_filter=".yaml",
+        return_type="yaml",
+    )
+
+This module is ideal for use cases where file choice is deferred to runtime
+and needs to feed into structured automation pipelines.
+"""
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import csv
@@ -11,26 +53,27 @@ from typing import Any
 import toml
 import yaml
 from prompt_toolkit import PromptSession
-from rich.console import Console
 from rich.tree import Tree
 
-from falyx.action.action import BaseAction
-from falyx.action.types import FileReturnType
+from falyx.action.action_types import FileType
+from falyx.action.base_action import BaseAction
 from falyx.context import ExecutionContext
 from falyx.execution_registry import ExecutionRegistry as er
 from falyx.hook_manager import HookType
 from falyx.logger import logger
+from falyx.prompt_utils import rich_text_to_prompt_text
 from falyx.selection import (
     SelectionOption,
     prompt_for_selection,
     render_selection_dict_table,
 )
+from falyx.signals import CancelSignal
 from falyx.themes import OneColors
 
 
 class SelectFileAction(BaseAction):
     """
-    SelectFileAction allows users to select a file from a directory and return:
+    SelectFileAction allows users to select a file(s) from a directory and return:
     - file content (as text, JSON, CSV, etc.)
     - or the file path itself.
 
@@ -49,8 +92,10 @@ class SelectFileAction(BaseAction):
         prompt_message (str): Message to display when prompting for selection.
         style (str): Style for the selection options.
         suffix_filter (str | None): Restrict to certain file types.
-        return_type (FileReturnType): What to return (path, content, parsed).
-        console (Console | None): Console instance for output.
+        return_type (FileType): What to return (path, content, parsed).
+        number_selections (int | str): How many files to select (1, 2, '*').
+        separator (str): Separator for multiple selections.
+        allow_duplicates (bool): Allow selecting the same file multiple times.
         prompt_session (PromptSession | None): Prompt session for user input.
     """
 
@@ -64,62 +109,93 @@ class SelectFileAction(BaseAction):
         prompt_message: str = "Choose > ",
         style: str = OneColors.WHITE,
         suffix_filter: str | None = None,
-        return_type: FileReturnType | str = FileReturnType.PATH,
-        console: Console | None = None,
+        return_type: FileType | str = FileType.PATH,
+        encoding: str = "UTF-8",
+        number_selections: int | str = 1,
+        separator: str = ",",
+        allow_duplicates: bool = False,
         prompt_session: PromptSession | None = None,
     ):
         super().__init__(name)
         self.directory = Path(directory).resolve()
         self.title = title
         self.columns = columns
-        self.prompt_message = prompt_message
+        self.prompt_message = rich_text_to_prompt_text(prompt_message)
         self.suffix_filter = suffix_filter
         self.style = style
-        self.console = console or Console(color_system="auto")
-        self.prompt_session = prompt_session or PromptSession()
-        self.return_type = self._coerce_return_type(return_type)
+        self.number_selections = number_selections
+        self.separator = separator
+        self.allow_duplicates = allow_duplicates
+        self.prompt_session = prompt_session or PromptSession(
+            interrupt_exception=CancelSignal
+        )
+        self.return_type = FileType(return_type)
+        self.encoding = encoding
 
-    def _coerce_return_type(self, return_type: FileReturnType | str) -> FileReturnType:
-        if isinstance(return_type, FileReturnType):
-            return return_type
-        return FileReturnType(return_type)
+    @property
+    def number_selections(self) -> int | str:
+        return self._number_selections
+
+    @number_selections.setter
+    def number_selections(self, value: int | str):
+        if isinstance(value, int) and value > 0:
+            self._number_selections: int | str = value
+        elif isinstance(value, str):
+            if value not in ("*"):
+                raise ValueError("number_selections string must be one of '*'")
+            self._number_selections = value
+        else:
+            raise ValueError("number_selections must be a positive integer or one of '*'")
 
     def get_options(self, files: list[Path]) -> dict[str, SelectionOption]:
-        value: Any
         options = {}
         for index, file in enumerate(files):
+            options[str(index)] = SelectionOption(
+                description=file.name,
+                value=file,  # Store the Path only — parsing will happen later
+                style=self.style,
+            )
+        return options
+
+    def parse_file(self, file: Path) -> Any:
+        value: Any
         try:
-                if self.return_type == FileReturnType.TEXT:
-                    value = file.read_text(encoding="UTF-8")
-                elif self.return_type == FileReturnType.PATH:
+            if self.return_type == FileType.TEXT:
+                value = file.read_text(encoding=self.encoding)
+            elif self.return_type == FileType.PATH:
                 value = file
-                elif self.return_type == FileReturnType.JSON:
-                    value = json.loads(file.read_text(encoding="UTF-8"))
-                elif self.return_type == FileReturnType.TOML:
-                    value = toml.loads(file.read_text(encoding="UTF-8"))
-                elif self.return_type == FileReturnType.YAML:
-                    value = yaml.safe_load(file.read_text(encoding="UTF-8"))
-                elif self.return_type == FileReturnType.CSV:
-                    with open(file, newline="", encoding="UTF-8") as csvfile:
+            elif self.return_type == FileType.JSON:
+                value = json.loads(file.read_text(encoding=self.encoding))
+            elif self.return_type == FileType.TOML:
+                value = toml.loads(file.read_text(encoding=self.encoding))
+            elif self.return_type == FileType.YAML:
+                value = yaml.safe_load(file.read_text(encoding=self.encoding))
+            elif self.return_type == FileType.CSV:
+                with open(file, newline="", encoding=self.encoding) as csvfile:
                     reader = csv.reader(csvfile)
                     value = list(reader)
-                elif self.return_type == FileReturnType.TSV:
-                    with open(file, newline="", encoding="UTF-8") as tsvfile:
+            elif self.return_type == FileType.TSV:
+                with open(file, newline="", encoding=self.encoding) as tsvfile:
                     reader = csv.reader(tsvfile, delimiter="\t")
                     value = list(reader)
-                elif self.return_type == FileReturnType.XML:
-                    tree = ET.parse(file, parser=ET.XMLParser(encoding="UTF-8"))
-                    root = tree.getroot()
-                    value = ET.tostring(root, encoding="unicode")
+            elif self.return_type == FileType.XML:
+                tree = ET.parse(file, parser=ET.XMLParser(encoding=self.encoding))
+                value = tree.getroot()
             else:
                 raise ValueError(f"Unsupported return type: {self.return_type}")
-
-                options[str(index)] = SelectionOption(
-                    description=file.name, value=value, style=self.style
-                )
         except Exception as error:
-                logger.warning("[ERROR] Failed to parse %s: %s", file.name, error)
-        return options
+            logger.error("Failed to parse %s: %s", file.name, error)
+        return value
+
+    def _find_cancel_key(self, options) -> str:
+        """Return first numeric value not already used in the selection dict."""
+        for index in range(len(options)):
+            if str(index) not in options:
+                return str(index)
+        return str(len(options))
+
+    def get_infer_target(self) -> tuple[None, None]:
+        return None, None
 
     async def _run(self, *args, **kwargs) -> Any:
         context = ExecutionContext(name=self.name, args=args, kwargs=kwargs, action=self)
@@ -127,30 +203,51 @@ class SelectFileAction(BaseAction):
         try:
             await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.BEFORE, context)
 
+            if not self.directory.exists():
+                raise FileNotFoundError(f"Directory {self.directory} does not exist.")
+            elif not self.directory.is_dir():
+                raise NotADirectoryError(f"{self.directory} is not a directory.")
+
             files = [
-                f
-                for f in self.directory.iterdir()
-                if f.is_file()
-                and (self.suffix_filter is None or f.suffix == self.suffix_filter)
+                file
+                for file in self.directory.iterdir()
+                if file.is_file()
+                and (self.suffix_filter is None or file.suffix == self.suffix_filter)
             ]
             if not files:
                 raise FileNotFoundError("No files found in directory.")
 
             options = self.get_options(files)
 
+            cancel_key = self._find_cancel_key(options)
+            cancel_option = {
+                cancel_key: SelectionOption(
+                    description="Cancel", value=CancelSignal(), style=OneColors.DARK_RED
+                )
+            }
+
             table = render_selection_dict_table(
-                title=self.title, selections=options, columns=self.columns
+                title=self.title, selections=options | cancel_option, columns=self.columns
             )
 
-            key = await prompt_for_selection(
-                options.keys(),
+            keys = await prompt_for_selection(
+                (options | cancel_option).keys(),
                 table,
-                console=self.console,
                 prompt_session=self.prompt_session,
                 prompt_message=self.prompt_message,
+                number_selections=self.number_selections,
+                separator=self.separator,
+                allow_duplicates=self.allow_duplicates,
+                cancel_key=cancel_key,
             )
 
-            result = options[key].value
+            if isinstance(keys, str):
+                if keys == cancel_key:
+                    raise CancelSignal("User canceled the selection.")
+                result = self.parse_file(options[keys].value)
+            elif isinstance(keys, list):
+                result = [self.parse_file(options[key].value) for key in keys]
+
             context.result = result
             await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.ON_SUCCESS, context)
             return result
@@ -165,7 +262,7 @@ class SelectFileAction(BaseAction):
             er.record(context)
 
     async def preview(self, parent: Tree | None = None):
-        label = f"[{OneColors.GREEN}]📁 SelectFilesAction[/] '{self.name}'"
+        label = f"[{OneColors.GREEN}]📁 SelectFileAction[/] '{self.name}'"
         tree = parent.add(label) if parent else Tree(label)
 
         tree.add(f"[dim]Directory:[/] {str(self.directory)}")
@@ -173,14 +270,15 @@ class SelectFileAction(BaseAction):
         tree.add(f"[dim]Return type:[/] {self.return_type}")
         tree.add(f"[dim]Prompt:[/] {self.prompt_message}")
         tree.add(f"[dim]Columns:[/] {self.columns}")
+        tree.add("[dim]Loading:[/] Lazy (parsing occurs after selection)")
         try:
             files = list(self.directory.iterdir())
             if self.suffix_filter:
-                files = [f for f in files if f.suffix == self.suffix_filter]
+                files = [file for file in files if file.suffix == self.suffix_filter]
             sample = files[:10]
             file_list = tree.add("[dim]Files:[/]")
-            for f in sample:
-                file_list.add(f"[dim]{f.name}[/]")
+            for file in sample:
+                file_list.add(f"[dim]{file.name}[/]")
             if len(files) > 10:
                 file_list.add(f"[dim]... ({len(files) - 10} more)[/]")
         except Exception as error:
@@ -191,6 +289,6 @@ class SelectFileAction(BaseAction):
 
     def __str__(self) -> str:
         return (
-            f"SelectFilesAction(name={self.name!r}, dir={str(self.directory)!r}, "
+            f"SelectFileAction(name={self.name!r}, dir={str(self.directory)!r}, "
             f"suffix_filter={self.suffix_filter!r}, return_type={self.return_type})"
         )

falyx/action/selection_action.py

@@ -1,49 +1,139 @@
 # Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
-"""selection_action.py"""
+"""
+Defines `SelectionAction`, a highly flexible Falyx Action for interactive or headless
+selection from a list or dictionary of user-defined options.
+
+This module powers workflows that require prompting the user for input, selecting
+configuration presets, branching execution paths, or collecting multiple values
+in a type-safe, hook-compatible, and composable way.
+
+Key Features:
+- Supports both flat lists and structured dictionaries (`SelectionOptionMap`)
+- Handles single or multi-selection with configurable separators
+- Returns results in various formats (key, value, description, item, or mapping)
+- Integrates fully with Falyx lifecycle hooks and `last_result` injection
+- Works in interactive (`prompt_toolkit`) and non-interactive (headless) modes
+- Renders a Rich-based table preview for diagnostics or dry runs
+
+Usage Scenarios:
+- Guided CLI wizards or configuration menus
+- Dynamic branching or conditional step logic
+- User-driven parameterization in chained workflows
+- Reusable pickers for environments, files, datasets, etc.
+
+Example:
+    SelectionAction(
+        name="ChooseMode",
+        selections={"dev": "Development", "prod": "Production"},
+        return_type="key"
+    )
+
+This module is foundational to creating expressive, user-centered CLI experiences
+within Falyx while preserving reproducibility and automation friendliness.
+"""
 from typing import Any
 
 from prompt_toolkit import PromptSession
-from rich.console import Console
 from rich.tree import Tree
 
-from falyx.action.action import BaseAction
+from falyx.action.action_types import SelectionReturnType
+from falyx.action.base_action import BaseAction
 from falyx.context import ExecutionContext
 from falyx.execution_registry import ExecutionRegistry as er
 from falyx.hook_manager import HookType
 from falyx.logger import logger
+from falyx.prompt_utils import rich_text_to_prompt_text
 from falyx.selection import (
     SelectionOption,
+    SelectionOptionMap,
     prompt_for_index,
     prompt_for_selection,
     render_selection_dict_table,
     render_selection_indexed_table,
 )
+from falyx.signals import CancelSignal
 from falyx.themes import OneColors
-from falyx.utils import CaseInsensitiveDict
 
 
 class SelectionAction(BaseAction):
     """
-    A selection action that prompts the user to select an option from a list or
-    dictionary. The selected option is then returned as the result of the action.
+    A Falyx Action for interactively or programmatically selecting one or more items
+    from a list or dictionary of options.
 
-    If return_key is True, the key of the selected option is returned instead of
-    the value.
+    `SelectionAction` supports both `list[str]` and `dict[str, SelectionOption]`
+    inputs. It renders a prompt (unless `never_prompt=True`), validates user input
+    or injected defaults, and returns a structured result based on the specified
+    `return_type`.
+
+    It is commonly used for item pickers, confirmation flows, dynamic parameterization,
+    or guided workflows in interactive or headless CLI pipelines.
+
+    Features:
+    - Supports single or multiple selections (`number_selections`)
+    - Dictionary mode allows rich metadata (description, value, style)
+    - Flexible return values: key(s), value(s), item(s), description(s), or mappings
+    - Fully hookable lifecycle (`before`, `on_success`, `on_error`, `after`, `on_teardown`)
+    - Default selection logic supports previous results (`last_result`)
+    - Can run in headless mode using `never_prompt` and fallback defaults
+
+    Args:
+        name (str): Action name for tracking and logging.
+        selections (list[str] | dict[str, SelectionOption] | dict[str, Any]):
+            The available choices. If a plain dict is passed, values are converted
+            into `SelectionOption` instances.
+        title (str): Title shown in the selection UI (default: "Select an option").
+        columns (int): Number of columns in the selection table.
+        prompt_message (str): Input prompt for the user (default: "Select > ").
+        default_selection (str | list[str]): Key(s) or index(es) used as fallback selection.
+        number_selections (int | str): Max number of choices allowed (or "*" for unlimited).
+        separator (str): Character used to separate multi-selections (default: ",").
+        allow_duplicates (bool): Whether duplicate selections are allowed.
+        inject_last_result (bool): If True, attempts to inject the last result as default.
+        inject_into (str): The keyword name for injected value (default: "last_result").
+        return_type (SelectionReturnType | str): The type of result to return.
+        prompt_session (PromptSession | None): Reused or customized prompt_toolkit session.
+        never_prompt (bool): If True, skips prompting and uses default_selection or last_result.
+        show_table (bool): Whether to render the selection table before prompting.
+
+    Returns:
+        Any: The selected result(s), shaped according to `return_type`.
+
+    Raises:
+        CancelSignal: If the user chooses the cancel option.
+        ValueError: If configuration is invalid or no selection can be resolved.
+        TypeError: If `selections` is not a supported type.
+
+    Example:
+        SelectionAction(
+            name="PickEnv",
+            selections={"dev": "Development", "prod": "Production"},
+            return_type="key",
+        )
+
+    This Action supports use in both interactive menus and chained, non-interactive CLI flows.
     """
 
     def __init__(
         self,
         name: str,
-        selections: list[str] | set[str] | tuple[str, ...] | dict[str, SelectionOption],
+        selections: (
+            list[str]
+            | set[str]
+            | tuple[str, ...]
+            | dict[str, SelectionOption]
+            | dict[str, Any]
+        ),
         *,
         title: str = "Select an option",
         columns: int = 5,
         prompt_message: str = "Select > ",
-        default_selection: str = "",
+        default_selection: str | list[str] = "",
+        number_selections: int | str = 1,
+        separator: str = ",",
+        allow_duplicates: bool = False,
         inject_last_result: bool = False,
         inject_into: str = "last_result",
-        return_key: bool = False,
-        console: Console | None = None,
+        return_type: SelectionReturnType | str = "value",
         prompt_session: PromptSession | None = None,
         never_prompt: bool = False,
         show_table: bool = True,
@@ -55,18 +145,37 @@ class SelectionAction(BaseAction):
             never_prompt=never_prompt,
         )
         # Setter normalizes to correct type, mypy can't infer that
-        self.selections: list[str] | CaseInsensitiveDict = selections  # type: ignore[assignment]
-        self.return_key = return_key
+        self.selections: list[str] | SelectionOptionMap = selections  # type: ignore[assignment]
+        self.return_type: SelectionReturnType = SelectionReturnType(return_type)
         self.title = title
         self.columns = columns
-        self.console = console or Console(color_system="auto")
-        self.prompt_session = prompt_session or PromptSession()
+        self.prompt_session = prompt_session or PromptSession(
+            interrupt_exception=CancelSignal
+        )
         self.default_selection = default_selection
-        self.prompt_message = prompt_message
+        self.number_selections = number_selections
+        self.separator = separator
+        self.allow_duplicates = allow_duplicates
+        self.prompt_message = rich_text_to_prompt_text(prompt_message)
         self.show_table = show_table
 
     @property
-    def selections(self) -> list[str] | CaseInsensitiveDict:
+    def number_selections(self) -> int | str:
+        return self._number_selections
+
+    @number_selections.setter
+    def number_selections(self, value: int | str):
+        if isinstance(value, int) and value > 0:
+            self._number_selections: int | str = value
+        elif isinstance(value, str):
+            if value not in ("*"):
+                raise ValueError("number_selections string must be '*'")
+            self._number_selections = value
+        else:
+            raise ValueError("number_selections must be a positive integer or '*'")
+
+    @property
+    def selections(self) -> list[str] | SelectionOptionMap:
         return self._selections
 
     @selections.setter
@@ -74,17 +183,190 @@ class SelectionAction(BaseAction):
         self, value: list[str] | set[str] | tuple[str, ...] | dict[str, SelectionOption]
     ):
         if isinstance(value, (list, tuple, set)):
-            self._selections: list[str] | CaseInsensitiveDict = list(value)
+            self._selections: list[str] | SelectionOptionMap = list(value)
         elif isinstance(value, dict):
-            cid = CaseInsensitiveDict()
-            cid.update(value)
-            self._selections = cid
+            som = SelectionOptionMap()
+            if all(isinstance(key, str) for key in value) and all(
+                not isinstance(value[key], SelectionOption) for key in value
+            ):
+                som.update(
+                    {
+                        str(index): SelectionOption(key, option)
+                        for index, (key, option) in enumerate(value.items())
+                    }
+                )
+            elif all(isinstance(key, str) for key in value) and all(
+                isinstance(value[key], SelectionOption) for key in value
+            ):
+                som.update(value)
+            else:
+                raise ValueError("Invalid dictionary format. Keys must be strings")
+            self._selections = som
         else:
             raise TypeError(
                 "'selections' must be a list[str] or dict[str, SelectionOption], "
                 f"got {type(value).__name__}"
             )
 
+    def _find_cancel_key(self) -> str:
+        """Find the cancel key in the selections."""
+        if isinstance(self.selections, dict):
+            for index in range(len(self.selections) + 1):
+                if str(index) not in self.selections:
+                    return str(index)
+        return str(len(self.selections))
+
+    @property
+    def cancel_key(self) -> str:
+        return self._cancel_key
+
+    @cancel_key.setter
+    def cancel_key(self, value: str) -> None:
+        """Set the cancel key for the selection."""
+        if not isinstance(value, str):
+            raise TypeError("Cancel key must be a string.")
+        if isinstance(self.selections, dict) and value in self.selections:
+            raise ValueError(
+                "Cancel key cannot be one of the selection keys. "
+                f"Current selections: {self.selections}"
+            )
+        if isinstance(self.selections, list):
+            if not value.isdigit() or int(value) > len(self.selections):
+                raise ValueError(
+                    "cancel_key must be a digit and not greater than the number of selections."
+                )
+        self._cancel_key = value
+
+    def cancel_formatter(self, index: int, selection: str) -> str:
+        """Format the cancel option for display."""
+        if self.cancel_key == str(index):
+            return f"[{index}] [{OneColors.DARK_RED}]Cancel[/]"
+        return f"[{index}] {selection}"
+
+    def get_infer_target(self) -> tuple[None, None]:
+        return None, None
+
+    def _get_result_from_keys(self, keys: str | list[str]) -> Any:
+        if not isinstance(self.selections, dict):
+            raise TypeError("Selections must be a dictionary to get result by keys.")
+        if self.return_type == SelectionReturnType.KEY:
+            result: Any = keys
+        elif self.return_type == SelectionReturnType.VALUE:
+            if isinstance(keys, list):
+                result = [self.selections[key].value for key in keys]
+            elif isinstance(keys, str):
+                result = self.selections[keys].value
+        elif self.return_type == SelectionReturnType.ITEMS:
+            if isinstance(keys, list):
+                result = {key: self.selections[key] for key in keys}
+            elif isinstance(keys, str):
+                result = {keys: self.selections[keys]}
+        elif self.return_type == SelectionReturnType.DESCRIPTION:
+            if isinstance(keys, list):
+                result = [self.selections[key].description for key in keys]
+            elif isinstance(keys, str):
+                result = self.selections[keys].description
+        elif self.return_type == SelectionReturnType.DESCRIPTION_VALUE:
+            if isinstance(keys, list):
+                result = {
+                    self.selections[key].description: self.selections[key].value
+                    for key in keys
+                }
+            elif isinstance(keys, str):
+                result = {self.selections[keys].description: self.selections[keys].value}
+        else:
+            raise ValueError(f"Unsupported return type: {self.return_type}")
+        return result
+
+    async def _resolve_effective_default(self) -> str:
+        effective_default: str | list[str] = self.default_selection
+        maybe_result = self.last_result
+        if self.number_selections == 1:
+            if isinstance(effective_default, list):
+                effective_default = effective_default[0] if effective_default else ""
+            elif isinstance(maybe_result, list):
+                maybe_result = maybe_result[0] if maybe_result else ""
+            default = await self._resolve_single_default(maybe_result)
+            if not default:
+                default = await self._resolve_single_default(effective_default)
+            if not default and self.inject_last_result:
+                logger.warning(
+                    "[%s] Injected last result '%s' not found in selections",
+                    self.name,
+                    maybe_result,
+                )
+            return default
+
+        if maybe_result and isinstance(maybe_result, list):
+            maybe_result = [
+                await self._resolve_single_default(item) for item in maybe_result
+            ]
+            if (
+                maybe_result
+                and self.number_selections != "*"
+                and len(maybe_result) != self.number_selections
+            ):
+                raise ValueError(
+                    f"[{self.name}] 'number_selections' is {self.number_selections}, "
+                    f"but last_result has a different length: {len(maybe_result)}."
+                )
+            return self.separator.join(maybe_result)
+        elif effective_default and isinstance(effective_default, list):
+            effective_default = [
+                await self._resolve_single_default(item) for item in effective_default
+            ]
+            if (
+                effective_default
+                and self.number_selections != "*"
+                and len(effective_default) != self.number_selections
+            ):
+                raise ValueError(
+                    f"[{self.name}] 'number_selections' is {self.number_selections}, "
+                    f"but default_selection has a different length: {len(effective_default)}."
+                )
+            return self.separator.join(effective_default)
+        if self.inject_last_result:
+            logger.warning(
+                "[%s] Injected last result '%s' not found in selections",
+                self.name,
+                maybe_result,
+            )
+        return ""
+
+    async def _resolve_single_default(self, maybe_result: str) -> str:
+        effective_default = ""
+        if isinstance(self.selections, dict):
+            if str(maybe_result) in self.selections:
+                effective_default = str(maybe_result)
+            elif maybe_result in (
+                selection.value for selection in self.selections.values()
+            ):
+                selection = [
+                    key
+                    for key, sel in self.selections.items()
+                    if sel.value == maybe_result
+                ]
+                if selection:
+                    effective_default = selection[0]
+            elif maybe_result in (
+                selection.description for selection in self.selections.values()
+            ):
+                selection = [
+                    key
+                    for key, sel in self.selections.items()
+                    if sel.description == maybe_result
+                ]
+                if selection:
+                    effective_default = selection[0]
+        elif isinstance(self.selections, list):
+            if str(maybe_result).isdigit() and int(maybe_result) in range(
+                len(self.selections)
+            ):
+                effective_default = maybe_result
+            elif maybe_result in self.selections:
+                effective_default = str(self.selections.index(maybe_result))
+        return effective_default
+
     async def _run(self, *args, **kwargs) -> Any:
         kwargs = self._maybe_inject_last_result(kwargs)
         context = ExecutionContext(
@@ -94,77 +376,106 @@ class SelectionAction(BaseAction):
             action=self,
         )
 
-        effective_default = str(self.default_selection)
-        maybe_result = str(self.last_result)
-        if isinstance(self.selections, dict):
-            if maybe_result in self.selections:
-                effective_default = maybe_result
-            elif self.inject_last_result:
-                logger.warning(
-                    "[%s] Injected last result '%s' not found in selections",
-                    self.name,
-                    maybe_result,
-                )
-        elif isinstance(self.selections, list):
-            if maybe_result.isdigit() and int(maybe_result) in range(
-                len(self.selections)
-            ):
-                effective_default = maybe_result
-            elif self.inject_last_result:
-                logger.warning(
-                    "[%s] Injected last result '%s' not found in selections",
-                    self.name,
-                    maybe_result,
-                )
+        effective_default = await self._resolve_effective_default()
 
         if self.never_prompt and not effective_default:
             raise ValueError(
                 f"[{self.name}] 'never_prompt' is True but no valid default_selection "
-                "was provided."
+                "or usable last_result was available."
             )
 
         context.start_timer()
         try:
+            self.cancel_key = self._find_cancel_key()
             await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.BEFORE, context)
             if isinstance(self.selections, list):
                 table = render_selection_indexed_table(
                     title=self.title,
-                    selections=self.selections,
+                    selections=self.selections + ["Cancel"],
+                    columns=self.columns,
+                    formatter=self.cancel_formatter,
+                )
+                if effective_default is None or isinstance(effective_default, int):
+                    effective_default = ""
+
+                if not self.never_prompt:
+                    indices: int | list[int] = await prompt_for_index(
+                        len(self.selections),
+                        table,
+                        default_selection=effective_default,
+                        prompt_session=self.prompt_session,
+                        prompt_message=self.prompt_message,
+                        show_table=self.show_table,
+                        number_selections=self.number_selections,
+                        separator=self.separator,
+                        allow_duplicates=self.allow_duplicates,
+                        cancel_key=self.cancel_key,
+                    )
+                else:
+                    if effective_default and self.number_selections == 1:
+                        indices = int(effective_default)
+                    elif effective_default:
+                        indices = [
+                            int(index)
+                            for index in effective_default.split(self.separator)
+                        ]
+                    else:
+                        raise ValueError(
+                            f"[{self.name}] 'never_prompt' is True but no valid "
+                            "default_selection was provided."
+                        )
+
+                if indices == int(self.cancel_key):
+                    raise CancelSignal("User cancelled the selection.")
+                if isinstance(indices, list):
+                    result: str | list[str] = [
+                        self.selections[index] for index in indices
+                    ]
+                elif isinstance(indices, int):
+                    result = self.selections[indices]
+                else:
+                    assert False, "unreachable"
+            elif isinstance(self.selections, dict):
+                cancel_option = {
+                    self.cancel_key: SelectionOption(
+                        description="Cancel", value=CancelSignal, style=OneColors.DARK_RED
+                    )
+                }
+                table = render_selection_dict_table(
+                    title=self.title,
+                    selections=self.selections | cancel_option,
                     columns=self.columns,
                 )
                 if not self.never_prompt:
-                    index = await prompt_for_index(
-                        len(self.selections) - 1,
+                    keys = await prompt_for_selection(
+                        (self.selections | cancel_option).keys(),
                         table,
                         default_selection=effective_default,
-                        console=self.console,
                         prompt_session=self.prompt_session,
                         prompt_message=self.prompt_message,
                         show_table=self.show_table,
+                        number_selections=self.number_selections,
+                        separator=self.separator,
+                        allow_duplicates=self.allow_duplicates,
+                        cancel_key=self.cancel_key,
                     )
                 else:
-                    index = effective_default
-                result = self.selections[int(index)]
-            elif isinstance(self.selections, dict):
-                table = render_selection_dict_table(
-                    title=self.title, selections=self.selections, columns=self.columns
-                )
-                if not self.never_prompt:
-                    key = await prompt_for_selection(
-                        self.selections.keys(),
-                        table,
-                        default_selection=effective_default,
-                        console=self.console,
-                        prompt_session=self.prompt_session,
-                        prompt_message=self.prompt_message,
-                        show_table=self.show_table,
-                    )
+                    if effective_default and self.number_selections == 1:
+                        keys = effective_default
+                    elif effective_default:
+                        keys = effective_default.split(self.separator)
                     else:
-                    key = effective_default
-                result = key if self.return_key else self.selections[key].value
+                        raise ValueError(
+                            f"[{self.name}] 'never_prompt' is True but no valid "
+                            "default_selection was provided."
+                        )
+                if keys == self.cancel_key:
+                    raise CancelSignal("User cancelled the selection.")
+
+                result = self._get_result_from_keys(keys)
             else:
                 raise TypeError(
-                    "'selections' must be a list[str] or dict[str, tuple[str, Any]], "
+                    "'selections' must be a list[str] or dict[str, Any], "
                     f"got {type(self.selections).__name__}"
                 )
             context.result = result
@@ -186,13 +497,13 @@ class SelectionAction(BaseAction):
 
         if isinstance(self.selections, list):
             sub = tree.add(f"[dim]Type:[/] List[str] ({len(self.selections)} items)")
-            for i, item in enumerate(self.selections[:10]):  # limit to 10
+            for i, item in enumerate(self.selections[:10]):
                 sub.add(f"[dim]{i}[/]: {item}")
             if len(self.selections) > 10:
                 sub.add(f"[dim]... ({len(self.selections) - 10} more)[/]")
         elif isinstance(self.selections, dict):
             sub = tree.add(
-                f"[dim]Type:[/] Dict[str, (str, Any)] ({len(self.selections)} items)"
+                f"[dim]Type:[/] Dict[str, SelectionOption] ({len(self.selections)} items)"
             )
             for i, (key, option) in enumerate(list(self.selections.items())[:10]):
                 sub.add(f"[dim]{key}[/]: {option.description}")
@@ -202,9 +513,30 @@ class SelectionAction(BaseAction):
             tree.add(f"[{OneColors.DARK_RED_b}]Invalid selections type[/]")
             return
 
-        tree.add(f"[dim]Default:[/] '{self.default_selection or self.last_result}'")
-        tree.add(f"[dim]Return:[/] {'Key' if self.return_key else 'Value'}")
+        default = self.default_selection or self.last_result
+        if isinstance(default, list):
+            default_display = self.separator.join(str(d) for d in default)
+        else:
+            default_display = str(default or "")
+
+        tree.add(f"[dim]Default:[/] '{default_display}'")
+
+        return_behavior = {
+            "KEY": "selected key(s)",
+            "VALUE": "mapped value(s)",
+            "DESCRIPTION": "description(s)",
+            "ITEMS": "SelectionOption object(s)",
+            "DESCRIPTION_VALUE": "{description: value}",
+        }.get(self.return_type.name, self.return_type.name)
+
+        tree.add(
+            f"[dim]Return:[/] {self.return_type.name.capitalize()} → {return_behavior}"
+        )
         tree.add(f"[dim]Prompt:[/] {'Disabled' if self.never_prompt else 'Enabled'}")
+        tree.add(f"[dim]Columns:[/] {self.columns}")
+        tree.add(
+            f"[dim]Multi-select:[/] {'Yes' if self.number_selections != 1 else 'No'}"
+        )
 
         if not parent:
             self.console.print(tree)
@@ -218,6 +550,6 @@ class SelectionAction(BaseAction):
         return (
             f"SelectionAction(name={self.name!r}, type={selection_type}, "
             f"default_selection={self.default_selection!r}, "
-            f"return_key={self.return_key}, "
+            f"return_type={self.return_type!r}, "
             f"prompt={'off' if self.never_prompt else 'on'})"
         )

falyx/action/shell_action.py

@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+# Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
+"""Execute shell commands with input substitution."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import shlex
+import subprocess
+import sys
+from typing import Any, Callable
+
+from rich.tree import Tree
+
+from falyx.action.io_action import BaseIOAction
+from falyx.exceptions import FalyxError
+from falyx.themes import OneColors
+
+
+class ShellAction(BaseIOAction):
+    """
+    ShellAction wraps a shell command template for CLI pipelines.
+
+    This Action takes parsed input (from stdin, literal, or last_result),
+    substitutes it into the provided shell command template, and executes
+    the command asynchronously using subprocess.
+
+    Designed for quick integration with shell tools like `grep`, `ping`, `jq`, etc.
+
+    ⚠️ Security Warning:
+    By default, ShellAction uses `shell=True`, which can be dangerous with
+    unsanitized input. To mitigate this, set `safe_mode=True` to use `shell=False`
+    with `shlex.split()`.
+
+    Features:
+    - Automatically handles input parsing (str/bytes)
+    - `safe_mode=True` disables shell interpretation and runs with `shell=False`
+    - Captures stdout and stderr from shell execution
+    - Raises on non-zero exit codes with stderr as the error
+    - Result is returned as trimmed stdout string
+
+    Args:
+        name (str): Name of the action.
+        command_template (str): Shell command to execute. Must include `{}` to include
+                                input. If no placeholder is present, the input is not
+                                included.
+        safe_mode (bool): If True, runs with `shell=False` using shlex parsing
+                          (default: False).
+    """
+
+    def __init__(
+        self, name: str, command_template: str, safe_mode: bool = False, **kwargs
+    ):
+        super().__init__(name=name, **kwargs)
+        self.command_template = command_template
+        self.safe_mode = safe_mode
+
+    def from_input(self, raw: str | bytes) -> str:
+        if not isinstance(raw, (str, bytes)):
+            raise TypeError(
+                f"{self.name} expected str or bytes input, got {type(raw).__name__}"
+            )
+        return raw.strip() if isinstance(raw, str) else raw.decode("utf-8").strip()
+
+    def get_infer_target(self) -> tuple[Callable[..., Any] | None, dict[str, Any] | None]:
+        if sys.stdin.isatty():
+            return self._run, {"parsed_input": {"help": self.command_template}}
+        return None, None
+
+    async def _run(self, parsed_input: str) -> str:
+        # Replace placeholder in template, or use raw input as full command
+        command = self.command_template.format(parsed_input)
+        if self.safe_mode:
+            try:
+                args = shlex.split(command)
+            except ValueError as error:
+                raise FalyxError(f"Invalid command template: {error}")
+            result = subprocess.run(args, capture_output=True, text=True, check=True)
+        else:
+            result = subprocess.run(
+                command, shell=True, text=True, capture_output=True, check=True
+            )
+        if result.returncode != 0:
+            raise RuntimeError(result.stderr.strip())
+        return result.stdout.strip()
+
+    def to_output(self, result: str) -> str:
+        return result
+
+    async def preview(self, parent: Tree | None = None):
+        label = [f"[{OneColors.GREEN_b}]⚙ ShellAction[/] '{self.name}'"]
+        label.append(f"\n[dim]Template:[/] {self.command_template}")
+        label.append(
+            f"\n[dim]Safe mode:[/] {'Enabled' if self.safe_mode else 'Disabled'}"
+        )
+        if self.inject_last_result:
+            label.append(f" [dim](injects '{self.inject_into}')[/dim]")
+        tree = parent.add("".join(label)) if parent else Tree("".join(label))
+        if not parent:
+            self.console.print(tree)
+
+    def __str__(self):
+        return (
+            f"ShellAction(name={self.name!r}, command_template={self.command_template!r},"
+            f" safe_mode={self.safe_mode})"
+        )

falyx/action/signal_action.py

@@ -1,32 +1,85 @@
 # Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
-"""signal_action.py"""
+"""
+Defines `SignalAction`, a lightweight Falyx Action that raises a `FlowSignal`
+(such as `BackSignal`, `QuitSignal`, or `BreakChainSignal`) during execution to
+alter or exit the CLI flow.
+
+Unlike traditional actions, `SignalAction` does not return a result—instead, it raises
+a signal to break, back out, or exit gracefully. Despite its minimal behavior,
+it fully supports Falyx's hook lifecycle, including `before`, `on_error`, `after`,
+and `on_teardown`—allowing it to trigger logging, audit events, UI updates, or custom
+telemetry before halting flow.
+
+Key Features:
+- Declaratively raises a `FlowSignal` from within any Falyx workflow
+- Works in menus, chained actions, or conditionals
+- Hook-compatible: can run pre- and post-signal lifecycle hooks
+- Supports previewing and structured introspection
+
+Use Cases:
+- Implementing "Back", "Cancel", or "Quit" options in `MenuAction` or `PromptMenuAction`
+- Triggering an intentional early exit from a `ChainedAction`
+- Running cleanup hooks before stopping execution
+
+Example:
+    SignalAction("ExitApp", QuitSignal(), hooks=my_hook_manager)
+"""
 from rich.tree import Tree
 
 from falyx.action.action import Action
+from falyx.hook_manager import HookManager
 from falyx.signals import FlowSignal
 from falyx.themes import OneColors
 
 
 class SignalAction(Action):
     """
-    An action that raises a control flow signal when executed.
+    A hook-compatible action that raises a control flow signal when invoked.
 
-    Useful for exiting a menu, going back, or halting execution gracefully.
+    `SignalAction` raises a `FlowSignal` (e.g., `BackSignal`, `QuitSignal`,
+    `BreakChainSignal`) during execution. It is commonly used to exit menus,
+    break from chained actions, or halt workflows intentionally.
+
+    Even though the signal interrupts normal flow, all registered lifecycle hooks
+    (`before`, `on_error`, `after`, `on_teardown`) are triggered as expected—
+    allowing structured behavior such as logging, analytics, or UI changes
+    before the signal is raised.
+
+    Args:
+        name (str): Name of the action (used for logging and debugging).
+        signal (FlowSignal): A subclass of `FlowSignal` to raise (e.g., QuitSignal).
+        hooks (HookManager | None): Optional hook manager to attach lifecycle hooks.
+
+    Raises:
+        FlowSignal: Always raises the provided signal when the action is run.
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, name: str, signal: Exception):
+    def __init__(self, name: str, signal: FlowSignal, hooks: HookManager | None = None):
         self.signal = signal
-        super().__init__(name, action=self.raise_signal)
+        super().__init__(name, action=self.raise_signal, hooks=hooks)
 
     async def raise_signal(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        """
+        Raises the configured `FlowSignal`.
+
+        This method is called internally by the Falyx runtime and is the core
+        behavior of the action. All hooks surrounding execution are still triggered.
+        """
         raise self.signal
 
     @property
     def signal(self):
+        """Returns the configured `FlowSignal` instance."""
         return self._signal
 
     @signal.setter
     def signal(self, value: FlowSignal):
+        """
+        Validates that the provided value is a `FlowSignal`.
+
+        Raises:
+            TypeError: If `value` is not an instance of `FlowSignal`.
+        """
         if not isinstance(value, FlowSignal):
             raise TypeError(
                 f"Signal must be an FlowSignal instance, got {type(value).__name__}"

falyx/action/types.py

@@ -1,37 +0,0 @@
-from __future__ import annotations
-
-from enum import Enum
-
-
-class FileReturnType(Enum):
-    """Enum for file return types."""
-
-    TEXT = "text"
-    PATH = "path"
-    JSON = "json"
-    TOML = "toml"
-    YAML = "yaml"
-    CSV = "csv"
-    TSV = "tsv"
-    XML = "xml"
-
-    @classmethod
-    def _get_alias(cls, value: str) -> str:
-        aliases = {
-            "yml": "yaml",
-            "txt": "text",
-            "file": "path",
-            "filepath": "path",
-        }
-        return aliases.get(value, value)
-
-    @classmethod
-    def _missing_(cls, value: object) -> FileReturnType:
-        if isinstance(value, str):
-            normalized = value.lower()
-            alias = cls._get_alias(normalized)
-            for member in cls:
-                if member.value == alias:
-                    return member
-        valid = ", ".join(member.value for member in cls)
-        raise ValueError(f"Invalid FileReturnType: '{value}'. Must be one of: {valid}")

falyx/action/user_input_action.py

@@ -1,36 +1,70 @@
+# Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
+"""
+Defines `UserInputAction`, a Falyx Action that prompts the user for input using
+Prompt Toolkit and returns the result as a string.
+
+This action is ideal for interactive CLI workflows that require user input mid-pipeline.
+It supports dynamic prompt interpolation, prompt validation, default text fallback,
+and full lifecycle hook execution.
+
+Key Features:
+- Rich Prompt Toolkit integration for input and validation
+- Dynamic prompt formatting using `last_result` injection
+- Optional `Validator` support for structured input (e.g., emails, numbers)
+- Hook lifecycle compatibility (before, on_success, on_error, after, teardown)
+- Preview support for introspection or dry-run flows
+
+Use Cases:
+- Asking for confirmation text or field input mid-chain
+- Injecting user-provided variables into automated pipelines
+- Interactive menu or wizard experiences
+
+Example:
+    UserInputAction(
+        name="GetUsername",
+        prompt_message="Enter your username > ",
+        validator=Validator.from_callable(lambda s: len(s) > 0),
+    )
+"""
 from prompt_toolkit import PromptSession
 from prompt_toolkit.validation import Validator
-from rich.console import Console
 from rich.tree import Tree
 
-from falyx.action import BaseAction
+from falyx.action.base_action import BaseAction
 from falyx.context import ExecutionContext
 from falyx.execution_registry import ExecutionRegistry as er
 from falyx.hook_manager import HookType
+from falyx.prompt_utils import rich_text_to_prompt_text
+from falyx.signals import CancelSignal
 from falyx.themes.colors import OneColors
 
 
 class UserInputAction(BaseAction):
     """
-    Prompts the user for input via PromptSession and returns the result.
+    Prompts the user for textual input and returns their response.
+
+    `UserInputAction` uses Prompt Toolkit to gather input with optional validation,
+    lifecycle hook compatibility, and support for default text. If `inject_last_result`
+    is enabled, the prompt message can interpolate `{last_result}` dynamically.
 
     Args:
-        name (str): Action name.
-        prompt_text (str): Prompt text (can include '{last_result}' for interpolation).
-        validator (Validator, optional): Prompt Toolkit validator.
-        console (Console, optional): Rich console for rendering.
-        prompt_session (PromptSession, optional): Reusable prompt session.
-        inject_last_result (bool): Whether to inject last_result into prompt.
-        inject_into (str): Key to use for injection (default: 'last_result').
+        name (str): Name of the action (used for introspection and logging).
+        prompt_message (str): The prompt message shown to the user.
+            Can include `{last_result}` if `inject_last_result=True`.
+        default_text (str): Optional default value shown in the prompt.
+        validator (Validator | None): Prompt Toolkit validator for input constraints.
+        prompt_session (PromptSession | None): Optional custom prompt session.
+        inject_last_result (bool): Whether to inject `last_result` into the prompt.
     """
 
     def __init__(
         self,
         name: str,
         *,
-        prompt_text: str = "Input > ",
+        prompt_message: str = "Input > ",
+        default_text: str = "",
+        multiline: bool = False,
         validator: Validator | None = None,
-        console: Console | None = None,
         prompt_session: PromptSession | None = None,
         inject_last_result: bool = False,
     ):
@@ -38,10 +72,16 @@ class UserInputAction(BaseAction):
             name=name,
             inject_last_result=inject_last_result,
         )
-        self.prompt_text = prompt_text
+        self.prompt_message = prompt_message
+        self.default_text = default_text
+        self.multiline = multiline
         self.validator = validator
-        self.console = console or Console(color_system="auto")
-        self.prompt_session = prompt_session or PromptSession()
+        self.prompt_session = prompt_session or PromptSession(
+            interrupt_exception=CancelSignal
+        )
+
+    def get_infer_target(self) -> tuple[None, None]:
+        return None, None
 
     async def _run(self, *args, **kwargs) -> str:
         context = ExecutionContext(
@@ -54,13 +94,15 @@ class UserInputAction(BaseAction):
         try:
             await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.BEFORE, context)
 
-            prompt_text = self.prompt_text
+            prompt_message = self.prompt_message
             if self.inject_last_result and self.last_result:
-                prompt_text = prompt_text.format(last_result=self.last_result)
+                prompt_message = prompt_message.format(last_result=self.last_result)
 
             answer = await self.prompt_session.prompt_async(
-                prompt_text,
+                rich_text_to_prompt_text(prompt_message),
                 validator=self.validator,
+                default=kwargs.get("default_text", self.default_text),
+                multiline=self.multiline,
             )
             context.result = answer
             await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.ON_SUCCESS, context)
@@ -79,12 +121,12 @@ class UserInputAction(BaseAction):
         label = f"[{OneColors.MAGENTA}]⌨ UserInputAction[/] '{self.name}'"
         tree = parent.add(label) if parent else Tree(label)
 
-        prompt_text = (
-            self.prompt_text.replace("{last_result}", "<last_result>")
-            if "{last_result}" in self.prompt_text
-            else self.prompt_text
+        prompt_message = (
+            self.prompt_message.replace("{last_result}", "<last_result>")
+            if "{last_result}" in self.prompt_message
+            else self.prompt_message
         )
-        tree.add(f"[dim]Prompt:[/] {prompt_text}")
+        tree.add(f"[dim]Prompt:[/] {prompt_message}")
         if self.validator:
             tree.add("[dim]Validator:[/] Yes")
         if not parent:

falyx/argparse.py

@@ -1,596 +0,0 @@
-# Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
-from copy import deepcopy
-from dataclasses import dataclass
-from enum import Enum
-from typing import Any, Iterable
-
-from rich.console import Console
-from rich.table import Table
-
-from falyx.exceptions import CommandArgumentError
-from falyx.signals import HelpSignal
-
-
-class ArgumentAction(Enum):
-    """Defines the action to be taken when the argument is encountered."""
-
-    STORE = "store"
-    STORE_TRUE = "store_true"
-    STORE_FALSE = "store_false"
-    APPEND = "append"
-    EXTEND = "extend"
-    COUNT = "count"
-    HELP = "help"
-
-
-@dataclass
-class Argument:
-    """Represents a command-line argument."""
-
-    flags: list[str]
-    dest: str  # Destination name for the argument
-    action: ArgumentAction = (
-        ArgumentAction.STORE
-    )  # Action to be taken when the argument is encountered
-    type: Any = str  # Type of the argument (e.g., str, int, float) or callable
-    default: Any = None  # Default value if the argument is not provided
-    choices: list[str] | None = None  # List of valid choices for the argument
-    required: bool = False  # True if the argument is required
-    help: str = ""  # Help text for the argument
-    nargs: int | str = 1  # int, '?', '*', '+'
-    positional: bool = False  # True if no leading - or -- in flags
-
-
-class CommandArgumentParser:
-    """
-    Custom argument parser for Falyx Commands.
-    It is used to create a command-line interface for Falyx
-    commands, allowing users to specify options and arguments
-    when executing commands.
-    It is not intended to be a full-featured replacement for
-    argparse, but rather a lightweight alternative for specific use
-    cases within the Falyx framework.
-
-    Features:
-    - Customizable argument parsing.
-    - Type coercion for arguments.
-    - Support for positional and keyword arguments.
-    - Support for default values.
-    - Support for boolean flags.
-    - Exception handling for invalid arguments.
-    - Render Help using Rich library.
-    """
-
-    def __init__(self) -> None:
-        """Initialize the CommandArgumentParser."""
-        self.command_description: str = ""
-        self._arguments: list[Argument] = []
-        self._flag_map: dict[str, Argument] = {}
-        self._dest_set: set[str] = set()
-        self._add_help()
-        self.console = Console(color_system="auto")
-
-    def _add_help(self):
-        """Add help argument to the parser."""
-        self.add_argument(
-            "--help",
-            "-h",
-            action=ArgumentAction.HELP,
-            help="Show this help message and exit.",
-            dest="help",
-        )
-
-    def _is_positional(self, flags: tuple[str, ...]) -> bool:
-        """Check if the flags are positional."""
-        positional = False
-        if any(not flag.startswith("-") for flag in flags):
-            positional = True
-
-        if positional and len(flags) > 1:
-            raise CommandArgumentError("Positional arguments cannot have multiple flags")
-        return positional
-
-    def _get_dest_from_flags(
-        self, flags: tuple[str, ...], dest: str | None
-    ) -> str | None:
-        """Convert flags to a destination name."""
-        if dest:
-            if not dest.replace("_", "").isalnum():
-                raise CommandArgumentError(
-                    "dest must be a valid identifier (letters, digits, and underscores only)"
-                )
-            if dest[0].isdigit():
-                raise CommandArgumentError("dest must not start with a digit")
-            return dest
-        dest = None
-        for flag in flags:
-            if flag.startswith("--"):
-                dest = flag.lstrip("-").replace("-", "_").lower()
-                break
-            elif flag.startswith("-"):
-                dest = flag.lstrip("-").replace("-", "_").lower()
-            else:
-                dest = flag.replace("-", "_").lower()
-        assert dest is not None, "dest should not be None"
-        if not dest.replace("_", "").isalnum():
-            raise CommandArgumentError(
-                "dest must be a valid identifier (letters, digits, and underscores only)"
-            )
-        if dest[0].isdigit():
-            raise CommandArgumentError("dest must not start with a digit")
-        return dest
-
-    def _determine_required(
-        self, required: bool, positional: bool, nargs: int | str
-    ) -> bool:
-        """Determine if the argument is required."""
-        if required:
-            return True
-        if positional:
-            if isinstance(nargs, int):
-                return nargs > 0
-            elif isinstance(nargs, str):
-                if nargs in ("+"):
-                    return True
-                elif nargs in ("*", "?"):
-                    return False
-                else:
-                    raise CommandArgumentError(f"Invalid nargs value: {nargs}")
-
-        return required
-
-    def _validate_nargs(self, nargs: int | str) -> int | str:
-        allowed_nargs = ("?", "*", "+")
-        if isinstance(nargs, int):
-            if nargs <= 0:
-                raise CommandArgumentError("nargs must be a positive integer")
-        elif isinstance(nargs, str):
-            if nargs not in allowed_nargs:
-                raise CommandArgumentError(f"Invalid nargs value: {nargs}")
-        else:
-            raise CommandArgumentError(f"nargs must be an int or one of {allowed_nargs}")
-        return nargs
-
-    def _normalize_choices(self, choices: Iterable, expected_type: Any) -> list[Any]:
-        if choices is not None:
-            if isinstance(choices, dict):
-                raise CommandArgumentError("choices cannot be a dict")
-            try:
-                choices = list(choices)
-            except TypeError:
-                raise CommandArgumentError(
-                    "choices must be iterable (like list, tuple, or set)"
-                )
-        else:
-            choices = []
-        for choice in choices:
-            if not isinstance(choice, expected_type):
-                try:
-                    expected_type(choice)
-                except Exception:
-                    raise CommandArgumentError(
-                        f"Invalid choice {choice!r}: not coercible to {expected_type.__name__}"
-                    )
-        return choices
-
-    def _validate_default_type(
-        self, default: Any, expected_type: type, dest: str
-    ) -> None:
-        """Validate the default value type."""
-        if default is not None and not isinstance(default, expected_type):
-            try:
-                expected_type(default)
-            except Exception:
-                raise CommandArgumentError(
-                    f"Default value {default!r} for '{dest}' cannot be coerced to {expected_type.__name__}"
-                )
-
-    def _validate_default_list_type(
-        self, default: list[Any], expected_type: type, dest: str
-    ) -> None:
-        if isinstance(default, list):
-            for item in default:
-                if not isinstance(item, expected_type):
-                    try:
-                        expected_type(item)
-                    except Exception:
-                        raise CommandArgumentError(
-                            f"Default list value {default!r} for '{dest}' cannot be coerced to {expected_type.__name__}"
-                        )
-
-    def _resolve_default(
-        self, action: ArgumentAction, default: Any, nargs: str | int
-    ) -> Any:
-        """Get the default value for the argument."""
-        if default is None:
-            if action == ArgumentAction.STORE_TRUE:
-                return False
-            elif action == ArgumentAction.STORE_FALSE:
-                return True
-            elif action == ArgumentAction.COUNT:
-                return 0
-            elif action in (ArgumentAction.APPEND, ArgumentAction.EXTEND):
-                return []
-            elif nargs in ("+", "*"):
-                return []
-            else:
-                return None
-        return default
-
-    def _validate_flags(self, flags: tuple[str, ...]) -> None:
-        """Validate the flags provided for the argument."""
-        if not flags:
-            raise CommandArgumentError("No flags provided")
-        for flag in flags:
-            if not isinstance(flag, str):
-                raise CommandArgumentError(f"Flag '{flag}' must be a string")
-            if flag.startswith("--") and len(flag) < 3:
-                raise CommandArgumentError(
-                    f"Flag '{flag}' must be at least 3 characters long"
-                )
-            if flag.startswith("-") and not flag.startswith("--") and len(flag) > 2:
-                raise CommandArgumentError(
-                    f"Flag '{flag}' must be a single character or start with '--'"
-                )
-
-    def add_argument(self, *flags, **kwargs):
-        """Add an argument to the parser.
-        Args:
-            name or flags: Either a name or prefixed flags (e.g. 'faylx', '-f', '--falyx').
-            action: The action to be taken when the argument is encountered.
-            nargs: The number of arguments expected.
-            default: The default value if the argument is not provided.
-            type: The type to which the command-line argument should be converted.
-            choices: A container of the allowable values for the argument.
-            required: Whether or not the argument is required.
-            help: A brief description of the argument.
-            dest: The name of the attribute to be added to the object returned by parse_args().
-        """
-        self._validate_flags(flags)
-        positional = self._is_positional(flags)
-        dest = self._get_dest_from_flags(flags, kwargs.get("dest"))
-        if dest in self._dest_set:
-            raise CommandArgumentError(
-                f"Destination '{dest}' is already defined.\n"
-                "Merging multiple arguments into the same dest (e.g. positional + flagged) "
-                "is not supported. Define a unique 'dest' for each argument."
-            )
-        self._dest_set.add(dest)
-        action = kwargs.get("action", ArgumentAction.STORE)
-        if not isinstance(action, ArgumentAction):
-            try:
-                action = ArgumentAction(action)
-            except ValueError:
-                raise CommandArgumentError(
-                    f"Invalid action '{action}' is not a valid ArgumentAction"
-                )
-        flags = list(flags)
-        nargs = self._validate_nargs(kwargs.get("nargs", 1))
-        default = self._resolve_default(action, kwargs.get("default"), nargs)
-        expected_type = kwargs.get("type", str)
-        if (
-            action in (ArgumentAction.STORE, ArgumentAction.APPEND, ArgumentAction.EXTEND)
-            and default is not None
-        ):
-            if isinstance(default, list):
-                self._validate_default_list_type(default, expected_type, dest)
-            else:
-                self._validate_default_type(default, expected_type, dest)
-        choices = self._normalize_choices(kwargs.get("choices"), expected_type)
-        if default is not None and choices and default not in choices:
-            raise CommandArgumentError(
-                f"Default value '{default}' not in allowed choices: {choices}"
-            )
-        required = self._determine_required(
-            kwargs.get("required", False), positional, nargs
-        )
-        argument = Argument(
-            flags=flags,
-            dest=dest,
-            action=action,
-            type=expected_type,
-            default=default,
-            choices=choices,
-            required=required,
-            help=kwargs.get("help", ""),
-            nargs=nargs,
-            positional=positional,
-        )
-        for flag in flags:
-            if flag in self._flag_map:
-                existing = self._flag_map[flag]
-                raise CommandArgumentError(
-                    f"Flag '{flag}' is already used by argument '{existing.dest}'"
-                )
-            self._flag_map[flag] = argument
-        self._arguments.append(argument)
-
-    def get_argument(self, dest: str) -> Argument | None:
-        return next((a for a in self._arguments if a.dest == dest), None)
-
-    def _consume_nargs(
-        self, args: list[str], start: int, spec: Argument
-    ) -> tuple[list[str], int]:
-        values = []
-        i = start
-        if isinstance(spec.nargs, int):
-            # assert i + spec.nargs <= len(
-            #     args
-            # ), "Not enough arguments provided: shouldn't happen"
-            values = args[i : i + spec.nargs]
-            return values, i + spec.nargs
-        elif spec.nargs == "+":
-            if i >= len(args):
-                raise CommandArgumentError(
-                    f"Expected at least one value for '{spec.dest}'"
-                )
-            while i < len(args) and not args[i].startswith("-"):
-                values.append(args[i])
-                i += 1
-            assert values, "Expected at least one value for '+' nargs: shouldn't happen"
-            return values, i
-        elif spec.nargs == "*":
-            while i < len(args) and not args[i].startswith("-"):
-                values.append(args[i])
-                i += 1
-            return values, i
-        elif spec.nargs == "?":
-            if i < len(args) and not args[i].startswith("-"):
-                return [args[i]], i + 1
-            return [], i
-        else:
-            assert False, "Invalid nargs value: shouldn't happen"
-
-    def _consume_all_positional_args(
-        self,
-        args: list[str],
-        result: dict[str, Any],
-        positional_args: list[Argument],
-        consumed_positional_indicies: set[int],
-    ) -> int:
-        remaining_positional_args = [
-            (j, spec)
-            for j, spec in enumerate(positional_args)
-            if j not in consumed_positional_indicies
-        ]
-        i = 0
-
-        for j, spec in remaining_positional_args:
-            # estimate how many args the remaining specs might need
-            is_last = j == len(positional_args) - 1
-            remaining = len(args) - i
-            min_required = 0
-            for next_spec in positional_args[j + 1 :]:
-                if isinstance(next_spec.nargs, int):
-                    min_required += next_spec.nargs
-                elif next_spec.nargs == "+":
-                    min_required += 1
-                elif next_spec.nargs == "?":
-                    min_required += 0
-                elif next_spec.nargs == "*":
-                    min_required += 0
-                else:
-                    assert False, "Invalid nargs value: shouldn't happen"
-
-            slice_args = args[i:] if is_last else args[i : i + (remaining - min_required)]
-            values, new_i = self._consume_nargs(slice_args, 0, spec)
-            i += new_i
-
-            try:
-                typed = [spec.type(v) for v in values]
-            except Exception:
-                raise CommandArgumentError(
-                    f"Invalid value for '{spec.dest}': expected {spec.type.__name__}"
-                )
-
-            if spec.action == ArgumentAction.APPEND:
-                assert result.get(spec.dest) is not None, "dest should not be None"
-                if spec.nargs in (None, 1):
-                    result[spec.dest].append(typed[0])
-                else:
-                    result[spec.dest].append(typed)
-            elif spec.action == ArgumentAction.EXTEND:
-                assert result.get(spec.dest) is not None, "dest should not be None"
-                result[spec.dest].extend(typed)
-            elif spec.nargs in (None, 1, "?"):
-                result[spec.dest] = typed[0] if len(typed) == 1 else typed
-            else:
-                result[spec.dest] = typed
-
-            if spec.nargs not in ("*", "+"):
-                consumed_positional_indicies.add(j)
-
-        if i < len(args):
-            raise CommandArgumentError(f"Unexpected positional argument: {args[i:]}")
-
-        return i
-
-    def parse_args(self, args: list[str] | None = None) -> dict[str, Any]:
-        """Parse Falyx Command arguments."""
-        if args is None:
-            args = []
-
-        result = {arg.dest: deepcopy(arg.default) for arg in self._arguments}
-        positional_args = [arg for arg in self._arguments if arg.positional]
-        consumed_positional_indices: set[int] = set()
-
-        consumed_indices: set[int] = set()
-        i = 0
-        while i < len(args):
-            token = args[i]
-            if token in self._flag_map:
-                spec = self._flag_map[token]
-                action = spec.action
-
-                if action == ArgumentAction.HELP:
-                    self.render_help()
-                    raise HelpSignal()
-                elif action == ArgumentAction.STORE_TRUE:
-                    result[spec.dest] = True
-                    consumed_indices.add(i)
-                    i += 1
-                elif action == ArgumentAction.STORE_FALSE:
-                    result[spec.dest] = False
-                    consumed_indices.add(i)
-                    i += 1
-                elif action == ArgumentAction.COUNT:
-                    result[spec.dest] = result.get(spec.dest, 0) + 1
-                    consumed_indices.add(i)
-                    i += 1
-                elif action == ArgumentAction.APPEND:
-                    assert result.get(spec.dest) is not None, "dest should not be None"
-                    values, new_i = self._consume_nargs(args, i + 1, spec)
-                    try:
-                        typed_values = [spec.type(value) for value in values]
-                    except ValueError:
-                        raise CommandArgumentError(
-                            f"Invalid value for '{spec.dest}': expected {spec.type.__name__}"
-                        )
-                    if spec.nargs in (None, 1):
-                        try:
-                            result[spec.dest].append(spec.type(values[0]))
-                        except ValueError:
-                            raise CommandArgumentError(
-                                f"Invalid value for '{spec.dest}': expected {spec.type.__name__}"
-                            )
-                    else:
-                        result[spec.dest].append(typed_values)
-                    consumed_indices.update(range(i, new_i))
-                    i = new_i
-                elif action == ArgumentAction.EXTEND:
-                    assert result.get(spec.dest) is not None, "dest should not be None"
-                    values, new_i = self._consume_nargs(args, i + 1, spec)
-                    try:
-                        typed_values = [spec.type(value) for value in values]
-                    except ValueError:
-                        raise CommandArgumentError(
-                            f"Invalid value for '{spec.dest}': expected {spec.type.__name__}"
-                        )
-                    result[spec.dest].extend(typed_values)
-                    consumed_indices.update(range(i, new_i))
-                    i = new_i
-                else:
-                    values, new_i = self._consume_nargs(args, i + 1, spec)
-                    try:
-                        typed_values = [spec.type(v) for v in values]
-                    except ValueError:
-                        raise CommandArgumentError(
-                            f"Invalid value for '{spec.dest}': expected {spec.type.__name__}"
-                        )
-                    if (
-                        spec.nargs in (None, 1, "?")
-                        and spec.action != ArgumentAction.APPEND
-                    ):
-                        result[spec.dest] = (
-                            typed_values[0] if len(typed_values) == 1 else typed_values
-                        )
-                    else:
-                        result[spec.dest] = typed_values
-                    consumed_indices.update(range(i, new_i))
-                    i = new_i
-            else:
-                # Get the next flagged argument index if it exists
-                next_flagged_index = -1
-                for index, arg in enumerate(args[i:], start=i):
-                    if arg.startswith("-"):
-                        next_flagged_index = index
-                        break
-                if next_flagged_index == -1:
-                    next_flagged_index = len(args)
-
-                args_consumed = self._consume_all_positional_args(
-                    args[i:next_flagged_index],
-                    result,
-                    positional_args,
-                    consumed_positional_indices,
-                )
-                i += args_consumed
-
-        # Required validation
-        for spec in self._arguments:
-            if spec.dest == "help":
-                continue
-            if spec.required and not result.get(spec.dest):
-                raise CommandArgumentError(f"Missing required argument: {spec.dest}")
-
-            if spec.choices and result.get(spec.dest) not in spec.choices:
-                raise CommandArgumentError(
-                    f"Invalid value for {spec.dest}: must be one of {spec.choices}"
-                )
-
-            if isinstance(spec.nargs, int) and spec.nargs > 1:
-                if not isinstance(result.get(spec.dest), list):
-                    raise CommandArgumentError(
-                        f"Invalid value for {spec.dest}: expected a list"
-                    )
-                if spec.action == ArgumentAction.APPEND:
-                    if not isinstance(result[spec.dest], list):
-                        raise CommandArgumentError(
-                            f"Invalid value for {spec.dest}: expected a list"
-                        )
-                    for group in result[spec.dest]:
-                        if len(group) % spec.nargs != 0:
-                            raise CommandArgumentError(
-                                f"Invalid number of values for {spec.dest}: expected a multiple of {spec.nargs}"
-                            )
-                elif spec.action == ArgumentAction.EXTEND:
-                    if not isinstance(result[spec.dest], list):
-                        raise CommandArgumentError(
-                            f"Invalid value for {spec.dest}: expected a list"
-                        )
-                    if len(result[spec.dest]) % spec.nargs != 0:
-                        raise CommandArgumentError(
-                            f"Invalid number of values for {spec.dest}: expected a multiple of {spec.nargs}"
-                        )
-                elif len(result[spec.dest]) != spec.nargs:
-                    raise CommandArgumentError(
-                        f"Invalid number of values for {spec.dest}: expected {spec.nargs}, got {len(result[spec.dest])}"
-                    )
-
-        result.pop("help", None)
-        return result
-
-    def parse_args_split(self, args: list[str]) -> tuple[tuple[Any, ...], dict[str, Any]]:
-        """
-        Returns:
-            tuple[args, kwargs] - Positional arguments in defined order,
-            followed by keyword argument mapping.
-        """
-        parsed = self.parse_args(args)
-        args_list = []
-        kwargs_dict = {}
-        for arg in self._arguments:
-            if arg.dest == "help":
-                continue
-            if arg.positional:
-                args_list.append(parsed[arg.dest])
-            else:
-                kwargs_dict[arg.dest] = parsed[arg.dest]
-        return tuple(args_list), kwargs_dict
-
-    def render_help(self):
-        table = Table(title=f"{self.command_description} Help")
-        table.add_column("Flags")
-        table.add_column("Help")
-        for arg in self._arguments:
-            if arg.dest == "help":
-                continue
-            flag_str = ", ".join(arg.flags) if not arg.positional else arg.dest
-            table.add_row(flag_str, arg.help or "")
-        table.add_section()
-        arg = self.get_argument("help")
-        flag_str = ", ".join(arg.flags) if not arg.positional else arg.dest
-        table.add_row(flag_str, arg.help or "")
-        self.console.print(table)
-
-    def __str__(self) -> str:
-        positional = sum(arg.positional for arg in self._arguments)
-        required = sum(arg.required for arg in self._arguments)
-        return (
-            f"CommandArgumentParser(args={len(self._arguments)}, "
-            f"flags={len(self._flag_map)}, dests={len(self._dest_set)}, "
-            f"required={required}, positional={positional})"
-        )
-
-    def __repr__(self) -> str:
-        return str(self)

falyx/bottom_bar.py

@@ -1,12 +1,45 @@
 # Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
-"""bottom_bar.py"""
+"""
+Provides the `BottomBar` class for managing a customizable bottom status bar in
+Falyx-based CLI applications.
+
+The bottom bar is rendered using `prompt_toolkit` and supports:
+- Rich-formatted static content
+- Live-updating value trackers and counters
+- Toggle switches activated via Ctrl+<key> bindings
+- Config-driven visual and behavioral controls
+
+Each item in the bar is registered by name and rendered in columns across the
+bottom of the terminal. Toggles are linked to user-defined state accessors and
+mutators, and can be automatically bound to `OptionsManager` values for full
+integration with Falyx CLI argument parsing.
+
+Key Features:
+- Live rendering of structured status items using Rich-style HTML
+- Custom or built-in item types: static text, dynamic counters, toggles, value displays
+- Ctrl+key toggle handling via `prompt_toolkit.KeyBindings`
+- Columnar layout with automatic width scaling
+- Optional integration with `OptionsManager` for dynamic state toggling
+
+Usage Example:
+    bar = BottomBar(columns=3)
+    bar.add_static("env", "ENV: dev")
+    bar.add_toggle("d", "Debug", get_debug, toggle_debug)
+    bar.add_value_tracker("attempts", "Retries", get_retry_count)
+    bar.render()
+
+Used by Falyx to provide a persistent UI element showing toggles, system state,
+and runtime telemetry below the input prompt.
+"""
 
 from typing import Any, Callable
 
 from prompt_toolkit.formatted_text import HTML, merge_formatted_text
 from prompt_toolkit.key_binding import KeyBindings
+from prompt_toolkit.key_binding.key_processor import KeyPressEvent
 from rich.console import Console
 
+from falyx.console import console
 from falyx.options_manager import OptionsManager
 from falyx.themes import OneColors
 from falyx.utils import CaseInsensitiveDict, chunks
@@ -23,19 +56,19 @@ class BottomBar:
             Must return True if key is available, otherwise False.
     """
 
+    RESERVED_CTRL_KEYS = {"c", "d", "z", "v"}
+
     def __init__(
         self,
         columns: int = 3,
         key_bindings: KeyBindings | None = None,
-        key_validator: Callable[[str], bool] | None = None,
     ) -> None:
         self.columns = columns
-        self.console = Console(color_system="auto")
+        self.console: Console = console
         self._named_items: dict[str, Callable[[], HTML]] = {}
         self._value_getters: dict[str, Callable[[], Any]] = CaseInsensitiveDict()
         self.toggle_keys: list[str] = []
         self.key_bindings = key_bindings or KeyBindings()
-        self.key_validator = key_validator
 
     @staticmethod
     def default_render(label: str, value: Any, fg: str, bg: str, width: int) -> HTML:
@@ -120,17 +153,31 @@ class BottomBar:
         bg_on: str = OneColors.GREEN,
         bg_off: str = OneColors.DARK_RED,
     ) -> None:
+        """
+        Add a toggle to the bottom bar.
+        Always uses the ctrl + key combination for toggling.
+
+        Args:
+            key (str): The key to toggle the state.
+            label (str): The label for the toggle.
+            get_state (Callable[[], bool]): Function to get the current state.
+            toggle_state (Callable[[], None]): Function to toggle the state.
+            fg (str): Foreground color for the label.
+            bg_on (str): Background color when the toggle is ON.
+            bg_off (str): Background color when the toggle is OFF.
+        """
+        key = key.lower()
+        if key in self.RESERVED_CTRL_KEYS:
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"'{key}' is a reserved terminal control key and cannot be used for toggles."
+            )
         if not callable(get_state):
             raise ValueError("`get_state` must be a callable returning bool")
         if not callable(toggle_state):
             raise ValueError("`toggle_state` must be a callable")
-        key = key.upper()
         if key in self.toggle_keys:
             raise ValueError(f"Key {key} is already used as a toggle")
-        if self.key_validator and not self.key_validator(key):
-            raise ValueError(
-                f"Key '{key}' conflicts with existing command, toggle, or reserved key."
-            )
+
         self._value_getters[key] = get_state
         self.toggle_keys.append(key)
 
@@ -138,15 +185,13 @@ class BottomBar:
             get_state_ = self._value_getters[key]
             color = bg_on if get_state_() else bg_off
             status = "ON" if get_state_() else "OFF"
-            text = f"({key.upper()}) {label}: {status}"
+            text = f"(^{key.lower()}) {label}: {status}"
             return HTML(f"<style bg='{color}' fg='{fg}'>{text:^{self.space}}</style>")
 
         self._add_named(key, render)
 
-        for k in (key.upper(), key.lower()):
-
-            @self.key_bindings.add(k)
-            def _(_):
+        @self.key_bindings.add(f"c-{key.lower()}", eager=True)
+        def _(_: KeyPressEvent):
             toggle_state()
 
     def add_toggle_from_option(

falyx/command.py

@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 # Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
-"""command.py
-
+"""
 Defines the Command class for Falyx CLI.
 
 Commands are callable units representing a menu option or CLI task,
@@ -19,23 +18,24 @@ in building robust interactive menus.
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import shlex
-from functools import cached_property
-from typing import Any, Callable
+from typing import Any, Awaitable, Callable
 
 from prompt_toolkit.formatted_text import FormattedText
 from pydantic import BaseModel, ConfigDict, Field, PrivateAttr, field_validator
-from rich.console import Console
 from rich.tree import Tree
 
-from falyx.action.action import Action, ActionGroup, BaseAction, ChainedAction
-from falyx.action.io_action import BaseIOAction
-from falyx.argparse import CommandArgumentParser
+from falyx.action.action import Action
+from falyx.action.base_action import BaseAction
+from falyx.console import console
 from falyx.context import ExecutionContext
 from falyx.debug import register_debug_hooks
 from falyx.execution_registry import ExecutionRegistry as er
 from falyx.hook_manager import HookManager, HookType
 from falyx.logger import logger
+from falyx.mode import FalyxMode
 from falyx.options_manager import OptionsManager
+from falyx.parser.command_argument_parser import CommandArgumentParser
+from falyx.parser.signature import infer_args_from_func
 from falyx.prompt_utils import confirm_async, should_prompt_user
 from falyx.protocols import ArgParserProtocol
 from falyx.retry import RetryPolicy
@@ -44,8 +44,6 @@ from falyx.signals import CancelSignal
 from falyx.themes import OneColors
 from falyx.utils import ensure_async
 
-console = Console(color_system="auto")
-
 
 class Command(BaseModel):
     """
@@ -82,14 +80,26 @@ class Command(BaseModel):
         spinner_message (str): Spinner text message.
         spinner_type (str): Spinner style (e.g., dots, line, etc.).
         spinner_style (str): Color or style of the spinner.
-        spinner_kwargs (dict): Extra spinner configuration.
+        spinner_speed (float): Speed of the spinner animation.
         hooks (HookManager): Hook manager for lifecycle events.
         retry (bool): Enable retry on failure.
         retry_all (bool): Enable retry across chained or grouped actions.
         retry_policy (RetryPolicy): Retry behavior configuration.
         tags (list[str]): Organizational tags for the command.
         logging_hooks (bool): Whether to attach logging hooks automatically.
-        requires_input (bool | None): Indicates if the action needs input.
+        options_manager (OptionsManager): Manages global command-line options.
+        arg_parser (CommandArgumentParser): Parses command arguments.
+        arguments (list[dict[str, Any]]): Argument definitions for the command.
+        argument_config (Callable[[CommandArgumentParser], None] | None): Function to configure arguments
+            for the command parser.
+        custom_parser (ArgParserProtocol | None): Custom argument parser.
+        custom_help (Callable[[], str | None] | None): Custom help message generator.
+        auto_args (bool): Automatically infer arguments from the action.
+        arg_metadata (dict[str, str | dict[str, Any]]): Metadata for arguments,
+            such as help text or choices.
+        simple_help_signature (bool): Whether to use a simplified help signature.
+        ignore_in_history (bool): Whether to ignore this command in execution history last result.
+        program: (str | None): The parent program name.
 
     Methods:
         __call__(): Executes the command, respecting hooks and retries.
@@ -101,12 +111,13 @@ class Command(BaseModel):
 
     key: str
     description: str
-    action: BaseAction | Callable[[], Any]
+    action: BaseAction | Callable[..., Any] | Callable[..., Awaitable[Any]]
     args: tuple = ()
     kwargs: dict[str, Any] = Field(default_factory=dict)
     hidden: bool = False
     aliases: list[str] = Field(default_factory=list)
     help_text: str = ""
+    help_epilog: str = ""
     style: str = OneColors.WHITE
     confirm: bool = False
     confirm_message: str = "Are you sure?"
@@ -115,32 +126,64 @@ class Command(BaseModel):
     spinner_message: str = "Processing..."
     spinner_type: str = "dots"
     spinner_style: str = OneColors.CYAN
-    spinner_kwargs: dict[str, Any] = Field(default_factory=dict)
+    spinner_speed: float = 1.0
     hooks: "HookManager" = Field(default_factory=HookManager)
     retry: bool = False
     retry_all: bool = False
     retry_policy: RetryPolicy = Field(default_factory=RetryPolicy)
     tags: list[str] = Field(default_factory=list)
     logging_hooks: bool = False
-    requires_input: bool | None = None
     options_manager: OptionsManager = Field(default_factory=OptionsManager)
-    arg_parser: CommandArgumentParser = Field(default_factory=CommandArgumentParser)
+    arg_parser: CommandArgumentParser | None = None
+    arguments: list[dict[str, Any]] = Field(default_factory=list)
+    argument_config: Callable[[CommandArgumentParser], None] | None = None
     custom_parser: ArgParserProtocol | None = None
     custom_help: Callable[[], str | None] | None = None
+    auto_args: bool = True
+    arg_metadata: dict[str, str | dict[str, Any]] = Field(default_factory=dict)
+    simple_help_signature: bool = False
+    ignore_in_history: bool = False
+    program: str | None = None
 
     _context: ExecutionContext | None = PrivateAttr(default=None)
 
     model_config = ConfigDict(arbitrary_types_allowed=True)
 
-    def parse_args(self, raw_args: list[str] | str) -> tuple[tuple, dict]:
-        if self.custom_parser:
+    async def parse_args(
+        self, raw_args: list[str] | str, from_validate: bool = False
+    ) -> tuple[tuple, dict]:
+        if callable(self.custom_parser):
             if isinstance(raw_args, str):
+                try:
                     raw_args = shlex.split(raw_args)
+                except ValueError:
+                    logger.warning(
+                        "[Command:%s] Failed to split arguments: %s",
+                        self.key,
+                        raw_args,
+                    )
+                    return ((), {})
             return self.custom_parser(raw_args)
 
         if isinstance(raw_args, str):
+            try:
                 raw_args = shlex.split(raw_args)
-        return self.arg_parser.parse_args_split(raw_args)
+            except ValueError:
+                logger.warning(
+                    "[Command:%s] Failed to split arguments: %s",
+                    self.key,
+                    raw_args,
+                )
+                return ((), {})
+        if not isinstance(self.arg_parser, CommandArgumentParser):
+            logger.warning(
+                "[Command:%s] No argument parser configured, using default parsing.",
+                self.key,
+            )
+            return ((), {})
+        return await self.arg_parser.parse_args_split(
+            raw_args, from_validate=from_validate
+        )
 
     @field_validator("action", mode="before")
     @classmethod
@@ -151,11 +194,26 @@ class Command(BaseModel):
             return ensure_async(action)
         raise TypeError("Action must be a callable or an instance of BaseAction")
 
+    def get_argument_definitions(self) -> list[dict[str, Any]]:
+        if self.arguments:
+            return self.arguments
+        elif callable(self.argument_config) and isinstance(
+            self.arg_parser, CommandArgumentParser
+        ):
+            self.argument_config(self.arg_parser)
+        elif self.auto_args:
+            if isinstance(self.action, BaseAction):
+                infer_target, maybe_metadata = self.action.get_infer_target()
+                # merge metadata with the action's metadata if not already in self.arg_metadata
+                if maybe_metadata:
+                    self.arg_metadata = {**maybe_metadata, **self.arg_metadata}
+                return infer_args_from_func(infer_target, self.arg_metadata)
+            elif callable(self.action):
+                return infer_args_from_func(self.action, self.arg_metadata)
+        return []
+
     def model_post_init(self, _: Any) -> None:
         """Post-initialization to set up the action and hooks."""
-        if isinstance(self.arg_parser, CommandArgumentParser):
-            self.arg_parser.command_description = self.description
-
         if self.retry and isinstance(self.action, Action):
             self.action.enable_retry()
         elif self.retry_policy and isinstance(self.action, Action):
@@ -177,26 +235,22 @@ class Command(BaseModel):
         if self.logging_hooks and isinstance(self.action, BaseAction):
             register_debug_hooks(self.action.hooks)
 
-        if self.requires_input is None and self.detect_requires_input:
-            self.requires_input = True
-            self.hidden = True
-        elif self.requires_input is None:
-            self.requires_input = False
-
-    @cached_property
-    def detect_requires_input(self) -> bool:
-        """Detect if the action requires input based on its type."""
-        if isinstance(self.action, BaseIOAction):
-            return True
-        elif isinstance(self.action, ChainedAction):
-            return (
-                isinstance(self.action.actions[0], BaseIOAction)
-                if self.action.actions
-                else False
+        if self.arg_parser is None and not self.custom_parser:
+            self.arg_parser = CommandArgumentParser(
+                command_key=self.key,
+                command_description=self.description,
+                command_style=self.style,
+                help_text=self.help_text,
+                help_epilog=self.help_epilog,
+                aliases=self.aliases,
+                program=self.program,
+                options_manager=self.options_manager,
             )
-        elif isinstance(self.action, ActionGroup):
-            return any(isinstance(action, BaseIOAction) for action in self.action.actions)
-        return False
+            for arg_def in self.get_argument_definitions():
+                self.arg_parser.add_argument(*arg_def.pop("flags"), **arg_def)
+
+        if self.ignore_in_history and isinstance(self.action, BaseAction):
+            self.action.ignore_in_history = True
 
     def _inject_options_manager(self) -> None:
         """Inject the options manager into the action if applicable."""
@@ -223,22 +277,13 @@ class Command(BaseModel):
             if self.preview_before_confirm:
                 await self.preview()
             if not await confirm_async(self.confirmation_prompt):
-                logger.info("[Command:%s] ❌ Cancelled by user.", self.key)
+                logger.info("[Command:%s] Cancelled by user.", self.key)
                 raise CancelSignal(f"[Command:{self.key}] Cancelled by confirmation.")
 
         context.start_timer()
 
         try:
             await self.hooks.trigger(HookType.BEFORE, context)
-            if self.spinner:
-                with console.status(
-                    self.spinner_message,
-                    spinner=self.spinner_type,
-                    spinner_style=self.spinner_style,
-                    **self.spinner_kwargs,
-                ):
-                    result = await self.action(*combined_args, **combined_kwargs)
-            else:
             result = await self.action(*combined_args, **combined_kwargs)
 
             context.result = result
@@ -284,13 +329,53 @@ class Command(BaseModel):
 
         return FormattedText(prompt)
 
+    @property
+    def usage(self) -> str:
+        """Generate a help string for the command arguments."""
+        if not self.arg_parser:
+            return "No arguments defined."
+
+        command_keys_text = self.arg_parser.get_command_keys_text(plain_text=True)
+        options_text = self.arg_parser.get_options_text(plain_text=True)
+        return f"  {command_keys_text:<20}  {options_text} "
+
+    @property
+    def help_signature(self) -> tuple[str, str, str]:
+        """Generate a help signature for the command."""
+        is_cli_mode = self.options_manager.get("mode") in {
+            FalyxMode.RUN,
+            FalyxMode.PREVIEW,
+            FalyxMode.RUN_ALL,
+        }
+
+        program = f"{self.program} run " if is_cli_mode else ""
+
+        if self.arg_parser and not self.simple_help_signature:
+            usage = f"[{self.style}]{program}[/]{self.arg_parser.get_usage()}"
+            description = f"[dim]{self.help_text or self.description}[/dim]"
+            if self.tags:
+                tags = f"[dim]Tags: {', '.join(self.tags)}[/dim]"
+            else:
+                tags = ""
+            return usage, description, tags
+
+        command_keys = " | ".join(
+            [f"[{self.style}]{self.key}[/{self.style}]"]
+            + [f"[{self.style}]{alias}[/{self.style}]" for alias in self.aliases]
+        )
+        return (
+            f"[{self.style}]{program}[/]{command_keys}",
+            f"[dim]{self.description}[/dim]",
+            "",
+        )
+
     def log_summary(self) -> None:
         if self._context:
             self._context.log_summary()
 
-    def show_help(self) -> bool:
+    def render_help(self) -> bool:
         """Display the help message for the command."""
-        if self.custom_help:
+        if callable(self.custom_help):
             output = self.custom_help()
             if output:
                 console.print(output)

falyx/completer.py

@@ -0,0 +1,128 @@
+# Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
+"""
+Provides `FalyxCompleter`, an intelligent autocompletion engine for Falyx CLI
+menus using Prompt Toolkit.
+
+This completer supports:
+- Command key and alias completion (e.g. `R`, `HELP`, `X`)
+- Argument flag completion for registered commands (e.g. `--tag`, `--name`)
+- Context-aware suggestions based on cursor position and argument structure
+- Interactive value completions (e.g. choices and suggestions defined per argument)
+
+Completions are sourced from `CommandArgumentParser.suggest_next`, which analyzes
+parsed tokens to determine appropriate next arguments, flags, or values.
+
+Integrated with the `Falyx.prompt_session` to enhance the interactive experience.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import shlex
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Iterable
+
+from prompt_toolkit.completion import Completer, Completion
+from prompt_toolkit.document import Document
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from falyx import Falyx
+
+
+class FalyxCompleter(Completer):
+    """
+    Prompt Toolkit completer for Falyx CLI command input.
+
+    This completer provides real-time, context-aware suggestions for:
+    - Command keys and aliases (resolved via Falyx._name_map)
+    - CLI argument flags and values for each command
+    - Suggestions and choices defined in the associated CommandArgumentParser
+
+    It leverages `CommandArgumentParser.suggest_next()` to compute valid completions
+    based on current argument state, including:
+        - Remaining required or optional flags
+        - Flag value suggestions (choices or custom completions)
+        - Next positional argument hints
+
+    Args:
+        falyx (Falyx): The Falyx menu instance containing all command mappings and parsers.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, falyx: "Falyx"):
+        self.falyx = falyx
+
+    def get_completions(self, document: Document, complete_event) -> Iterable[Completion]:
+        """
+        Yield completions based on the current document input.
+
+        Args:
+            document (Document): The prompt_toolkit document containing the input buffer.
+            complete_event: The completion trigger event (unused).
+
+        Yields:
+            Completion objects matching command keys or argument suggestions.
+        """
+        text = document.text_before_cursor
+        try:
+            tokens = shlex.split(text)
+            cursor_at_end_of_token = document.text_before_cursor.endswith((" ", "\t"))
+        except ValueError:
+            return
+
+        if not tokens or (len(tokens) == 1 and not cursor_at_end_of_token):
+            # Suggest command keys and aliases
+            yield from self._suggest_commands(tokens[0] if tokens else "")
+            return
+
+        # Identify command
+        command_key = tokens[0].upper()
+        command = self.falyx._name_map.get(command_key)
+        if not command or not command.arg_parser:
+            return
+
+        # If at end of token, e.g., "--t" vs "--tag ", add a stub so suggest_next sees it
+        parsed_args = tokens[1:] if cursor_at_end_of_token else tokens[1:-1]
+        stub = "" if cursor_at_end_of_token else tokens[-1]
+
+        try:
+            if not command.arg_parser:
+                return
+            suggestions = command.arg_parser.suggest_next(
+                parsed_args + ([stub] if stub else []), cursor_at_end_of_token
+            )
+            for suggestion in suggestions:
+                if suggestion.startswith(stub):
+                    if len(suggestion.split()) > 1:
+                        yield Completion(
+                            f'"{suggestion}"',
+                            start_position=-len(stub),
+                            display=suggestion,
+                        )
+                    else:
+                        yield Completion(suggestion, start_position=-len(stub))
+        except Exception:
+            return
+
+    def _suggest_commands(self, prefix: str) -> Iterable[Completion]:
+        """
+        Suggest top-level command keys and aliases based on the given prefix.
+
+        Args:
+            prefix (str): The user input to match against available commands.
+
+        Yields:
+            Completion: Matching keys or aliases from all registered commands.
+        """
+        prefix = prefix.upper()
+        keys = [self.falyx.exit_command.key]
+        keys.extend(self.falyx.exit_command.aliases)
+        if self.falyx.history_command:
+            keys.append(self.falyx.history_command.key)
+            keys.extend(self.falyx.history_command.aliases)
+        if self.falyx.help_command:
+            keys.append(self.falyx.help_command.key)
+            keys.extend(self.falyx.help_command.aliases)
+        for cmd in self.falyx.commands.values():
+            keys.append(cmd.key)
+            keys.extend(cmd.aliases)
+        for key in keys:
+            if key.upper().startswith(prefix):
+                yield Completion(key, start_position=-len(prefix))

falyx/config.py

@@ -1,6 +1,41 @@
 # Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
-"""config.py
-Configuration loader for Falyx CLI commands."""
+"""
+Configuration loader and schema definitions for the Falyx CLI framework.
+
+This module supports config-driven initialization of CLI commands and submenus
+from YAML or TOML files. It enables declarative command definitions, auto-imports
+Python callables from dotted paths, and wraps them in `Action` or `Command` objects
+as needed.
+
+Features:
+- Parses Falyx command and submenu definitions from YAML or TOML.
+- Supports hooks, retry policies, confirm prompts, spinners, aliases, and tags.
+- Dynamically imports Python functions/classes from `action:` strings.
+- Wraps user callables into Falyx `Command` or `Action` instances.
+- Validates prompt and retry configuration using `pydantic` models.
+
+Main Components:
+- `FalyxConfig`: Pydantic model for top-level config structure.
+- `RawCommand`: Intermediate command definition model from raw config.
+- `Submenu`: Schema for nested CLI menus.
+- `loader(path)`: Loads and returns a fully constructed `Falyx` instance.
+
+Typical Config (YAML):
+```yaml
+title: My CLI
+commands:
+  - key: A
+    description: Say hello
+    action: my_package.tasks.hello
+    aliases: [hi]
+    tags: [example]
+```
+
+Example:
+    from falyx.config import loader
+    cli = loader("falyx.yaml")
+    cli.run()
+"""
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import importlib
@@ -11,17 +46,16 @@ from typing import Any, Callable
 import toml
 import yaml
 from pydantic import BaseModel, Field, field_validator, model_validator
-from rich.console import Console
 
-from falyx.action.action import Action, BaseAction
+from falyx.action.action import Action
+from falyx.action.base_action import BaseAction
 from falyx.command import Command
+from falyx.console import console
 from falyx.falyx import Falyx
 from falyx.logger import logger
 from falyx.retry import RetryPolicy
 from falyx.themes import OneColors
 
-console = Console(color_system="auto")
-
 
 def wrap_if_needed(obj: Any, name=None) -> BaseAction | Command:
     if isinstance(obj, (BaseAction, Command)):
@@ -86,7 +120,7 @@ class RawCommand(BaseModel):
     spinner_message: str = "Processing..."
     spinner_type: str = "dots"
     spinner_style: str = OneColors.CYAN
-    spinner_kwargs: dict[str, Any] = Field(default_factory=dict)
+    spinner_speed: float = 1.0
 
     before_hooks: list[Callable] = Field(default_factory=list)
     success_hooks: list[Callable] = Field(default_factory=list)
@@ -98,9 +132,9 @@ class RawCommand(BaseModel):
     retry: bool = False
     retry_all: bool = False
     retry_policy: RetryPolicy = Field(default_factory=RetryPolicy)
-    requires_input: bool | None = None
     hidden: bool = False
     help_text: str = ""
+    help_epilog: str = ""
 
     @field_validator("retry_policy")
     @classmethod
@@ -126,6 +160,7 @@ def convert_commands(raw_commands: list[dict[str, Any]]) -> list[Command]:
                 }
             )
         )
+
     return commands
 
 

falyx/console.py

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
+"""Global console instance for Falyx CLI applications."""
+from rich.console import Console
+
+from falyx.themes import get_nord_theme
+
+console = Console(color_system="truecolor", theme=get_nord_theme())

falyx/context.py

@@ -19,11 +19,14 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 
 import time
 from datetime import datetime
+from traceback import format_exception
 from typing import Any
 
 from pydantic import BaseModel, ConfigDict, Field
 from rich.console import Console
 
+from falyx.console import console
+
 
 class ExecutionContext(BaseModel):
     """
@@ -40,7 +43,7 @@ class ExecutionContext(BaseModel):
         kwargs (dict): Keyword arguments passed to the action.
         action (BaseAction | Callable): The action instance being executed.
         result (Any | None): The result of the action, if successful.
-        exception (Exception | None): The exception raised, if execution failed.
+        exception (BaseException | None): The exception raised, if execution failed.
         start_time (float | None): High-resolution performance start time.
         end_time (float | None): High-resolution performance end time.
         start_wall (datetime | None): Wall-clock timestamp when execution began.
@@ -70,18 +73,21 @@ class ExecutionContext(BaseModel):
 
     name: str
     args: tuple = ()
-    kwargs: dict = {}
+    kwargs: dict = Field(default_factory=dict)
     action: Any
     result: Any | None = None
-    exception: Exception | None = None
+    traceback: str | None = None
+    _exception: BaseException | None = None
 
     start_time: float | None = None
     end_time: float | None = None
     start_wall: datetime | None = None
     end_wall: datetime | None = None
 
+    index: int | None = None
+
     extra: dict[str, Any] = Field(default_factory=dict)
-    console: Console = Field(default_factory=lambda: Console(color_system="auto"))
+    console: Console = console
 
     shared_context: SharedContext | None = None
 
@@ -118,11 +124,33 @@ class ExecutionContext(BaseModel):
     def status(self) -> str:
         return "OK" if self.success else "ERROR"
 
+    @property
+    def exception(self) -> BaseException | None:
+        return self._exception
+
+    @exception.setter
+    def exception(self, exc: BaseException | None):
+        self._exception = exc
+        if exc is not None:
+            self.traceback = "".join(format_exception(exc)).strip()
+
+    @property
+    def signature(self) -> str:
+        """
+        Returns a string representation of the action signature, including
+        its name and arguments.
+        """
+        args = ", ".join(map(repr, self.args))
+        kwargs = ", ".join(f"{key}={value!r}" for key, value in self.kwargs.items())
+        signature = ", ".join(filter(None, [args, kwargs]))
+        return f"{self.action} ({signature})"
+
     def as_dict(self) -> dict:
         return {
             "name": self.name,
             "result": self.result,
             "exception": repr(self.exception) if self.exception else None,
+            "traceback": self.traceback,
             "duration": self.duration,
             "extra": self.extra,
         }
@@ -140,9 +168,9 @@ class ExecutionContext(BaseModel):
         message.append(f"Duration: {summary['duration']:.3f}s | ")
 
         if summary["exception"]:
-            message.append(f"❌ Exception: {summary['exception']}")
+            message.append(f"Exception: {summary['exception']}")
         else:
-            message.append(f"✅ Result: {summary['result']}")
+            message.append(f"Result: {summary['result']}")
         (logger or self.console.print)("".join(message))
 
     def to_log_line(self) -> str:
@@ -192,7 +220,7 @@ class SharedContext(BaseModel):
     Attributes:
         name (str): Identifier for the context (usually the parent action name).
         results (list[Any]): Captures results from each action, in order of execution.
-        errors (list[tuple[int, Exception]]): Indexed list of errors from failed actions.
+        errors (list[tuple[int, BaseException]]): Indexed list of errors from failed actions.
         current_index (int): Index of the currently executing action (used in chains).
         is_parallel (bool): Whether the context is used in parallel mode (ActionGroup).
         shared_result (Any | None): Optional shared value available to all actions in
@@ -217,7 +245,7 @@ class SharedContext(BaseModel):
     name: str
     action: Any
     results: list[Any] = Field(default_factory=list)
-    errors: list[tuple[int, Exception]] = Field(default_factory=list)
+    errors: list[tuple[int, BaseException]] = Field(default_factory=list)
     current_index: int = -1
     is_parallel: bool = False
     shared_result: Any | None = None
@@ -229,7 +257,7 @@ class SharedContext(BaseModel):
     def add_result(self, result: Any) -> None:
         self.results.append(result)
 
-    def add_error(self, index: int, error: Exception) -> None:
+    def add_error(self, index: int, error: BaseException) -> None:
         self.errors.append((index, error))
 
     def set_shared_result(self, result: Any) -> None:

falyx/debug.py

@@ -1,5 +1,18 @@
 # Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
-"""debug.py"""
+"""
+Provides debug logging hooks for Falyx action execution.
+
+This module defines lifecycle hook functions (`log_before`, `log_success`, `log_after`, `log_error`)
+that can be registered with a `HookManager` to trace command execution.
+
+Logs include:
+- Action invocation with argument signature
+- Success result (with truncation for large outputs)
+- Errors with full exception info
+- Total runtime duration after execution
+
+Also exports `register_debug_hooks()` to register all log hooks in bulk.
+"""
 from falyx.context import ExecutionContext
 from falyx.hook_manager import HookManager, HookType
 from falyx.logger import logger
@@ -8,9 +21,9 @@ from falyx.logger import logger
 def log_before(context: ExecutionContext):
     """Log the start of an action."""
     args = ", ".join(map(repr, context.args))
-    kwargs = ", ".join(f"{k}={v!r}" for k, v in context.kwargs.items())
+    kwargs = ", ".join(f"{key}={value!r}" for key, value in context.kwargs.items())
     signature = ", ".join(filter(None, [args, kwargs]))
-    logger.info("[%s] 🚀 Starting → %s(%s)", context.name, context.action, signature)
+    logger.info("[%s] Starting -> %s(%s)", context.name, context.action, signature)
 
 
 def log_success(context: ExecutionContext):
@@ -18,18 +31,18 @@ def log_success(context: ExecutionContext):
     result_str = repr(context.result)
     if len(result_str) > 100:
         result_str = f"{result_str[:100]} ..."
-    logger.debug("[%s] ✅ Success → Result: %s", context.name, result_str)
+    logger.debug("[%s] Success -> Result: %s", context.name, result_str)
 
 
 def log_after(context: ExecutionContext):
     """Log the completion of an action, regardless of success or failure."""
-    logger.debug("[%s] ⏱️ Finished in %.3fs", context.name, context.duration)
+    logger.debug("[%s] Finished in %.3fs", context.name, context.duration)
 
 
 def log_error(context: ExecutionContext):
     """Log an error that occurred during the action."""
     logger.error(
-        "[%s] ❌ Error (%s): %s",
+        "[%s] Error (%s): %s",
         context.name,
         type(context.exception).__name__,
         context.exception,

falyx/exceptions.py

@@ -1,5 +1,28 @@
 # Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
-"""exceptions.py"""
+"""
+Defines all custom exception classes used in the Falyx CLI framework.
+
+These exceptions provide structured error handling for common failure cases,
+including command conflicts, invalid actions or hooks, parser errors, and execution guards
+like circuit breakers or empty workflows.
+
+All exceptions inherit from `FalyxError`, the base exception for the framework.
+
+Exception Hierarchy:
+- FalyxError
+    ├── CommandAlreadyExistsError
+    ├── InvalidHookError
+    ├── InvalidActionError
+    ├── NotAFalyxError
+    ├── CircuitBreakerOpen
+    ├── EmptyChainError
+    ├── EmptyGroupError
+    ├── EmptyPoolError
+    └── CommandArgumentError
+
+These are raised internally throughout the Falyx system to signal user-facing or
+developer-facing problems that should be caught and reported.
+"""
 
 
 class FalyxError(Exception):
@@ -30,5 +53,13 @@ class EmptyChainError(FalyxError):
     """Exception raised when the chain is empty."""
 
 
+class EmptyGroupError(FalyxError):
+    """Exception raised when the chain is empty."""
+
+
+class EmptyPoolError(FalyxError):
+    """Exception raised when the chain is empty."""
+
+
 class CommandArgumentError(FalyxError):
     """Exception raised when there is an error in the command argument parser."""

falyx/execution_registry.py

@@ -1,40 +1,62 @@
 # Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
 """
-execution_registry.py
+Provides the `ExecutionRegistry`, a centralized runtime store for capturing and inspecting
+the execution history of Falyx actions.
 
-This module provides the `ExecutionRegistry`, a global class for tracking and
-introspecting the execution history of Falyx actions.
+The registry automatically records every `ExecutionContext` created during action
+execution—including context metadata, results, exceptions, duration, and tracebacks.
+It supports filtering, summarization, and visual inspection via a Rich-rendered table.
 
-The registry captures `ExecutionContext` instances from all executed actions, making it
-easy to debug, audit, and visualize workflow behavior over time. It supports retrieval,
-filtering, clearing, and formatted summary display.
+Designed for:
+- Workflow debugging and CLI diagnostics
+- Interactive history browsing or replaying previous runs
+- Providing user-visible `history` or `last-result` commands inside CLI apps
 
-Core Features:
-- Stores all action execution contexts globally (with access by name).
-- Provides live execution summaries in a rich table format.
-- Enables creation of a built-in Falyx Action to print history on demand.
-- Integrates with Falyx's introspectable and hook-driven execution model.
-
-Intended for:
-- Debugging and diagnostics
-- Post-run inspection of CLI workflows
-- Interactive tools built with Falyx
+Key Features:
+- Global, in-memory store of all `ExecutionContext` objects (by name, index, or full list)
+- Thread-safe indexing and summary display
+- Traceback-aware result inspection and filtering by status (success/error)
+- Used by built-in `History` command in Falyx CLI
 
 Example:
     from falyx.execution_registry import ExecutionRegistry as er
+
+    # Record a context
     er.record(context)
+
+    # Display a rich table summary
     er.summary()
+
+    # Print the last non-ignored result
+    er.summary(last_result=True)
+
+    # Clear execution history
+    er.summary(clear=True)
+
+Note:
+    The registry is volatile and cleared on each process restart or when `clear()` is called.
+    All data is retained in memory only.
+
+Public Interface:
+- record(context): Log an ExecutionContext and assign index.
+- get_all(): List all stored contexts.
+- get_by_name(name): Retrieve all contexts by action name.
+- get_latest(): Retrieve the most recent context.
+- clear(): Reset the registry.
+- summary(...): Rich console summary of stored execution results.
 """
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 from collections import defaultdict
 from datetime import datetime
-from typing import Dict, List
+from threading import Lock
+from typing import Literal
 
 from rich import box
 from rich.console import Console
 from rich.table import Table
 
+from falyx.console import console
 from falyx.context import ExecutionContext
 from falyx.logger import logger
 from falyx.themes import OneColors
@@ -44,64 +66,181 @@ class ExecutionRegistry:
     """
     Global registry for recording and inspecting Falyx action executions.
 
-    This class captures every `ExecutionContext` generated by a Falyx `Action`,
-    `ChainedAction`, or `ActionGroup`, maintaining both full history and
-    name-indexed access for filtered analysis.
+    This class captures every `ExecutionContext` created by Falyx Actions,
+    tracking metadata, results, exceptions, and performance metrics. It enables
+    rich introspection, post-execution inspection, and formatted summaries
+    suitable for interactive and headless CLI use.
 
-    Methods:
-        - record(context): Stores an ExecutionContext, logging a summary line.
-        - get_all(): Returns the list of all recorded executions.
-        - get_by_name(name): Returns all executions with the given action name.
-        - get_latest(): Returns the most recent execution.
-        - clear(): Wipes the registry for a fresh run.
-        - summary(): Renders a formatted Rich table of all execution results.
+    Data is retained in memory until cleared or process exit.
 
     Use Cases:
-        - Debugging chained or factory-generated workflows
-        - Viewing results and exceptions from multiple runs
-        - Embedding a diagnostic command into your CLI for user support
+        - Auditing chained or dynamic workflows
+        - Rendering execution history in a help/debug menu
+        - Accessing previous results or errors for reuse
 
-    Note:
-        This registry is in-memory and not persistent. It's reset each time the process
-        restarts or `clear()` is called.
-
-    Example:
-        ExecutionRegistry.record(context)
-        ExecutionRegistry.summary()
+    Attributes:
+        _store_by_name (dict): Maps action name → list of ExecutionContext objects.
+        _store_by_index (dict): Maps numeric index → ExecutionContext.
+        _store_all (list): Ordered list of all contexts.
+        _index (int): Global counter for assigning unique execution indices.
+        _lock (Lock): Thread lock for atomic writes to the registry.
+        _console (Console): Rich console used for rendering summaries.
     """
 
-    _store_by_name: Dict[str, List[ExecutionContext]] = defaultdict(list)
-    _store_all: List[ExecutionContext] = []
-    _console = Console(color_system="auto")
+    _store_by_name: dict[str, list[ExecutionContext]] = defaultdict(list)
+    _store_by_index: dict[int, ExecutionContext] = {}
+    _store_all: list[ExecutionContext] = []
+    _console: Console = console
+    _index = 0
+    _lock = Lock()
 
     @classmethod
     def record(cls, context: ExecutionContext):
-        """Record an execution context."""
+        """
+        Record an execution context and assign a unique index.
+
+        This method logs the context, appends it to the registry,
+        and makes it available for future summary or filtering.
+
+        Args:
+            context (ExecutionContext): The context to be tracked.
+        """
         logger.debug(context.to_log_line())
+        with cls._lock:
+            context.index = cls._index
+            cls._store_by_index[cls._index] = context
+            cls._index += 1
         cls._store_by_name[context.name].append(context)
         cls._store_all.append(context)
 
     @classmethod
-    def get_all(cls) -> List[ExecutionContext]:
+    def get_all(cls) -> list[ExecutionContext]:
+        """
+        Return all recorded execution contexts in order of execution.
+
+        Returns:
+            list[ExecutionContext]: All stored action contexts.
+        """
         return cls._store_all
 
     @classmethod
-    def get_by_name(cls, name: str) -> List[ExecutionContext]:
+    def get_by_name(cls, name: str) -> list[ExecutionContext]:
+        """
+        Retrieve all executions recorded under a given action name.
+
+        Args:
+            name (str): The name of the action.
+
+        Returns:
+            list[ExecutionContext]: Matching contexts, or empty if none found.
+        """
         return cls._store_by_name.get(name, [])
 
     @classmethod
     def get_latest(cls) -> ExecutionContext:
+        """
+        Return the most recent execution context.
+
+        Returns:
+            ExecutionContext: The last recorded context.
+        """
         return cls._store_all[-1]
 
     @classmethod
     def clear(cls):
+        """
+        Clear all stored execution data and reset internal indices.
+
+        This operation is destructive and cannot be undone.
+        """
         cls._store_by_name.clear()
         cls._store_all.clear()
+        cls._store_by_index.clear()
 
     @classmethod
-    def summary(cls):
-        table = Table(title="📊 Execution History", expand=True, box=box.SIMPLE)
+    def summary(
+        cls,
+        name: str = "",
+        index: int | None = None,
+        result_index: int | None = None,
+        clear: bool = False,
+        last_result: bool = False,
+        status: Literal["all", "success", "error"] = "all",
+    ):
+        """
+        Display a formatted Rich table of recorded executions.
 
+        Supports filtering by action name, index, or execution status.
+        Can optionally show only the last result or a specific indexed result.
+        Also supports clearing the registry interactively.
+
+        Args:
+            name (str): Filter by action name.
+            index (int | None): Filter by specific execution index.
+            result_index (int | None): Print result (or traceback) of a specific index.
+            clear (bool): If True, clears the registry and exits.
+            last_result (bool): If True, prints only the most recent result.
+            status (Literal): One of "all", "success", or "error" to filter displayed rows.
+        """
+        if clear:
+            cls.clear()
+            cls._console.print(f"[{OneColors.GREEN}]✅ Execution history cleared.")
+            return
+
+        if last_result:
+            for ctx in reversed(cls._store_all):
+                if not ctx.action.ignore_in_history:
+                    cls._console.print(f"{ctx.signature}:")
+                    if ctx.traceback:
+                        cls._console.print(ctx.traceback)
+                    else:
+                        cls._console.print(ctx.result)
+                    return
+            cls._console.print(
+                f"[{OneColors.DARK_RED}]❌ No valid executions found to display last result."
+            )
+            return
+
+        if result_index is not None and result_index >= 0:
+            try:
+                result_context = cls._store_by_index[result_index]
+            except KeyError:
+                cls._console.print(
+                    f"[{OneColors.DARK_RED}]❌ No execution found for index {result_index}."
+                )
+                return
+            cls._console.print(f"{result_context.signature}:")
+            if result_context.traceback:
+                cls._console.print(result_context.traceback)
+            else:
+                cls._console.print(result_context.result)
+            return
+
+        if name:
+            contexts = cls.get_by_name(name)
+            if not contexts:
+                cls._console.print(
+                    f"[{OneColors.DARK_RED}]❌ No executions found for action '{name}'."
+                )
+                return
+            title = f"📊 Execution History for '{contexts[0].name}'"
+        elif index is not None and index >= 0:
+            try:
+                contexts = [cls._store_by_index[index]]
+                print(contexts)
+            except KeyError:
+                cls._console.print(
+                    f"[{OneColors.DARK_RED}]❌ No execution found for index {index}."
+                )
+                return
+            title = f"📊 Execution History for Index {index}"
+        else:
+            contexts = cls.get_all()
+            title = "📊 Execution History"
+
+        table = Table(title=title, expand=True, box=box.SIMPLE)
+
+        table.add_column("Index", justify="right", style="dim")
         table.add_column("Name", style="bold cyan")
         table.add_column("Start", justify="right", style="dim")
         table.add_column("End", justify="right", style="dim")
@@ -109,7 +248,7 @@ class ExecutionRegistry:
         table.add_column("Status", style="bold")
         table.add_column("Result / Exception", overflow="fold")
 
-        for ctx in cls.get_all():
+        for ctx in contexts:
             start = (
                 datetime.fromtimestamp(ctx.start_time).strftime("%H:%M:%S")
                 if ctx.start_time
@@ -122,15 +261,19 @@ class ExecutionRegistry:
             )
             duration = f"{ctx.duration:.3f}s" if ctx.duration else "n/a"
 
-            if ctx.exception:
-                status = f"[{OneColors.DARK_RED}]❌ Error"
-                result = repr(ctx.exception)
+            if ctx.exception and status.lower() in ["all", "error"]:
+                final_status = f"[{OneColors.DARK_RED}]❌ Error"
+                final_result = repr(ctx.exception)
+            elif status.lower() in ["all", "success"]:
+                final_status = f"[{OneColors.GREEN}]✅ Success"
+                final_result = repr(ctx.result)
+                if len(final_result) > 50:
+                    final_result = f"{final_result[:50]}..."
             else:
-                status = f"[{OneColors.GREEN}]✅ Success"
-                result = repr(ctx.result)
-                if len(result) > 1000:
-                    result = f"{result[:1000]}..."
+                continue
 
-            table.add_row(ctx.name, start, end, duration, status, result)
+            table.add_row(
+                str(ctx.index), ctx.name, start, end, duration, final_status, final_result
+            )
 
         cls._console.print(table)

falyx/hook_manager.py

@@ -1,10 +1,26 @@
 # Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
-"""hook_manager.py"""
+"""
+Defines the `HookManager` and `HookType` used in the Falyx CLI framework to manage
+execution lifecycle hooks around actions and commands.
+
+The hook system enables structured callbacks for important stages in a Falyx action's
+execution, such as before execution, after success, upon error, and teardown. These
+can be used for logging, side effects, diagnostics, metrics, and rollback logic.
+
+Key Components:
+- HookType: Enum categorizing supported hook lifecycle stages
+- HookManager: Core class for registering and invoking hooks during action execution
+- Hook: Union of sync and async callables accepting an `ExecutionContext`
+
+Usage:
+    hooks = HookManager()
+    hooks.register(HookType.BEFORE, log_before)
+"""
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import inspect
 from enum import Enum
-from typing import Awaitable, Callable, Dict, List, Optional, Union
+from typing import Awaitable, Callable, Union
 
 from falyx.context import ExecutionContext
 from falyx.logger import logger
@@ -15,7 +31,27 @@ Hook = Union[
 
 
 class HookType(Enum):
-    """Enum for hook types to categorize the hooks."""
+    """
+    Enum for supported hook lifecycle phases in Falyx.
+
+    HookType is used to classify lifecycle events that can be intercepted
+    with user-defined callbacks.
+
+    Members:
+        BEFORE: Run before the action is invoked.
+        ON_SUCCESS: Run after successful completion.
+        ON_ERROR: Run when an exception occurs.
+        AFTER: Run after success or failure (always runs).
+        ON_TEARDOWN: Run at the very end, for resource cleanup.
+
+    Aliases:
+        "success" → "on_success"
+        "error" → "on_error"
+        "teardown" → "on_teardown"
+
+    Example:
+        HookType("error") → HookType.ON_ERROR
+    """
 
     BEFORE = "before"
     ON_SUCCESS = "on_success"
@@ -24,29 +60,80 @@ class HookType(Enum):
     ON_TEARDOWN = "on_teardown"
 
     @classmethod
-    def choices(cls) -> List[HookType]:
+    def choices(cls) -> list[HookType]:
         """Return a list of all hook type choices."""
         return list(cls)
 
+    @classmethod
+    def _get_alias(cls, value: str) -> str:
+        aliases = {
+            "success": "on_success",
+            "error": "on_error",
+            "teardown": "on_teardown",
+        }
+        return aliases.get(value, value)
+
+    @classmethod
+    def _missing_(cls, value: object) -> HookType:
+        if not isinstance(value, str):
+            raise ValueError(f"Invalid {cls.__name__}: {value!r}")
+        normalized = value.strip().lower()
+        alias = cls._get_alias(normalized)
+        for member in cls:
+            if member.value == alias:
+                return member
+        valid = ", ".join(member.value for member in cls)
+        raise ValueError(f"Invalid {cls.__name__}: '{value}'. Must be one of: {valid}")
+
     def __str__(self) -> str:
         """Return the string representation of the hook type."""
         return self.value
 
 
 class HookManager:
-    """HookManager"""
+    """
+    Manages lifecycle hooks for a command or action.
+
+    `HookManager` tracks user-defined callbacks to be run at key points in a command's
+    lifecycle: before execution, on success, on error, after completion, and during
+    teardown. Both sync and async hooks are supported.
+
+    Methods:
+        register(hook_type, hook): Register a callable for a given HookType.
+        clear(hook_type): Remove hooks for one or all lifecycle stages.
+        trigger(hook_type, context): Execute all hooks of a given type.
+
+    Example:
+        hooks = HookManager()
+        hooks.register(HookType.BEFORE, my_logger)
+    """
 
     def __init__(self) -> None:
-        self._hooks: Dict[HookType, List[Hook]] = {
+        self._hooks: dict[HookType, list[Hook]] = {
             hook_type: [] for hook_type in HookType
         }
 
-    def register(self, hook_type: HookType, hook: Hook):
-        if hook_type not in HookType:
-            raise ValueError(f"Unsupported hook type: {hook_type}")
+    def register(self, hook_type: HookType | str, hook: Hook):
+        """
+        Register a new hook for a given lifecycle phase.
+
+        Args:
+            hook_type (HookType | str): The hook category (e.g. "before", "on_success").
+            hook (Callable): The hook function to register.
+
+        Raises:
+            ValueError: If the hook type is invalid.
+        """
+        hook_type = HookType(hook_type)
         self._hooks[hook_type].append(hook)
 
-    def clear(self, hook_type: Optional[HookType] = None):
+    def clear(self, hook_type: HookType | None = None):
+        """
+        Clear registered hooks for one or all hook types.
+
+        Args:
+            hook_type (HookType | None): If None, clears all hooks.
+        """
         if hook_type:
             self._hooks[hook_type] = []
         else:
@@ -54,6 +141,17 @@ class HookManager:
                 self._hooks[ht] = []
 
     async def trigger(self, hook_type: HookType, context: ExecutionContext):
+        """
+        Invoke all hooks registered for a given lifecycle phase.
+
+        Args:
+            hook_type (HookType): The lifecycle phase to trigger.
+            context (ExecutionContext): The execution context passed to each hook.
+
+        Raises:
+            Exception: Re-raises the original context.exception if a hook fails during
+                       ON_ERROR. Other hook exceptions are logged and skipped.
+        """
         if hook_type not in self._hooks:
             raise ValueError(f"Unsupported hook type: {hook_type}")
         for hook in self._hooks[hook_type]:
@@ -64,13 +162,12 @@ class HookManager:
                     hook(context)
             except Exception as hook_error:
                 logger.warning(
-                    "⚠️ Hook '%s' raised an exception during '%s' for '%s': %s",
+                    "[Hook:%s] raised an exception during '%s' for '%s': %s",
                     hook.__name__,
                     hook_type,
                     context.name,
                     hook_error,
                 )
-
                 if hook_type == HookType.ON_ERROR:
                     assert isinstance(
                         context.exception, Exception

falyx/hooks.py

@@ -1,5 +1,32 @@
 # Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
-"""hooks.py"""
+"""
+Defines reusable lifecycle hooks for Falyx Actions and Commands.
+
+This module includes:
+- `spinner_before_hook`: Automatically starts a spinner before an action runs.
+- `spinner_teardown_hook`: Stops and clears the spinner after the action completes.
+- `ResultReporter`: A success hook that displays a formatted result with duration.
+- `CircuitBreaker`: A failure-aware hook manager that prevents repeated execution
+  after a configurable number of failures.
+
+These hooks can be registered on `HookManager` instances via lifecycle stages
+(`before`, `on_error`, `after`, etc.) to enhance resiliency and observability.
+
+Intended for use with:
+- Actions that require user feedback during long-running operations.
+- Retryable or unstable actions
+- Interactive CLI feedback
+- Safety checks prior to execution
+
+Example usage:
+    breaker = CircuitBreaker(max_failures=3)
+    hooks.register(HookType.BEFORE, breaker.before_hook)
+    hooks.register(HookType.ON_ERROR, breaker.error_hook)
+    hooks.register(HookType.AFTER, breaker.after_hook)
+
+    reporter = ResultReporter()
+    hooks.register(HookType.ON_SUCCESS, reporter.report)
+"""
 import time
 from typing import Any, Callable
 
@@ -9,6 +36,38 @@ from falyx.logger import logger
 from falyx.themes import OneColors
 
 
+async def spinner_before_hook(context: ExecutionContext):
+    """Adds a spinner before the action starts."""
+    cmd = context.action
+    if cmd.options_manager is None:
+        return
+    sm = context.action.options_manager.spinners
+    if hasattr(cmd, "name"):
+        cmd_name = cmd.name
+    else:
+        cmd_name = cmd.key
+    await sm.add(
+        cmd_name,
+        cmd.spinner_message,
+        cmd.spinner_type,
+        cmd.spinner_style,
+        cmd.spinner_speed,
+    )
+
+
+async def spinner_teardown_hook(context: ExecutionContext):
+    """Removes the spinner after the action finishes (success or failure)."""
+    cmd = context.action
+    if cmd.options_manager is None:
+        return
+    if hasattr(cmd, "name"):
+        cmd_name = cmd.name
+    else:
+        cmd_name = cmd.key
+    sm = context.action.options_manager.spinners
+    await sm.remove(cmd_name)
+
+
 class ResultReporter:
     """Reports the success of an action."""
 
@@ -56,10 +115,10 @@ class CircuitBreaker:
         if self.open_until:
             if time.time() < self.open_until:
                 raise CircuitBreakerOpen(
-                    f"🔴 Circuit open for '{name}' until {time.ctime(self.open_until)}."
+                    f"Circuit open for '{name}' until {time.ctime(self.open_until)}."
                 )
             else:
-                logger.info("🟢 Circuit closed again for '%s'.")
+                logger.info("Circuit closed again for '%s'.")
                 self.failures = 0
                 self.open_until = None
 
@@ -67,7 +126,7 @@ class CircuitBreaker:
         name = context.name
         self.failures += 1
         logger.warning(
-            "⚠️ CircuitBreaker: '%s' failure %s/%s.",
+            "CircuitBreaker: '%s' failure %s/%s.",
             name,
             self.failures,
             self.max_failures,
@@ -75,7 +134,7 @@ class CircuitBreaker:
         if self.failures >= self.max_failures:
             self.open_until = time.time() + self.reset_timeout
             logger.error(
-                "🔴 Circuit opened for '%s' until %s.", name, time.ctime(self.open_until)
+                "Circuit opened for '%s' until %s.", name, time.ctime(self.open_until)
             )
 
     def after_hook(self, _: ExecutionContext):
@@ -87,4 +146,4 @@ class CircuitBreaker:
     def reset(self):
         self.failures = 0
         self.open_until = None
-        logger.info("🔄 Circuit reset.")
+        logger.info("Circuit reset.")

falyx/init.py

@@ -1,8 +1,26 @@
 # Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
-"""init.py"""
+"""
+Project and global initializer for Falyx CLI environments.
+
+This module defines functions to bootstrap a new Falyx-based CLI project or
+create a global user-level configuration in `~/.config/falyx`.
+
+Functions:
+- `init_project(name: str)`: Creates a new CLI project folder with `tasks.py`
+  and `falyx.yaml` using example actions and config structure.
+- `init_global()`: Creates a shared config in the user's home directory for
+  defining reusable or always-available CLI commands.
+
+Generated files include:
+- `tasks.py`: Python module with `Action`, `ChainedAction`, and async examples
+- `falyx.yaml`: YAML config with command definitions for CLI entry points
+
+Used by:
+- The `falyx init` and `falyx init --global` commands
+"""
 from pathlib import Path
 
-from rich.console import Console
+from falyx.console import console
 
 TEMPLATE_TASKS = """\
 # This file is used by falyx.yaml to define CLI actions.
@@ -11,9 +29,7 @@ TEMPLATE_TASKS = """\
 import asyncio
 import json
 
-from falyx.action import Action, ChainedAction
-from falyx.io_action import ShellAction
-from falyx.selection_action import SelectionAction
+from falyx.action import Action, ChainedAction, ShellAction, SelectionAction
 
 
 post_ids = ["1", "2", "3", "4", "5"]
@@ -100,10 +116,8 @@ commands:
     aliases: [clean, cleanup]
 """
 
-console = Console(color_system="auto")
 
-
-def init_project(name: str = ".") -> None:
+def init_project(name: str) -> None:
     target = Path(name).resolve()
     target.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
 

falyx/logger.py

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
-"""logger.py"""
+"""Global logger instance for Falyx CLI applications."""
 import logging
 
-logger = logging.getLogger("falyx")
+logger: logging.Logger = logging.getLogger("falyx")

falyx/menu.py

@@ -1,8 +1,27 @@
+# Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
+"""
+Defines `MenuOption` and `MenuOptionMap`, core components used to construct
+interactive menus within Falyx Actions such as `MenuAction` and `PromptMenuAction`.
+
+Each `MenuOption` represents a single actionable choice with a description,
+styling, and a bound `BaseAction`. `MenuOptionMap` manages collections of these
+options, including support for reserved keys like `B` (Back) and `X` (Exit), which
+can trigger navigation signals when selected.
+
+These constructs enable declarative and reusable menu definitions in both code and config.
+
+Key Components:
+- MenuOption: A user-facing label and action binding
+- MenuOptionMap: A key-aware container for menu options, with reserved entry support
+"""
+
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 
-from falyx.action import BaseAction
+from prompt_toolkit.formatted_text import FormattedText
+
+from falyx.action.base_action import BaseAction
 from falyx.signals import BackSignal, QuitSignal
 from falyx.themes import OneColors
 from falyx.utils import CaseInsensitiveDict
@@ -10,7 +29,25 @@ from falyx.utils import CaseInsensitiveDict
 
 @dataclass
 class MenuOption:
-    """Represents a single menu option with a description and an action to execute."""
+    """
+    Represents a single menu entry, including its label and associated action.
+
+    Used in conjunction with `MenuOptionMap` to define interactive command menus.
+    Each `MenuOption` contains a description (shown to the user), a `BaseAction`
+    to execute when selected, and an optional Rich-compatible style.
+
+    Attributes:
+        description (str): The label shown next to the menu key.
+        action (BaseAction): The action to invoke when selected.
+        style (str): A Rich-compatible color/style string for UI display.
+
+    Methods:
+        render(key): Returns a Rich-formatted string for menu display.
+        render_prompt(key): Returns a `FormattedText` object for use in prompt placeholders.
+
+    Raises:
+        TypeError: If `description` is not a string or `action` is not a `BaseAction`.
+    """
 
     description: str
     action: BaseAction
@@ -26,14 +63,39 @@ class MenuOption:
         """Render the menu option for display."""
         return f"[{OneColors.WHITE}][{key}][/] [{self.style}]{self.description}[/]"
 
+    def render_prompt(self, key: str) -> FormattedText:
+        """Render the menu option for prompt display."""
+        return FormattedText(
+            [(OneColors.WHITE, f"[{key}] "), (self.style, self.description)]
+        )
+
 
 class MenuOptionMap(CaseInsensitiveDict):
     """
-    Manages menu options including validation, reserved key protection,
-    and special signal entries like Quit and Back.
+    A container for storing and managing `MenuOption` objects by key.
+
+    `MenuOptionMap` is used to define the set of available choices in a
+    Falyx menu. Keys are case-insensitive and mapped to `MenuOption` instances.
+    The map supports special reserved keys—`B` for Back and `X` for Exit—unless
+    explicitly disabled via `allow_reserved=False`.
+
+    This class enforces strict typing of menu options and prevents accidental
+    overwrites of reserved keys.
+
+    Args:
+        options (dict[str, MenuOption] | None): Initial options to populate the menu.
+        allow_reserved (bool): If True, allows overriding reserved keys.
+
+    Methods:
+        items(include_reserved): Returns an iterable of menu options,
+                                 optionally filtering out reserved keys.
+
+    Raises:
+        TypeError: If non-`MenuOption` values are assigned.
+        ValueError: If attempting to use or delete a reserved key without permission.
     """
 
-    RESERVED_KEYS = {"Q", "B"}
+    RESERVED_KEYS = {"B", "X"}
 
     def __init__(
         self,
@@ -49,14 +111,14 @@ class MenuOptionMap(CaseInsensitiveDict):
     def _inject_reserved_defaults(self):
         from falyx.action import SignalAction
 
-        self._add_reserved(
-            "Q",
-            MenuOption("Exit", SignalAction("Quit", QuitSignal()), OneColors.DARK_RED),
-        )
         self._add_reserved(
             "B",
             MenuOption("Back", SignalAction("Back", BackSignal()), OneColors.DARK_YELLOW),
         )
+        self._add_reserved(
+            "X",
+            MenuOption("Exit", SignalAction("Quit", QuitSignal()), OneColors.DARK_RED),
+        )
 
     def _add_reserved(self, key: str, option: MenuOption) -> None:
         """Add a reserved key, bypassing validation."""
@@ -78,8 +140,20 @@ class MenuOptionMap(CaseInsensitiveDict):
             raise ValueError(f"Cannot delete reserved option '{key}'.")
         super().__delitem__(key)
 
+    def update(self, other=None, **kwargs):
+        """Update the selection options with another dictionary."""
+        if other:
+            for key, option in other.items():
+                if not isinstance(option, MenuOption):
+                    raise TypeError(f"Value for key '{key}' must be a SelectionOption.")
+                self[key] = option
+        for key, option in kwargs.items():
+            if not isinstance(option, MenuOption):
+                raise TypeError(f"Value for key '{key}' must be a SelectionOption.")
+            self[key] = option
+
     def items(self, include_reserved: bool = True):
-        for k, v in super().items():
-            if not include_reserved and k in self.RESERVED_KEYS:
+        for key, option in super().items():
+            if not include_reserved and key in self.RESERVED_KEYS:
                 continue
-            yield k, v
+            yield key, option

falyx/mode.py

@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+# Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
+"""
+Defines `FalyxMode`, an enum representing the different modes of operation for Falyx.
+"""
+from enum import Enum
+
+
+class FalyxMode(Enum):
+    MENU = "menu"
+    RUN = "run"
+    PREVIEW = "preview"
+    RUN_ALL = "run-all"

falyx/options_manager.py

@@ -1,18 +1,55 @@
 # Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
-"""options_manager.py"""
+"""
+Manages global or scoped CLI options across namespaces for Falyx commands.
+
+The `OptionsManager` provides a centralized interface for retrieving, setting, toggling,
+and introspecting options defined in `argparse.Namespace` objects. It is used internally
+by Falyx to pass and resolve runtime flags like `--verbose`, `--force-confirm`, etc.
+
+Each option is stored under a namespace key (e.g., "cli_args", "user_config") to
+support multiple sources of configuration.
+
+Key Features:
+- Safe getter/setter for typed option resolution
+- Toggle support for boolean options (used by bottom bar toggles, etc.)
+- Callable getter/toggler wrappers for dynamic UI bindings
+- Namespace merging via `from_namespace`
+
+Typical Usage:
+    options = OptionsManager()
+    options.from_namespace(args, namespace_name="cli_args")
+    if options.get("verbose"):
+        ...
+    options.toggle("force_confirm")
+    value_fn = options.get_value_getter("dry_run")
+    toggle_fn = options.get_toggle_function("debug")
+
+Used by:
+- Falyx CLI runtime configuration
+- Bottom bar toggles
+- Dynamic flag injection into commands and actions
+"""
 
 from argparse import Namespace
 from collections import defaultdict
 from typing import Any, Callable
 
 from falyx.logger import logger
+from falyx.spinner_manager import SpinnerManager
 
 
 class OptionsManager:
-    """OptionsManager"""
+    """
+    Manages CLI option state across multiple argparse namespaces.
+
+    Allows dynamic retrieval, setting, toggling, and introspection of command-line
+    options. Supports named namespaces (e.g., "cli_args") and is used throughout
+    Falyx for runtime configuration and bottom bar toggle integration.
+    """
 
     def __init__(self, namespaces: list[tuple[str, Namespace]] | None = None) -> None:
         self.options: defaultdict = defaultdict(Namespace)
+        self.spinners = SpinnerManager()
         if namespaces:
             for namespace_name, namespace in namespaces:
                 self.from_namespace(namespace, namespace_name)

falyx/parser/__init__.py

@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+"""
+Falyx CLI Framework
+
+Copyright (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC.
+Licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE file for details.
+"""
+
+from .argument import Argument
+from .argument_action import ArgumentAction
+from .command_argument_parser import CommandArgumentParser
+from .parsers import FalyxParsers, get_arg_parsers, get_root_parser, get_subparsers
+
+__all__ = [
+    "Argument",
+    "ArgumentAction",
+    "CommandArgumentParser",
+    "get_arg_parsers",
+    "get_root_parser",
+    "get_subparsers",
+    "FalyxParsers",
+]

falyx/parser/argument.py

@@ -0,0 +1,151 @@
+# Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
+"""
+Defines the `Argument` dataclass used by `CommandArgumentParser` to represent
+individual command-line parameters in a structured, introspectable format.
+
+Each `Argument` instance describes one CLI input, including its flags, type,
+default behavior, action semantics, help text, and optional resolver integration
+for dynamic evaluation.
+
+Falyx uses this structure to support a declarative CLI design, providing flexible
+argument parsing with full support for positional and keyword arguments, coercion,
+completion, and help rendering.
+
+Arguments should be created using `CommandArgumentParser.add_argument()`
+or defined in YAML configurations, allowing for rich introspection and validation.
+
+Key Attributes:
+- `flags`: One or more short/long flags (e.g. `-v`, `--verbose`)
+- `dest`: Internal name used as the key in parsed results
+- `action`: `ArgumentAction` enum describing behavior (store, count, resolve, etc.)
+- `type`: Type coercion or callable converter
+- `default`: Optional fallback value
+- `choices`: Allowed values, if restricted
+- `nargs`: Number of expected values (`int`, `'?'`, `'*'`, `'+'`)
+- `positional`: Whether this argument is positional (no flag)
+- `resolver`: Optional `BaseAction` to resolve argument value dynamically
+- `lazy_resolver`: Whether to defer resolution until needed
+- `suggestions`: Optional completions for interactive shells
+
+Used By:
+- `CommandArgumentParser`
+- `Falyx` runtime parsing
+- Rich-based CLI help generation
+- Completion and preview suggestions
+"""
+from dataclasses import dataclass
+from typing import Any
+
+from falyx.action.base_action import BaseAction
+from falyx.parser.argument_action import ArgumentAction
+
+
+@dataclass
+class Argument:
+    """
+    Represents a command-line argument.
+
+    Attributes:
+        flags (tuple[str, ...]): Short and long flags for the argument.
+        dest (str): The destination name for the argument.
+        action (ArgumentAction): The action to be taken when the argument is encountered.
+        type (Any): The type of the argument (e.g., str, int, float) or a callable that converts the argument value.
+        default (Any): The default value if the argument is not provided.
+        choices (list[str] | None): A list of valid choices for the argument.
+        required (bool): True if the argument is required, False otherwise.
+        help (str): Help text for the argument.
+        nargs (int | str | None): Number of arguments expected. Can be an int, '?', '*', '+', or None.
+        positional (bool): True if the argument is positional (no leading - or -- in flags), False otherwise.
+        resolver (BaseAction | None):
+            An action object that resolves the argument, if applicable.
+        lazy_resolver (bool): True if the resolver should be called lazily, False otherwise
+        suggestions (list[str] | None): Optional completions for interactive shells
+    """
+
+    flags: tuple[str, ...]
+    dest: str
+    action: ArgumentAction = ArgumentAction.STORE
+    type: Any = str
+    default: Any = None
+    choices: list[str] | None = None
+    required: bool = False
+    help: str = ""
+    nargs: int | str | None = None
+    positional: bool = False
+    resolver: BaseAction | None = None
+    lazy_resolver: bool = False
+    suggestions: list[str] | None = None
+
+    def get_positional_text(self) -> str:
+        """Get the positional text for the argument."""
+        text = ""
+        if self.positional:
+            if self.choices:
+                text = f"{{{','.join([str(choice) for choice in self.choices])}}}"
+            else:
+                text = self.dest
+        return text
+
+    def get_choice_text(self) -> str:
+        """Get the choice text for the argument."""
+        choice_text = ""
+        if self.choices:
+            choice_text = f"{{{','.join([str(choice) for choice in self.choices])}}}"
+        elif (
+            self.action
+            in (
+                ArgumentAction.STORE,
+                ArgumentAction.APPEND,
+                ArgumentAction.EXTEND,
+                ArgumentAction.ACTION,
+            )
+            and not self.positional
+        ):
+            choice_text = self.dest.upper()
+        elif self.action in (
+            ArgumentAction.STORE,
+            ArgumentAction.APPEND,
+            ArgumentAction.EXTEND,
+            ArgumentAction.ACTION,
+        ) or isinstance(self.nargs, str):
+            choice_text = self.dest
+
+        if self.nargs == "?":
+            choice_text = f"[{choice_text}]"
+        elif self.nargs == "*":
+            choice_text = f"[{choice_text} ...]"
+        elif self.nargs == "+":
+            choice_text = f"{choice_text} [{choice_text} ...]"
+        return choice_text
+
+    def __eq__(self, other: object) -> bool:
+        if not isinstance(other, Argument):
+            return False
+        return (
+            self.flags == other.flags
+            and self.dest == other.dest
+            and self.action == other.action
+            and self.type == other.type
+            and self.choices == other.choices
+            and self.required == other.required
+            and self.nargs == other.nargs
+            and self.positional == other.positional
+            and self.default == other.default
+            and self.help == other.help
+        )
+
+    def __hash__(self) -> int:
+        return hash(
+            (
+                tuple(self.flags),
+                self.dest,
+                self.action,
+                self.type,
+                tuple(self.choices or []),
+                self.required,
+                self.nargs,
+                self.positional,
+                self.default,
+                self.help,
+            )
+        )

falyx/parser/argument_action.py

@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+# Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
+"""
+Defines `ArgumentAction`, an enum used to standardize the behavior of CLI arguments
+defined within Falyx command configurations.
+
+Each member of this enum maps to a valid `argparse` like actions or Falyx-specific
+behavior used during command argument parsing. This allows declarative configuration
+of argument behavior when building CLI commands via `CommandArgumentParser`.
+
+Supports alias coercion for shorthand or config-friendly values, and provides
+a consistent interface for downstream argument handling logic.
+
+Exports:
+    - ArgumentAction: Enum of allowed actions for command arguments.
+
+Example:
+    ArgumentAction("store_true") → ArgumentAction.STORE_TRUE
+    ArgumentAction("true")       → ArgumentAction.STORE_TRUE (via alias)
+    ArgumentAction("optional")   → ArgumentAction.STORE_BOOL_OPTIONAL
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from enum import Enum
+
+
+class ArgumentAction(Enum):
+    """
+    Defines the action to be taken when the argument is encountered.
+
+    This enum mirrors the core behavior of Python's `argparse` actions, with a few
+    Falyx-specific extensions. It is used when defining command-line arguments for
+    `CommandArgumentParser` or YAML-based argument definitions.
+
+    Members:
+        ACTION: Invoke a callable as the argument handler (Falyx extension).
+        STORE: Store the provided value (default).
+        STORE_TRUE: Store `True` if the flag is present.
+        STORE_FALSE: Store `False` if the flag is present.
+        STORE_BOOL_OPTIONAL: Accept an optional bool (e.g., `--debug` or `--no-debug`).
+        APPEND: Append the value to a list.
+        EXTEND: Extend a list with multiple values.
+        COUNT: Count the number of occurrences.
+        HELP: Display help and exit.
+        TLDR: Display brief examples and exit.
+
+    Aliases:
+        - "true" → "store_true"
+        - "false" → "store_false"
+        - "optional" → "store_bool_optional"
+
+    Example:
+        ArgumentAction("true") → ArgumentAction.STORE_TRUE
+    """
+
+    ACTION = "action"
+    STORE = "store"
+    STORE_TRUE = "store_true"
+    STORE_FALSE = "store_false"
+    STORE_BOOL_OPTIONAL = "store_bool_optional"
+    APPEND = "append"
+    EXTEND = "extend"
+    COUNT = "count"
+    HELP = "help"
+    TLDR = "tldr"
+
+    @classmethod
+    def choices(cls) -> list[ArgumentAction]:
+        """Return a list of all argument actions."""
+        return list(cls)
+
+    @classmethod
+    def _get_alias(cls, value: str) -> str:
+        aliases = {
+            "optional": "store_bool_optional",
+            "true": "store_true",
+            "false": "store_false",
+        }
+        return aliases.get(value, value)
+
+    @classmethod
+    def _missing_(cls, value: object) -> ArgumentAction:
+        if not isinstance(value, str):
+            raise ValueError(f"Invalid {cls.__name__}: {value!r}")
+        normalized = value.strip().lower()
+        alias = cls._get_alias(normalized)
+        for member in cls:
+            if member.value == alias:
+                return member
+        valid = ", ".join(member.value for member in cls)
+        raise ValueError(f"Invalid {cls.__name__}: '{value}'. Must be one of: {valid}")
+
+    def __str__(self) -> str:
+        """Return the string representation of the argument action."""
+        return self.value

falyx/parser/parser_types.py

@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+# Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
+"""
+Type utilities and argument state models for Falyx's custom CLI argument parser.
+
+This module provides specialized helpers and data structures used by
+the `CommandArgumentParser` to handle non-standard parsing behavior.
+
+Contents:
+- `true_none` / `false_none`: Type coercion utilities that allow tri-state boolean
+  semantics (True, False, None). These are especially useful for supporting
+  `--flag` / `--no-flag` optional booleans in CLI arguments.
+- `ArgumentState`: Tracks whether an `Argument` has been consumed during parsing.
+- `TLDRExample`: A structured example for showing usage snippets and descriptions,
+   used in TLDR views.
+
+These tools support richer expressiveness and user-friendly ergonomics in
+Falyx's declarative command-line interfaces.
+"""
+from dataclasses import dataclass
+from typing import Any
+
+from falyx.parser.argument import Argument
+
+
+@dataclass
+class ArgumentState:
+    """Tracks an argument and whether it has been consumed."""
+
+    arg: Argument
+    consumed: bool = False
+
+
+@dataclass(frozen=True)
+class TLDRExample:
+    """Represents a usage example for TLDR output."""
+
+    usage: str
+    description: str
+
+
+def true_none(value: Any) -> bool | None:
+    """Return True if value is not None, else None."""
+    if value is None:
+        return None
+    return True
+
+
+def false_none(value: Any) -> bool | None:
+    """Return False if value is not None, else None."""
+    if value is None:
+        return None
+    return False

falyx/parser/parsers.py

@@ -0,0 +1,396 @@
+# Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
+"""
+Provides the argument parser infrastructure for the Falyx CLI.
+
+This module defines the `FalyxParsers` dataclass and related utilities for building
+structured CLI interfaces with argparse. It supports top-level CLI commands like
+`run`, `run-all`, `preview`, `list`, and `version`, and integrates seamlessly with
+registered `Command` objects for dynamic help, usage generation, and argument handling.
+
+Key Components:
+- `FalyxParsers`: Container for all CLI subparsers.
+- `get_arg_parsers()`: Factory for generating full parser suite.
+- `get_root_parser()`: Creates the root-level CLI parser with global options.
+- `get_subparsers()`: Helper to attach subcommand parsers to the root parser.
+
+Used internally by the Falyx CLI `run()` entry point to parse arguments and route
+execution across commands and workflows.
+"""
+
+from argparse import (
+    REMAINDER,
+    ArgumentParser,
+    Namespace,
+    RawDescriptionHelpFormatter,
+    _SubParsersAction,
+)
+from dataclasses import asdict, dataclass
+from typing import Any, Sequence
+
+from falyx.command import Command
+
+
+@dataclass
+class FalyxParsers:
+    """Defines the argument parsers for the Falyx CLI."""
+
+    root: ArgumentParser
+    subparsers: _SubParsersAction
+    run: ArgumentParser
+    run_all: ArgumentParser
+    preview: ArgumentParser
+    list: ArgumentParser
+    version: ArgumentParser
+
+    def parse_args(self, args: Sequence[str] | None = None) -> Namespace:
+        """Parse the command line arguments."""
+        return self.root.parse_args(args)
+
+    def as_dict(self) -> dict[str, ArgumentParser]:
+        """Convert the FalyxParsers instance to a dictionary."""
+        return asdict(self)
+
+    def get_parser(self, name: str) -> ArgumentParser | None:
+        """Get the parser by name."""
+        return self.as_dict().get(name)
+
+
+def get_root_parser(
+    prog: str | None = "falyx",
+    usage: str | None = None,
+    description: str | None = "Falyx CLI - Run structured async command workflows.",
+    epilog: str | None = "Tip: Use 'falyx run ?' to show available commands.",
+    parents: Sequence[ArgumentParser] | None = None,
+    prefix_chars: str = "-",
+    fromfile_prefix_chars: str | None = None,
+    argument_default: Any = None,
+    conflict_handler: str = "error",
+    add_help: bool = True,
+    allow_abbrev: bool = True,
+    exit_on_error: bool = True,
+) -> ArgumentParser:
+    """
+    Construct the root-level ArgumentParser for the Falyx CLI.
+
+    This parser handles global arguments shared across subcommands and can serve
+    as the base parser for the Falyx CLI or standalone applications. It includes
+    options for verbosity, debug logging, and version output.
+
+    Args:
+        prog (str | None): Name of the program (e.g., 'falyx').
+        usage (str | None): Optional custom usage string.
+        description (str | None): Description shown in the CLI help.
+        epilog (str | None): Message displayed at the end of help output.
+        parents (Sequence[ArgumentParser] | None): Optional parent parsers.
+        prefix_chars (str): Characters to denote optional arguments (default: "-").
+        fromfile_prefix_chars (str | None): Prefix to indicate argument file input.
+        argument_default (Any): Global default value for arguments.
+        conflict_handler (str): Strategy to resolve conflicting argument names.
+        add_help (bool): Whether to include help (`-h/--help`) in this parser.
+        allow_abbrev (bool): Allow abbreviated long options.
+        exit_on_error (bool): Exit immediately on error or raise an exception.
+
+    Returns:
+        ArgumentParser: The root parser with global options attached.
+
+    Notes:
+        ```
+        Includes the following arguments:
+            --never-prompt       : Run in non-interactive mode.
+            -v / --verbose       : Enable debug logging.
+            --debug-hooks        : Enable hook lifecycle debug logs.
+            --version            : Print the Falyx version.
+        ```
+    """
+    parser = ArgumentParser(
+        prog=prog,
+        usage=usage,
+        description=description,
+        epilog=epilog,
+        parents=parents if parents else [],
+        prefix_chars=prefix_chars,
+        fromfile_prefix_chars=fromfile_prefix_chars,
+        argument_default=argument_default,
+        conflict_handler=conflict_handler,
+        add_help=add_help,
+        allow_abbrev=allow_abbrev,
+        exit_on_error=exit_on_error,
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--never-prompt",
+        action="store_true",
+        help="Run in non-interactive mode with all prompts bypassed.",
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "-v", "--verbose", action="store_true", help=f"Enable debug logging for {prog}."
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--debug-hooks",
+        action="store_true",
+        help="Enable default lifecycle debug logging",
+    )
+    parser.add_argument("--version", action="store_true", help=f"Show {prog} version")
+    return parser
+
+
+def get_subparsers(
+    parser: ArgumentParser,
+    title: str = "Falyx Commands",
+    description: str | None = "Available commands for the Falyx CLI.",
+) -> _SubParsersAction:
+    """
+    Create and return a subparsers object for registering Falyx CLI subcommands.
+
+    This function adds a `subparsers` block to the given root parser, enabling
+    structured subcommands such as `run`, `run-all`, `preview`, etc.
+
+    Args:
+        parser (ArgumentParser): The root parser to attach the subparsers to.
+        title (str): Title used in help output to group subcommands.
+        description (str | None): Optional text describing the group of subcommands.
+
+    Returns:
+        _SubParsersAction: The subparsers object that can be used to add new CLI subcommands.
+
+    Raises:
+        TypeError: If `parser` is not an instance of `ArgumentParser`.
+
+    Example:
+        ```python
+        >>> parser = get_root_parser()
+        >>> subparsers = get_subparsers(parser, title="Available Commands")
+        >>> subparsers.add_parser("run", help="Run a Falyx command")
+        ```
+    """
+    if not isinstance(parser, ArgumentParser):
+        raise TypeError("parser must be an instance of ArgumentParser")
+    subparsers = parser.add_subparsers(
+        title=title,
+        description=description,
+        dest="command",
+    )
+    return subparsers
+
+
+def get_arg_parsers(
+    prog: str | None = "falyx",
+    usage: str | None = None,
+    description: str | None = "Falyx CLI - Run structured async command workflows.",
+    epilog: (
+        str | None
+    ) = "Tip: Use 'falyx run ?[COMMAND]' to preview any command from the CLI.",
+    parents: Sequence[ArgumentParser] | None = None,
+    prefix_chars: str = "-",
+    fromfile_prefix_chars: str | None = None,
+    argument_default: Any = None,
+    conflict_handler: str = "error",
+    add_help: bool = True,
+    allow_abbrev: bool = True,
+    exit_on_error: bool = True,
+    commands: dict[str, Command] | None = None,
+    root_parser: ArgumentParser | None = None,
+    subparsers: _SubParsersAction | None = None,
+) -> FalyxParsers:
+    """
+    Create and return the full suite of argument parsers used by the Falyx CLI.
+
+    This function builds the root parser and all subcommand parsers used for structured
+    CLI workflows in Falyx. It supports standard subcommands including `run`, `run-all`,
+    `preview`, `list`, and `version`, and integrates with registered `Command` objects
+    to populate dynamic help and usage documentation.
+
+    Args:
+        prog (str | None): Program name to display in help and usage messages.
+        usage (str | None): Optional usage message to override the default.
+        description (str | None): Description for the CLI root parser.
+        epilog (str | None): Epilog message shown after the help text.
+        parents (Sequence[ArgumentParser] | None): Optional parent parsers.
+        prefix_chars (str): Characters that prefix optional arguments.
+        fromfile_prefix_chars (str | None): Prefix character for reading args from file.
+        argument_default (Any): Default value for arguments if not specified.
+        conflict_handler (str): Strategy for resolving conflicting arguments.
+        add_help (bool): Whether to add the `-h/--help` option to the root parser.
+        allow_abbrev (bool): Whether to allow abbreviated long options.
+        exit_on_error (bool): Whether the parser exits on error or raises.
+        commands (dict[str, Command] | None): Optional dictionary of registered commands
+            to populate help and subcommand descriptions dynamically.
+        root_parser (ArgumentParser | None): Custom root parser to use instead of building one.
+        subparsers (_SubParsersAction | None): Optional existing subparser object to extend.
+
+    Returns:
+        FalyxParsers: A structured container of all parsers, including `run`, `run-all`,
+                      `preview`, `list`, `version`, and the root parser.
+
+    Raises:
+        TypeError: If `root_parser` is not an instance of ArgumentParser or
+                   `subparsers` is not an instance of _SubParsersAction.
+
+    Example:
+        ```python
+        >>> parsers = get_arg_parsers(commands=my_command_dict)
+        >>> args = parsers.root.parse_args()
+        ```
+
+    Notes:
+        - This function integrates dynamic command usage and descriptions if the
+          `commands` argument is provided.
+        - The `run` parser supports additional options for retry logic and confirmation
+          prompts.
+        - The `run-all` parser executes all commands matching a tag.
+        - Use `falyx run ?[COMMAND]` from the CLI to preview a command.
+    """
+    if epilog is None:
+        epilog = f"Tip: Use '{prog} run ?' to show available commands."
+    if root_parser is None:
+        parser = get_root_parser(
+            prog=prog,
+            usage=usage,
+            description=description,
+            epilog=epilog,
+            parents=parents,
+            prefix_chars=prefix_chars,
+            fromfile_prefix_chars=fromfile_prefix_chars,
+            argument_default=argument_default,
+            conflict_handler=conflict_handler,
+            add_help=add_help,
+            allow_abbrev=allow_abbrev,
+            exit_on_error=exit_on_error,
+        )
+    else:
+        if not isinstance(root_parser, ArgumentParser):
+            raise TypeError("root_parser must be an instance of ArgumentParser")
+        parser = root_parser
+
+    if subparsers is None:
+        if prog == "falyx":
+            subparsers = get_subparsers(
+                parser,
+                title="Falyx Commands",
+                description="Available commands for the Falyx CLI.",
+            )
+        else:
+            subparsers = get_subparsers(parser, title="subcommands", description=None)
+    if not isinstance(subparsers, _SubParsersAction):
+        raise TypeError("subparsers must be an instance of _SubParsersAction")
+
+    run_description = ["Run a command by its key or alias.\n"]
+    run_description.append("commands:")
+    if isinstance(commands, dict):
+        for command in commands.values():
+            run_description.append(command.usage)
+            command_description = command.help_text or command.description
+            run_description.append(f"{' '*24}{command_description}")
+    run_epilog = (
+        f"Tip: Use '{prog} run ?[COMMAND]' to preview commands by their key or alias."
+    )
+    run_parser = subparsers.add_parser(
+        "run",
+        help="Run a specific command",
+        description="\n".join(run_description),
+        epilog=run_epilog,
+        formatter_class=RawDescriptionHelpFormatter,
+    )
+    run_parser.add_argument(
+        "name", help="Run a command by its key or alias", metavar="COMMAND"
+    )
+    run_parser.add_argument(
+        "--summary",
+        action="store_true",
+        help="Print an execution summary after command completes",
+    )
+    run_parser.add_argument(
+        "--retries", type=int, help="Number of retries on failure", default=0
+    )
+    run_parser.add_argument(
+        "--retry-delay",
+        type=float,
+        help="Initial delay between retries in (seconds)",
+        default=0,
+    )
+    run_parser.add_argument(
+        "--retry-backoff", type=float, help="Backoff factor for retries", default=0
+    )
+    run_group = run_parser.add_mutually_exclusive_group(required=False)
+    run_group.add_argument(
+        "-c",
+        "--confirm",
+        dest="force_confirm",
+        action="store_true",
+        help="Force confirmation prompts",
+    )
+    run_group.add_argument(
+        "-s",
+        "--skip-confirm",
+        dest="skip_confirm",
+        action="store_true",
+        help="Skip confirmation prompts",
+    )
+
+    run_parser.add_argument(
+        "command_args",
+        nargs=REMAINDER,
+        help="Arguments to pass to the command (if applicable)",
+        metavar="ARGS",
+    )
+
+    run_all_parser = subparsers.add_parser(
+        "run-all", help="Run all commands with a given tag"
+    )
+    run_all_parser.add_argument("-t", "--tag", required=True, help="Tag to match")
+    run_all_parser.add_argument(
+        "--summary",
+        action="store_true",
+        help="Print a summary after all tagged commands run",
+    )
+    run_all_parser.add_argument(
+        "--retries", type=int, help="Number of retries on failure", default=0
+    )
+    run_all_parser.add_argument(
+        "--retry-delay",
+        type=float,
+        help="Initial delay between retries in (seconds)",
+        default=0,
+    )
+    run_all_parser.add_argument(
+        "--retry-backoff", type=float, help="Backoff factor for retries", default=0
+    )
+    run_all_group = run_all_parser.add_mutually_exclusive_group(required=False)
+    run_all_group.add_argument(
+        "-c",
+        "--confirm",
+        dest="force_confirm",
+        action="store_true",
+        help="Force confirmation prompts",
+    )
+    run_all_group.add_argument(
+        "-s",
+        "--skip-confirm",
+        dest="skip_confirm",
+        action="store_true",
+        help="Skip confirmation prompts",
+    )
+
+    preview_parser = subparsers.add_parser(
+        "preview", help="Preview a command without running it"
+    )
+    preview_parser.add_argument("name", help="Key, alias, or description of the command")
+
+    list_parser = subparsers.add_parser(
+        "list", help="List all available commands with tags"
+    )
+
+    list_parser.add_argument(
+        "-t", "--tag", help="Filter commands by tag (case-insensitive)", default=None
+    )
+
+    version_parser = subparsers.add_parser("version", help=f"Show {prog} version")
+
+    return FalyxParsers(
+        root=parser,
+        subparsers=subparsers,
+        run=run_parser,
+        run_all=run_all_parser,
+        preview=preview_parser,
+        list=list_parser,
+        version=version_parser,
+    )

falyx/parser/signature.py

@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+# Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
+"""
+Provides utilities for introspecting Python callables and extracting argument
+metadata compatible with Falyx's `CommandArgumentParser`.
+
+This module is primarily used to auto-generate command argument definitions from
+function signatures, enabling seamless integration of plain functions into the
+Falyx CLI with minimal boilerplate.
+
+Functions:
+- infer_args_from_func: Generate a list of argument definitions based on a function's signature.
+"""
+import inspect
+from typing import Any, Callable
+
+from falyx.logger import logger
+
+
+def infer_args_from_func(
+    func: Callable[[Any], Any] | None,
+    arg_metadata: dict[str, str | dict[str, Any]] | None = None,
+) -> list[dict[str, Any]]:
+    """
+    Infer CLI-style argument definitions from a function signature.
+
+    This utility inspects the parameters of a function and returns a list of dictionaries,
+    each of which can be passed to `CommandArgumentParser.add_argument()`.
+
+    Args:
+        func (Callable | None): The function to inspect.
+        arg_metadata (dict | None): Optional metadata overrides for help text, type hints,
+                                    choices, and suggestions for each parameter.
+
+    Returns:
+        list[dict[str, Any]]: A list of argument definitions inferred from the function.
+    """
+    if not callable(func):
+        logger.debug("Provided argument is not callable: %s", func)
+        return []
+    arg_metadata = arg_metadata or {}
+    signature = inspect.signature(func)
+    arg_defs = []
+
+    for name, param in signature.parameters.items():
+        raw_metadata = arg_metadata.get(name, {})
+        metadata = (
+            {"help": raw_metadata} if isinstance(raw_metadata, str) else raw_metadata
+        )
+        if param.kind not in (
+            inspect.Parameter.POSITIONAL_ONLY,
+            inspect.Parameter.POSITIONAL_OR_KEYWORD,
+            inspect.Parameter.KEYWORD_ONLY,
+        ):
+            continue
+
+        if metadata.get("type"):
+            arg_type = metadata["type"]
+        else:
+            arg_type = (
+                param.annotation
+                if param.annotation is not inspect.Parameter.empty
+                else str
+            )
+            if isinstance(arg_type, str):
+                arg_type = str
+        default = param.default if param.default is not inspect.Parameter.empty else None
+        is_required = param.default is inspect.Parameter.empty
+        if is_required:
+            flags = [f"{name.replace('_', '-')}"]
+        else:
+            flags = [f"--{name.replace('_', '-')}"]
+        action = "store"
+        nargs: int | str | None = None
+
+        if arg_type is bool:
+            if param.default is False:
+                action = "store_true"
+                default = None
+            elif param.default is True:
+                action = "store_false"
+                default = None
+
+        if arg_type is list:
+            action = "append"
+            if is_required:
+                nargs = "+"
+            else:
+                nargs = "*"
+
+        arg_defs.append(
+            {
+                "flags": flags,
+                "dest": name,
+                "type": arg_type,
+                "default": default,
+                "required": is_required,
+                "nargs": nargs,
+                "action": action,
+                "help": metadata.get("help", ""),
+                "choices": metadata.get("choices"),
+                "suggestions": metadata.get("suggestions"),
+            }
+        )
+
+    return arg_defs

falyx/parser/utils.py

@@ -0,0 +1,164 @@
+# Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
+"""
+Contains value coercion and signature comparison utilities for Falyx argument parsing.
+
+This module provides type coercion functions for converting string input into expected
+Python types, including `Enum`, `bool`, `datetime`, and `Literal`. It also supports
+checking whether multiple actions share identical inferred argument definitions.
+
+Functions:
+- coerce_bool: Convert a string to a boolean.
+- coerce_enum: Convert a string or raw value to an Enum instance.
+- coerce_value: General-purpose coercion to a target type (including nested unions, enums, etc.).
+- same_argument_definitions: Check if multiple callables share the same argument structure.
+"""
+import types
+from datetime import datetime
+from enum import EnumMeta
+from typing import Any, Literal, Union, get_args, get_origin
+
+from dateutil import parser as date_parser
+
+from falyx.action.base_action import BaseAction
+from falyx.logger import logger
+from falyx.parser.signature import infer_args_from_func
+
+
+def coerce_bool(value: str) -> bool:
+    """
+    Convert a string to a boolean.
+
+    Accepts various truthy and falsy representations such as 'true', 'yes', '0', 'off', etc.
+
+    Args:
+        value (str): The input string or boolean.
+
+    Returns:
+        bool: Parsed boolean result.
+    """
+    if isinstance(value, bool):
+        return value
+    value = value.strip().lower()
+    if value in {"true", "t", "1", "yes", "on"}:
+        return True
+    elif value in {"false", "f", "0", "no", "off"}:
+        return False
+    return bool(value)
+
+
+def coerce_enum(value: Any, enum_type: EnumMeta) -> Any:
+    """
+    Convert a raw value or string to an Enum instance.
+
+    Tries to resolve by name, value, or coerced base type.
+
+    Args:
+        value (Any): The input value to convert.
+        enum_type (EnumMeta): The target Enum class.
+
+    Returns:
+        Enum: The corresponding Enum instance.
+
+    Raises:
+        ValueError: If the value cannot be resolved to a valid Enum member.
+    """
+    if isinstance(value, enum_type):
+        return value
+
+    if isinstance(value, str):
+        try:
+            return enum_type[value]
+        except KeyError:
+            pass
+
+    base_type = type(next(iter(enum_type)).value)
+    try:
+        coerced_value = base_type(value)
+        return enum_type(coerced_value)
+    except (ValueError, TypeError):
+        values = [str(enum.value) for enum in enum_type]
+        raise ValueError(f"'{value}' should be one of {{{', '.join(values)}}}") from None
+
+
+def coerce_value(value: str, target_type: type) -> Any:
+    """
+    Attempt to convert a string to the given target type.
+
+    Handles complex typing constructs such as Union, Literal, Enum, and datetime.
+
+    Args:
+        value (str): The input string to convert.
+        target_type (type): The desired type.
+
+    Returns:
+        Any: The coerced value.
+
+    Raises:
+        ValueError: If conversion fails or the value is invalid.
+    """
+    origin = get_origin(target_type)
+    args = get_args(target_type)
+
+    if origin is Literal:
+        if value not in args:
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"Value '{value}' is not a valid literal for type {target_type}"
+            )
+        return value
+
+    if isinstance(target_type, types.UnionType) or get_origin(target_type) is Union:
+        for arg in args:
+            try:
+                return coerce_value(value, arg)
+            except Exception:
+                continue
+        raise ValueError(f"Value '{value}' could not be coerced to any of {args}")
+
+    if isinstance(target_type, EnumMeta):
+        return coerce_enum(value, target_type)
+
+    if target_type is bool:
+        return coerce_bool(value)
+
+    if target_type is datetime:
+        try:
+            return date_parser.parse(value)
+        except ValueError as e:
+            raise ValueError(f"Value '{value}' could not be parsed as a datetime") from e
+
+    return target_type(value)
+
+
+def same_argument_definitions(
+    actions: list[Any],
+    arg_metadata: dict[str, str | dict[str, Any]] | None = None,
+) -> list[dict[str, Any]] | None:
+    """
+    Determine if multiple callables resolve to the same argument definitions.
+
+    This is used to infer whether actions in an ActionGroup or ProcessPool can share
+    a unified argument parser.
+
+    Args:
+        actions (list[Any]): A list of BaseAction instances or callables.
+        arg_metadata (dict | None): Optional overrides for argument help or type info.
+
+    Returns:
+        list[dict[str, Any]] | None: The shared argument definitions if consistent, else None.
+    """
+    arg_sets = []
+    for action in actions:
+        if isinstance(action, BaseAction):
+            infer_target, _ = action.get_infer_target()
+            arg_defs = infer_args_from_func(infer_target, arg_metadata)
+        elif callable(action):
+            arg_defs = infer_args_from_func(action, arg_metadata)
+        else:
+            logger.debug("Auto args unsupported for action: %s", action)
+            return None
+        arg_sets.append(arg_defs)
+
+    first = arg_sets[0]
+    if all(arg_set == first for arg_set in arg_sets[1:]):
+        return first
+    return None

falyx/parsers.py

@@ -1,179 +0,0 @@
-# Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
-"""parsers.py
-This module contains the argument parsers used for the Falyx CLI.
-"""
-from argparse import REMAINDER, ArgumentParser, Namespace, _SubParsersAction
-from dataclasses import asdict, dataclass
-from typing import Any, Sequence
-
-
-@dataclass
-class FalyxParsers:
-    """Defines the argument parsers for the Falyx CLI."""
-
-    root: ArgumentParser
-    subparsers: _SubParsersAction
-    run: ArgumentParser
-    run_all: ArgumentParser
-    preview: ArgumentParser
-    list: ArgumentParser
-    version: ArgumentParser
-
-    def parse_args(self, args: Sequence[str] | None = None) -> Namespace:
-        """Parse the command line arguments."""
-        return self.root.parse_args(args)
-
-    def as_dict(self) -> dict[str, ArgumentParser]:
-        """Convert the FalyxParsers instance to a dictionary."""
-        return asdict(self)
-
-    def get_parser(self, name: str) -> ArgumentParser | None:
-        """Get the parser by name."""
-        return self.as_dict().get(name)
-
-
-def get_arg_parsers(
-    prog: str | None = "falyx",
-    usage: str | None = None,
-    description: str | None = "Falyx CLI - Run structured async command workflows.",
-    epilog: (
-        str | None
-    ) = "Tip: Use 'falyx run ?[COMMAND]' to preview any command from the CLI.",
-    parents: Sequence[ArgumentParser] | None = None,
-    prefix_chars: str = "-",
-    fromfile_prefix_chars: str | None = None,
-    argument_default: Any = None,
-    conflict_handler: str = "error",
-    add_help: bool = True,
-    allow_abbrev: bool = True,
-    exit_on_error: bool = True,
-) -> FalyxParsers:
-    """Returns the argument parser for the CLI."""
-    parser = ArgumentParser(
-        prog=prog,
-        usage=usage,
-        description=description,
-        epilog=epilog,
-        parents=parents if parents else [],
-        prefix_chars=prefix_chars,
-        fromfile_prefix_chars=fromfile_prefix_chars,
-        argument_default=argument_default,
-        conflict_handler=conflict_handler,
-        add_help=add_help,
-        allow_abbrev=allow_abbrev,
-        exit_on_error=exit_on_error,
-    )
-    parser.add_argument(
-        "--never-prompt",
-        action="store_true",
-        help="Run in non-interactive mode with all prompts bypassed.",
-    )
-    parser.add_argument(
-        "-v", "--verbose", action="store_true", help="Enable debug logging for Falyx."
-    )
-    parser.add_argument(
-        "--debug-hooks",
-        action="store_true",
-        help="Enable default lifecycle debug logging",
-    )
-    parser.add_argument("--version", action="store_true", help="Show Falyx version")
-    subparsers = parser.add_subparsers(dest="command")
-
-    run_parser = subparsers.add_parser("run", help="Run a specific command")
-    run_parser.add_argument("name", help="Key, alias, or description of the command")
-    run_parser.add_argument(
-        "--summary",
-        action="store_true",
-        help="Print an execution summary after command completes",
-    )
-    run_parser.add_argument(
-        "--retries", type=int, help="Number of retries on failure", default=0
-    )
-    run_parser.add_argument(
-        "--retry-delay",
-        type=float,
-        help="Initial delay between retries in (seconds)",
-        default=0,
-    )
-    run_parser.add_argument(
-        "--retry-backoff", type=float, help="Backoff factor for retries", default=0
-    )
-    run_group = run_parser.add_mutually_exclusive_group(required=False)
-    run_group.add_argument(
-        "-c",
-        "--confirm",
-        dest="force_confirm",
-        action="store_true",
-        help="Force confirmation prompts",
-    )
-    run_group.add_argument(
-        "-s",
-        "--skip-confirm",
-        dest="skip_confirm",
-        action="store_true",
-        help="Skip confirmation prompts",
-    )
-
-    run_group.add_argument(
-        "command_args",
-        nargs=REMAINDER,
-        help="Arguments to pass to the command (if applicable)",
-    )
-
-    run_all_parser = subparsers.add_parser(
-        "run-all", help="Run all commands with a given tag"
-    )
-    run_all_parser.add_argument("-t", "--tag", required=True, help="Tag to match")
-    run_all_parser.add_argument(
-        "--summary",
-        action="store_true",
-        help="Print a summary after all tagged commands run",
-    )
-    run_all_parser.add_argument(
-        "--retries", type=int, help="Number of retries on failure", default=0
-    )
-    run_all_parser.add_argument(
-        "--retry-delay",
-        type=float,
-        help="Initial delay between retries in (seconds)",
-        default=0,
-    )
-    run_all_parser.add_argument(
-        "--retry-backoff", type=float, help="Backoff factor for retries", default=0
-    )
-    run_all_group = run_all_parser.add_mutually_exclusive_group(required=False)
-    run_all_group.add_argument(
-        "-c",
-        "--confirm",
-        dest="force_confirm",
-        action="store_true",
-        help="Force confirmation prompts",
-    )
-    run_all_group.add_argument(
-        "-s",
-        "--skip-confirm",
-        dest="skip_confirm",
-        action="store_true",
-        help="Skip confirmation prompts",
-    )
-
-    preview_parser = subparsers.add_parser(
-        "preview", help="Preview a command without running it"
-    )
-    preview_parser.add_argument("name", help="Key, alias, or description of the command")
-
-    list_parser = subparsers.add_parser(
-        "list", help="List all available commands with tags"
-    )
-
-    version_parser = subparsers.add_parser("version", help="Show the Falyx version")
-
-    return FalyxParsers(
-        root=parser,
-        subparsers=subparsers,
-        run=run_parser,
-        run_all=run_all_parser,
-        preview=preview_parser,
-        list=list_parser,
-        version=version_parser,
-    )

falyx/prompt_utils.py

@@ -1,11 +1,24 @@
 # Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
-"""prompt_utils.py"""
+"""
+Utilities for user interaction prompts in the Falyx CLI framework.
+
+Provides asynchronous confirmation dialogs and helper logic to determine
+whether a user should be prompted based on command-line options.
+
+Includes:
+- `should_prompt_user()` for conditional prompt logic.
+- `confirm_async()` for interactive yes/no confirmation.
+"""
+
 from prompt_toolkit import PromptSession
 from prompt_toolkit.formatted_text import (
     AnyFormattedText,
     FormattedText,
+    StyleAndTextTuples,
     merge_formatted_text,
 )
+from rich.console import Console
+from rich.text import Text
 
 from falyx.options_manager import OptionsManager
 from falyx.themes import OneColors
@@ -46,3 +59,31 @@ async def confirm_async(
         validator=yes_no_validator(),
     )
     return answer.upper() == "Y"
+
+
+def rich_text_to_prompt_text(text: Text | str | StyleAndTextTuples) -> StyleAndTextTuples:
+    """
+    Convert a Rich Text object to a list of (style, text) tuples
+    compatible with prompt_toolkit.
+    """
+    if isinstance(text, list):
+        if all(isinstance(pair, tuple) and len(pair) == 2 for pair in text):
+            return text
+        raise TypeError("Expected list of (style, text) tuples")
+
+    if isinstance(text, str):
+        text = Text.from_markup(text)
+
+    if not isinstance(text, Text):
+        raise TypeError("Expected str, rich.text.Text, or list of (style, text) tuples")
+
+    console = Console(color_system=None, file=None, width=999, legacy_windows=False)
+    segments = text.render(console)
+
+    prompt_fragments: StyleAndTextTuples = []
+    for segment in segments:
+        style = segment.style or ""
+        string = segment.text
+        if string:
+            prompt_fragments.append((str(style), string))
+    return prompt_fragments

falyx/protocols.py

@@ -1,15 +1,30 @@
 # Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
-"""protocols.py"""
+"""
+Defines structural protocols for advanced Falyx features.
+
+These runtime-checkable `Protocol` classes specify the expected interfaces for:
+- Factories that asynchronously return actions
+- Argument parsers used in dynamic command execution
+
+Used to support type-safe extensibility and plugin-like behavior without requiring
+explicit base classes.
+
+Protocols:
+- ActionFactoryProtocol: Async callable that returns a coroutine yielding a BaseAction.
+- ArgParserProtocol: Callable that accepts CLI-style args and returns (args, kwargs) tuple.
+"""
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-from typing import Any, Awaitable, Protocol, runtime_checkable
+from typing import Any, Awaitable, Callable, Protocol, runtime_checkable
 
-from falyx.action.action import BaseAction
+from falyx.action.base_action import BaseAction
 
 
 @runtime_checkable
 class ActionFactoryProtocol(Protocol):
-    async def __call__(self, *args: Any, **kwargs: Any) -> Awaitable[BaseAction]: ...
+    async def __call__(
+        self, *args: Any, **kwargs: Any
+    ) -> Callable[..., Awaitable[BaseAction]]: ...
 
 
 @runtime_checkable

falyx/retry.py

@@ -1,5 +1,23 @@
 # Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
-"""retry.py"""
+"""
+Implements retry logic for Falyx Actions using configurable retry policies.
+
+This module defines:
+- `RetryPolicy`: A configurable model controlling retry behavior (delay, backoff, jitter).
+- `RetryHandler`: A hook-compatible class that manages retry attempts for failed actions.
+
+Used to automatically retry transient failures in leaf-level `Action` objects
+when marked as retryable. Integrates with the Falyx hook lifecycle via `on_error`.
+
+Supports:
+- Exponential backoff with optional jitter
+- Manual or declarative policy control
+- Per-action retry logging and recovery
+
+Example:
+    handler = RetryHandler(RetryPolicy(max_retries=5, delay=1.0))
+    action.hooks.register(HookType.ON_ERROR, handler.retry_on_error)
+"""
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import asyncio
@@ -12,7 +30,28 @@ from falyx.logger import logger
 
 
 class RetryPolicy(BaseModel):
-    """RetryPolicy"""
+    """
+    Defines a retry strategy for Falyx `Action` objects.
+
+    This model controls whether an action should be retried on failure, and how:
+    - `max_retries`: Maximum number of retry attempts.
+    - `delay`: Initial wait time before the first retry (in seconds).
+    - `backoff`: Multiplier applied to the delay after each failure (≥ 1.0).
+    - `jitter`: Optional random noise added/subtracted from delay to reduce thundering herd issues.
+    - `enabled`: Whether this policy is currently active.
+
+    Retry is only triggered for leaf-level `Action` instances marked with `is_retryable=True`
+    and registered with an appropriate `RetryHandler`.
+
+    Example:
+        RetryPolicy(max_retries=3, delay=1.0, backoff=2.0, jitter=0.2, enabled=True)
+
+    Use `enable_policy()` to activate the policy after construction.
+
+    See Also:
+        - `RetryHandler`: Executes retry logic based on this configuration.
+        - `HookType.ON_ERROR`: The hook type used to trigger retries.
+    """
 
     max_retries: int = Field(default=3, ge=0)
     delay: float = Field(default=1.0, ge=0.0)
@@ -36,7 +75,27 @@ class RetryPolicy(BaseModel):
 
 
 class RetryHandler:
-    """RetryHandler class to manage retry policies for actions."""
+    """
+    Executes retry logic for Falyx actions using a provided `RetryPolicy`.
+
+    This class is intended to be registered as an `on_error` hook. It will
+    re-attempt the failed `Action`'s `action` method using the args/kwargs from
+    the failed context, following exponential backoff and optional jitter.
+
+    Only supports retrying leaf `Action` instances (not ChainedAction or ActionGroup)
+    where `is_retryable=True`.
+
+    Attributes:
+        policy (RetryPolicy): The retry configuration controlling timing and limits.
+
+    Example:
+        handler = RetryHandler(RetryPolicy(max_retries=3, delay=1.0, enabled=True))
+        action.hooks.register(HookType.ON_ERROR, handler.retry_on_error)
+
+    Notes:
+        - Retries are not triggered if the policy is disabled or `max_retries=0`.
+        - All retry attempts and final failure are logged automatically.
+    """
 
     def __init__(self, policy: RetryPolicy = RetryPolicy()):
         self.policy = policy
@@ -53,7 +112,7 @@ class RetryHandler:
         self.policy.delay = delay
         self.policy.backoff = backoff
         self.policy.jitter = jitter
-        logger.info("🔄 Retry policy enabled: %s", self.policy)
+        logger.info("Retry policy enabled: %s", self.policy)
 
     async def retry_on_error(self, context: ExecutionContext) -> None:
         from falyx.action import Action
@@ -67,21 +126,21 @@ class RetryHandler:
         last_error = error
 
         if not target:
-            logger.warning("[%s] ⚠️ No action target. Cannot retry.", name)
+            logger.warning("[%s] No action target. Cannot retry.", name)
             return None
 
         if not isinstance(target, Action):
             logger.warning(
-                "[%s] ❌ RetryHandler only supports only supports Action objects.", name
+                "[%s] RetryHandler only supports only supports Action objects.", name
             )
             return None
 
         if not getattr(target, "is_retryable", False):
-            logger.warning("[%s] ❌ Not retryable.", name)
+            logger.warning("[%s] Not retryable.", name)
             return None
 
         if not self.policy.enabled:
-            logger.warning("[%s] ❌ Retry policy is disabled.", name)
+            logger.warning("[%s] Retry policy is disabled.", name)
             return None
 
         while retries_done < self.policy.max_retries:
@@ -90,32 +149,41 @@ class RetryHandler:
             sleep_delay = current_delay
             if self.policy.jitter > 0:
                 sleep_delay += random.uniform(-self.policy.jitter, self.policy.jitter)
-
+            logger.debug(
+                "[%s] Error: %s",
+                name,
+                last_error,
+            )
             logger.info(
-                "[%s] 🔄 Retrying (%s/%s) in %ss due to '%s'...",
+                "[%s] Retrying (%s/%s) in %ss due to '%s'...",
                 name,
                 retries_done,
                 self.policy.max_retries,
                 current_delay,
-                last_error,
+                last_error.__class__.__name__,
             )
             await asyncio.sleep(current_delay)
             try:
                 result = await target.action(*context.args, **context.kwargs)
                 context.result = result
                 context.exception = None
-                logger.info("[%s] ✅ Retry succeeded on attempt %s.", name, retries_done)
+                logger.info("[%s] Retry succeeded on attempt %s.", name, retries_done)
                 return None
             except Exception as retry_error:
                 last_error = retry_error
                 current_delay *= self.policy.backoff
+                logger.debug(
+                    "[%s] Error: %s",
+                    name,
+                    retry_error,
+                )
                 logger.warning(
-                    "[%s] ⚠️ Retry attempt %s/%s failed due to '%s'.",
+                    "[%s] Retry attempt %s/%s failed due to '%s'.",
                     name,
                     retries_done,
                     self.policy.max_retries,
-                    retry_error,
+                    retry_error.__class__.__name__,
                 )
 
         context.exception = last_error
-        logger.error("[%s] ❌ All %s retries failed.", name, self.policy.max_retries)
+        logger.error("[%s] All %s retries failed.", name, self.policy.max_retries)

falyx/retry_utils.py

@@ -1,6 +1,16 @@
 # Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
-"""retry_utils.py"""
-from falyx.action.action import Action, BaseAction
+"""
+Utilities for enabling retry behavior across Falyx actions.
+
+This module provides a helper to recursively apply a `RetryPolicy` to an action and its
+nested children (e.g. `ChainedAction`, `ActionGroup`), and register the appropriate
+`RetryHandler` to hook into error handling.
+
+Includes:
+- `enable_retries_recursively`: Attaches a retry policy and error hook to all eligible actions.
+"""
+from falyx.action.action import Action
+from falyx.action.base_action import BaseAction
 from falyx.hook_manager import HookType
 from falyx.retry import RetryHandler, RetryPolicy
 

falyx/selection.py

@@ -1,17 +1,30 @@
 # Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
-"""selection.py"""
+"""
+Provides interactive selection utilities for Falyx CLI actions.
+
+This module defines `SelectionOption` objects, selection maps, and rich-powered
+rendering functions to build interactive selection prompts using `prompt_toolkit`.
+It supports:
+- Grid-based and dictionary-based selection menus
+- Index- or key-driven multi-select prompts
+- Formatted Rich tables for CLI visual menus
+- Cancel keys, defaults, and duplication control
+
+Used by `SelectionAction` and other prompt-driven workflows within Falyx.
+"""
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 from typing import Any, Callable, KeysView, Sequence
 
 from prompt_toolkit import PromptSession
 from rich import box
-from rich.console import Console
 from rich.markup import escape
 from rich.table import Table
 
+from falyx.console import console
+from falyx.prompt_utils import rich_text_to_prompt_text
 from falyx.themes import OneColors
-from falyx.utils import chunks
-from falyx.validators import int_range_validator, key_validator
+from falyx.utils import CaseInsensitiveDict, chunks
+from falyx.validators import MultiIndexValidator, MultiKeyValidator
 
 
 @dataclass
@@ -32,6 +45,62 @@ class SelectionOption:
         return f"[{OneColors.WHITE}]{key}[/] [{self.style}]{self.description}[/]"
 
 
+class SelectionOptionMap(CaseInsensitiveDict):
+    """
+    Manages selection options including validation and reserved key protection.
+    """
+
+    RESERVED_KEYS: set[str] = set()
+
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        options: dict[str, SelectionOption] | None = None,
+        allow_reserved: bool = False,
+    ):
+        super().__init__()
+        self.allow_reserved = allow_reserved
+        if options:
+            self.update(options)
+
+    def _add_reserved(self, key: str, option: SelectionOption) -> None:
+        """Add a reserved key, bypassing validation."""
+        norm_key = key.upper()
+        super().__setitem__(norm_key, option)
+
+    def __setitem__(self, key: str, option: SelectionOption) -> None:
+        if not isinstance(option, SelectionOption):
+            raise TypeError(f"Value for key '{key}' must be a SelectionOption.")
+        norm_key = key.upper()
+        if norm_key in self.RESERVED_KEYS and not self.allow_reserved:
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"Key '{key}' is reserved and cannot be used in SelectionOptionMap."
+            )
+        super().__setitem__(norm_key, option)
+
+    def __delitem__(self, key: str) -> None:
+        if key.upper() in self.RESERVED_KEYS and not self.allow_reserved:
+            raise ValueError(f"Cannot delete reserved option '{key}'.")
+        super().__delitem__(key)
+
+    def update(self, other=None, **kwargs):
+        """Update the selection options with another dictionary."""
+        if other:
+            for key, option in other.items():
+                if not isinstance(option, SelectionOption):
+                    raise TypeError(f"Value for key '{key}' must be a SelectionOption.")
+                self[key] = option
+        for key, option in kwargs.items():
+            if not isinstance(option, SelectionOption):
+                raise TypeError(f"Value for key '{key}' must be a SelectionOption.")
+            self[key] = option
+
+    def items(self, include_reserved: bool = True):
+        for k, v in super().items():
+            if not include_reserved and k in self.RESERVED_KEYS:
+                continue
+            yield k, v
+
+
 def render_table_base(
     title: str,
     *,
@@ -211,23 +280,37 @@ async def prompt_for_index(
     *,
     min_index: int = 0,
     default_selection: str = "",
-    console: Console | None = None,
     prompt_session: PromptSession | None = None,
     prompt_message: str = "Select an option > ",
     show_table: bool = True,
-):
+    number_selections: int | str = 1,
+    separator: str = ",",
+    allow_duplicates: bool = False,
+    cancel_key: str = "",
+) -> int | list[int]:
     prompt_session = prompt_session or PromptSession()
-    console = console or Console(color_system="auto")
 
     if show_table:
         console.print(table, justify="center")
 
     selection = await prompt_session.prompt_async(
-        message=prompt_message,
-        validator=int_range_validator(min_index, max_index),
+        message=rich_text_to_prompt_text(prompt_message),
+        validator=MultiIndexValidator(
+            min_index,
+            max_index,
+            number_selections,
+            separator,
+            allow_duplicates,
+            cancel_key,
+        ),
         default=default_selection,
     )
-    return int(selection)
+
+    if selection.strip() == cancel_key:
+        return int(cancel_key)
+    if isinstance(number_selections, int) and number_selections == 1:
+        return int(selection.strip())
+    return [int(index.strip()) for index in selection.strip().split(separator)]
 
 
 async def prompt_for_selection(
@@ -235,35 +318,46 @@ async def prompt_for_selection(
     table: Table,
     *,
     default_selection: str = "",
-    console: Console | None = None,
     prompt_session: PromptSession | None = None,
     prompt_message: str = "Select an option > ",
     show_table: bool = True,
-) -> str:
+    number_selections: int | str = 1,
+    separator: str = ",",
+    allow_duplicates: bool = False,
+    cancel_key: str = "",
+) -> str | list[str]:
     """Prompt the user to select a key from a set of options. Return the selected key."""
     prompt_session = prompt_session or PromptSession()
-    console = console or Console(color_system="auto")
 
     if show_table:
         console.print(table, justify="center")
 
     selected = await prompt_session.prompt_async(
-        message=prompt_message,
-        validator=key_validator(keys),
+        message=rich_text_to_prompt_text(prompt_message),
+        validator=MultiKeyValidator(
+            keys, number_selections, separator, allow_duplicates, cancel_key
+        ),
         default=default_selection,
     )
 
-    return selected
+    if selected.strip() == cancel_key:
+        return cancel_key
+    if isinstance(number_selections, int) and number_selections == 1:
+        return selected.strip()
+    return [key.strip() for key in selected.strip().split(separator)]
 
 
 async def select_value_from_list(
     title: str,
     selections: Sequence[str],
     *,
-    console: Console | None = None,
     prompt_session: PromptSession | None = None,
     prompt_message: str = "Select an option > ",
     default_selection: str = "",
+    number_selections: int | str = 1,
+    separator: str = ",",
+    allow_duplicates: bool = False,
+    cancel_key: str = "",
     columns: int = 4,
     caption: str = "",
     box_style: box.Box = box.SIMPLE,
@@ -276,7 +370,7 @@ async def select_value_from_list(
     title_style: str = "",
     caption_style: str = "",
     highlight: bool = False,
-):
+) -> str | list[str]:
     """Prompt for a selection. Return the selected item."""
     table = render_selection_indexed_table(
         title=title,
@@ -295,17 +389,21 @@ async def select_value_from_list(
         highlight=highlight,
     )
     prompt_session = prompt_session or PromptSession()
-    console = console or Console(color_system="auto")
 
     selection_index = await prompt_for_index(
         len(selections) - 1,
         table,
         default_selection=default_selection,
-        console=console,
         prompt_session=prompt_session,
         prompt_message=prompt_message,
+        number_selections=number_selections,
+        separator=separator,
+        allow_duplicates=allow_duplicates,
+        cancel_key=cancel_key,
     )
 
+    if isinstance(selection_index, list):
+        return [selections[i] for i in selection_index]
     return selections[selection_index]
 
 
@@ -313,14 +411,16 @@ async def select_key_from_dict(
     selections: dict[str, SelectionOption],
     table: Table,
     *,
-    console: Console | None = None,
     prompt_session: PromptSession | None = None,
     prompt_message: str = "Select an option > ",
     default_selection: str = "",
-) -> Any:
+    number_selections: int | str = 1,
+    separator: str = ",",
+    allow_duplicates: bool = False,
+    cancel_key: str = "",
+) -> str | list[str]:
     """Prompt for a key from a dict, returns the key."""
     prompt_session = prompt_session or PromptSession()
-    console = console or Console(color_system="auto")
 
     console.print(table, justify="center")
 
@@ -328,9 +428,12 @@ async def select_key_from_dict(
         selections.keys(),
         table,
         default_selection=default_selection,
-        console=console,
         prompt_session=prompt_session,
         prompt_message=prompt_message,
+        number_selections=number_selections,
+        separator=separator,
+        allow_duplicates=allow_duplicates,
+        cancel_key=cancel_key,
     )
 
 
@@ -338,14 +441,16 @@ async def select_value_from_dict(
     selections: dict[str, SelectionOption],
     table: Table,
     *,
-    console: Console | None = None,
     prompt_session: PromptSession | None = None,
     prompt_message: str = "Select an option > ",
     default_selection: str = "",
-) -> Any:
+    number_selections: int | str = 1,
+    separator: str = ",",
+    allow_duplicates: bool = False,
+    cancel_key: str = "",
+) -> Any | list[Any]:
     """Prompt for a key from a dict, but return the value."""
     prompt_session = prompt_session or PromptSession()
-    console = console or Console(color_system="auto")
 
     console.print(table, justify="center")
 
@@ -353,11 +458,16 @@ async def select_value_from_dict(
         selections.keys(),
         table,
         default_selection=default_selection,
-        console=console,
         prompt_session=prompt_session,
         prompt_message=prompt_message,
+        number_selections=number_selections,
+        separator=separator,
+        allow_duplicates=allow_duplicates,
+        cancel_key=cancel_key,
     )
 
+    if isinstance(selection_key, list):
+        return [selections[key].value for key in selection_key]
     return selections[selection_key].value
 
 
@@ -365,11 +475,14 @@ async def get_selection_from_dict_menu(
     title: str,
     selections: dict[str, SelectionOption],
     *,
-    console: Console | None = None,
     prompt_session: PromptSession | None = None,
     prompt_message: str = "Select an option > ",
     default_selection: str = "",
-):
+    number_selections: int | str = 1,
+    separator: str = ",",
+    allow_duplicates: bool = False,
+    cancel_key: str = "",
+) -> Any | list[Any]:
     """Prompt for a key from a dict, but return the value."""
     table = render_selection_dict_table(
         title,
@@ -379,8 +492,11 @@ async def get_selection_from_dict_menu(
     return await select_value_from_dict(
         selections=selections,
         table=table,
-        console=console,
         prompt_session=prompt_session,
         prompt_message=prompt_message,
         default_selection=default_selection,
+        number_selections=number_selections,
+        separator=separator,
+        allow_duplicates=allow_duplicates,
+        cancel_key=cancel_key,
     )

falyx/signals.py

@@ -1,5 +1,21 @@
 # Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
-"""signals.py"""
+"""
+Defines flow control signals used internally by the Falyx CLI framework.
+
+These signals are raised to interrupt or redirect CLI execution flow
+(e.g., returning to a menu, quitting, or displaying help) without
+being treated as traditional exceptions.
+
+All signals inherit from `FlowSignal`, which is a subclass of `BaseException`
+to ensure they bypass standard `except Exception` blocks.
+
+Signals:
+- BreakChainSignal: Exit a chained action early.
+- QuitSignal: Terminate the CLI session.
+- BackSignal: Return to the previous menu or caller.
+- CancelSignal: Cancel the current operation.
+- HelpSignal: Trigger help output in interactive flows.
+"""
 
 
 class FlowSignal(BaseException):
@@ -10,6 +26,13 @@ class FlowSignal(BaseException):
     """
 
 
+class BreakChainSignal(FlowSignal):
+    """Raised to break the current action chain and return to the previous context."""
+
+    def __init__(self, message: str = "Break chain signal received."):
+        super().__init__(message)
+
+
 class QuitSignal(FlowSignal):
     """Raised to signal an immediate exit from the CLI framework."""
 

falyx/spinner_manager.py

@@ -0,0 +1,248 @@
+# Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
+"""
+Centralized spinner rendering for Falyx CLI.
+
+This module provides the `SpinnerManager` class, which manages a collection of
+Rich spinners that can be displayed concurrently during long-running tasks.
+
+Key Features:
+    • Automatic lifecycle management:
+        - Starts a single Rich `Live` loop when the first spinner is added.
+        - Stops and clears the display when the last spinner is removed.
+    • Thread/async-safe start logic via a lightweight lock to prevent
+      duplicate Live loops from being launched.
+    • Supports multiple spinners running simultaneously, each with its own
+      text, style, type, and speed.
+    • Integrates with Falyx's OptionsManager so actions and commands can
+      declaratively request spinners without directly managing terminal state.
+
+Classes:
+    SpinnerData:
+        Lightweight container for individual spinner settings (message,
+        type, style, speed) and its underlying Rich `Spinner` object.
+    SpinnerManager:
+        Manages all active spinners, handles Live rendering, and provides
+        methods to add, update, and remove spinners.
+
+Example:
+    ```python
+    >>> manager = SpinnerManager()
+    >>> await manager.add("build", "Building project…", spinner_type="dots")
+    >>> await manager.add("deploy", "Deploying to AWS…", spinner_type="earth")
+    # Both spinners animate in one unified Live panel
+    >>> manager.remove("build")
+    >>> manager.remove("deploy")
+    ```
+
+Design Notes:
+    • SpinnerManager should only create **one** Live loop at a time.
+    • When no spinners remain, the Live panel is cleared (`transient=True`)
+      so the CLI output returns to a clean state.
+    • Hooks in `falyx.hooks` (spinner_before_hook / spinner_teardown_hook)
+      call into this manager automatically when `spinner=True` is set on
+      an Action or Command.
+"""
+
+import asyncio
+
+from rich.console import Group
+from rich.live import Live
+from rich.spinner import Spinner
+
+from falyx.console import console
+from falyx.logger import logger
+from falyx.themes import OneColors
+
+
+class SpinnerData:
+    """
+    Holds the configuration and Rich spinner object for a single task.
+
+    This class is a lightweight container for spinner metadata, storing the
+    message text, spinner type, style, and speed. It also initializes the
+    corresponding Rich `Spinner` instance used by `SpinnerManager` for
+    rendering.
+
+    Attributes:
+        text (str): The message displayed next to the spinner.
+        spinner_type (str): The Rich spinner preset to use (e.g., "dots",
+            "bouncingBall", "earth").
+        spinner_style (str): Rich color/style for the spinner animation.
+        spinner (Spinner): The instantiated Rich spinner object.
+
+    Example:
+        ```
+        >>> data = SpinnerData("Deploying...", spinner_type="earth",
+        ...                    spinner_style="cyan", spinner_speed=1.0)
+        >>> data.spinner
+        <rich.spinner.Spinner object ...>
+        ```
+    """
+
+    def __init__(
+        self, text: str, spinner_type: str, spinner_style: str, spinner_speed: float
+    ):
+        """Initialize a spinner with text, type, style, and speed."""
+        self.text = text
+        self.spinner_type = spinner_type
+        self.spinner_style = spinner_style
+        self.spinner = Spinner(
+            spinner_type, text=text, style=spinner_style, speed=spinner_speed
+        )
+
+
+class SpinnerManager:
+    """
+    Manages multiple Rich spinners and handles their terminal rendering.
+
+    SpinnerManager maintains a registry of active spinners and a single
+    Rich `Live` display loop to render them. When the first spinner is added,
+    the Live loop starts automatically. When the last spinner is removed,
+    the Live loop stops and the panel clears (via `transient=True`).
+
+    This class is designed for integration with Falyx's `OptionsManager`
+    so any Action or Command can declaratively register spinners without
+    directly controlling terminal state.
+
+    Key Behaviors:
+        • Starts exactly one `Live` loop, protected by a start lock to prevent
+          duplicate launches in async/threaded contexts.
+        • Supports multiple simultaneous spinners, each with independent
+          text, style, and type.
+        • Clears the display when all spinners are removed.
+
+    Attributes:
+        console (Console): The Rich console used for rendering.
+        _spinners (dict[str, SpinnerData]): Internal store of active spinners.
+        _task (asyncio.Task | None): The running Live loop task, if any.
+        _running (bool): Indicates if the Live loop is currently active.
+
+    Example:
+        ```
+        >>> manager = SpinnerManager()
+        >>> await manager.add("build", "Building project…")
+        >>> await manager.add("deploy", "Deploying services…", spinner_type="earth")
+        >>> manager.remove("build")
+        >>> manager.remove("deploy")
+        ```
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self) -> None:
+        """Initialize the SpinnerManager with an empty spinner registry."""
+        self.console = console
+        self._spinners: dict[str, SpinnerData] = {}
+        self._task: asyncio.Task | None = None
+        self._running: bool = False
+
+        self._lock = asyncio.Lock()
+
+    async def add(
+        self,
+        name: str,
+        text: str,
+        spinner_type: str = "dots",
+        spinner_style: str = OneColors.CYAN,
+        spinner_speed: float = 1.0,
+    ):
+        """Add a new spinner and start the Live loop if not already running."""
+        self._spinners[name] = SpinnerData(
+            text=text,
+            spinner_type=spinner_type,
+            spinner_style=spinner_style,
+            spinner_speed=spinner_speed,
+        )
+        async with self._lock:
+            if not self._running:
+                logger.debug("[%s] Starting spinner manager Live loop.", name)
+                await self._start_live()
+
+    def update(
+        self,
+        name: str,
+        text: str | None = None,
+        spinner_type: str | None = None,
+        spinner_style: str | None = None,
+    ):
+        """Update an existing spinner's message, style, or type."""
+        if name in self._spinners:
+            data = self._spinners[name]
+            if text:
+                data.text = text
+                data.spinner.text = text
+            if spinner_style:
+                data.spinner_style = spinner_style
+                data.spinner.style = spinner_style
+            if spinner_type:
+                data.spinner_type = spinner_type
+                data.spinner = Spinner(spinner_type, text=data.text)
+
+    async def remove(self, name: str):
+        """Remove a spinner and stop the Live loop if no spinners remain."""
+        self._spinners.pop(name, None)
+        async with self._lock:
+            if not self._spinners:
+                logger.debug("[%s] Stopping spinner manager, no spinners left.", name)
+                if self._task:
+                    self._task.cancel()
+                self._running = False
+
+    async def _start_live(self):
+        """Start the Live rendering loop in the background."""
+        self._running = True
+        self._task = asyncio.create_task(self._live_loop())
+
+    def render_panel(self):
+        """Render all active spinners as a grouped Rich panel."""
+        rows = []
+        for data in self._spinners.values():
+            rows.append(data.spinner)
+        return Group(*rows)
+
+    async def _live_loop(self):
+        """Continuously refresh the spinner display until stopped."""
+        with Live(
+            self.render_panel(),
+            refresh_per_second=12.5,
+            console=self.console,
+            transient=True,
+        ) as live:
+            while self._spinners:
+                live.update(self.render_panel())
+                await asyncio.sleep(0.1)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    spinner_manager = SpinnerManager()
+
+    async def demo():
+        # Add multiple spinners
+        await spinner_manager.add("task1", "Loading configs…")
+        await spinner_manager.add(
+            "task2", "Building containers…", spinner_type="bouncingBall"
+        )
+        await spinner_manager.add("task3", "Deploying services…", spinner_type="earth")
+
+        # Simulate work
+        await asyncio.sleep(2)
+        spinner_manager.update("task1", text="Configs loaded ✅")
+        await asyncio.sleep(1)
+        spinner_manager.remove("task1")
+
+        await spinner_manager.add("task4", "Running Tests...")
+
+        await asyncio.sleep(2)
+        spinner_manager.update("task2", text="Build complete ✅")
+        spinner_manager.remove("task2")
+
+        await asyncio.sleep(1)
+        spinner_manager.update("task3", text="Deployed! 🎉")
+        await asyncio.sleep(1)
+        spinner_manager.remove("task3")
+
+        await asyncio.sleep(5)
+
+        spinner_manager.update("task4", "Tests Complete!")
+        spinner_manager.remove("task4")
+        console.print("Done!")
+
+    asyncio.run(demo())

falyx/tagged_table.py

@@ -1,5 +1,15 @@
 # Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
-"""tagged_table.py"""
+"""
+Generates a Rich table view of Falyx commands grouped by their tags.
+
+This module defines a utility function for rendering a custom CLI command
+table that organizes commands into groups based on their first tag. It is
+used to visually separate commands in interactive menus for better clarity
+and discoverability.
+
+Functions:
+- build_tagged_table(flx): Returns a `rich.Table` of commands grouped by tag.
+"""
 from collections import defaultdict
 
 from rich import box

falyx/themes/colors.py

@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
+# Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
 """
-colors.py
-
 A Python module that integrates the Nord color palette with the Rich library.
 It defines a metaclass-based NordColors class allowing dynamic attribute lookups
 (e.g., NORD12bu -> "#D08770 bold underline") and provides a comprehensive Nord-based

falyx/utils.py

@@ -1,5 +1,21 @@
 # Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
-"""utils.py"""
+"""
+General-purpose utilities and helpers for the Falyx CLI framework.
+
+This module includes asynchronous wrappers, logging setup, formatting utilities,
+and small type-safe enhancements such as `CaseInsensitiveDict` and coroutine enforcement.
+
+Features:
+- `ensure_async`: Wraps sync functions as async coroutines.
+- `chunks`: Splits an iterable into fixed-size chunks.
+- `CaseInsensitiveDict`: Dict subclass with case-insensitive string keys.
+- `setup_logging`: Configures Rich or JSON logging based on environment or container detection.
+- `get_program_invocation`: Returns the recommended CLI command to invoke the program.
+- `running_in_container`: Detects if the process is running inside a container.
+
+These utilities support consistent behavior across CLI rendering, logging,
+command parsing, and compatibility layers.
+"""
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import functools
@@ -14,6 +30,8 @@ from typing import Any, Awaitable, Callable, TypeVar
 import pythonjsonlogger.json
 from rich.logging import RichHandler
 
+from falyx.console import console
+
 T = TypeVar("T")
 
 
@@ -164,6 +182,7 @@ def setup_logging(
 
     if mode == "cli":
         console_handler: RichHandler | logging.StreamHandler = RichHandler(
+            console=console,
             rich_tracebacks=True,
             show_time=True,
             show_level=True,
@@ -184,7 +203,7 @@ def setup_logging(
     console_handler.setLevel(console_log_level)
     root.addHandler(console_handler)
 
-    file_handler = logging.FileHandler(log_filename)
+    file_handler = logging.FileHandler(log_filename, "a", "UTF-8")
     file_handler.setLevel(file_log_level)
     if json_log_to_file:
         file_handler.setFormatter(

falyx/validators.py

@@ -1,8 +1,61 @@
 # Falyx CLI Framework — (c) 2025 rtj.dev LLC — MIT Licensed
-"""validators.py"""
-from typing import KeysView, Sequence
+"""
+Input validators for use with Prompt Toolkit and interactive Falyx CLI workflows.
 
-from prompt_toolkit.validation import Validator
+This module defines reusable `Validator` instances and subclasses that enforce valid
+user input during prompts—especially for selection actions, confirmations, and
+argument parsing.
+
+Included Validators:
+- CommandValidator: Validates if the input matches a known command.
+- int_range_validator: Enforces numeric input within a range.
+- key_validator: Ensures the entered value matches a valid selection key.
+- yes_no_validator: Restricts input to 'Y' or 'N'.
+- word_validator / words_validator: Accepts specific valid words (case-insensitive).
+- MultiIndexValidator: Validates numeric list input (e.g. "1,2,3").
+- MultiKeyValidator: Validates string key list input (e.g. "A,B,C").
+
+These validators integrate directly into `PromptSession.prompt_async()` to
+enforce correctness and provide helpful error messages.
+"""
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, KeysView, Sequence
+
+from prompt_toolkit.validation import ValidationError, Validator
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from falyx.falyx import Falyx
+
+
+class CommandValidator(Validator):
+    """Validator to check if the input is a valid command."""
+
+    def __init__(self, falyx: "Falyx", error_message: str) -> None:
+        super().__init__()
+        self.falyx = falyx
+        self.error_message = error_message
+
+    def validate(self, document) -> None:
+        if not document.text:
+            raise ValidationError(
+                message=self.error_message,
+                cursor_position=len(document.text),
+            )
+
+    async def validate_async(self, document) -> None:
+        text = document.text
+        if not text:
+            raise ValidationError(
+                message=self.error_message,
+                cursor_position=len(text),
+            )
+        is_preview, choice, _, __ = await self.falyx.get_command(text, from_validate=True)
+        if is_preview:
+            return None
+        if not choice:
+            raise ValidationError(
+                message=self.error_message,
+                cursor_position=len(text),
+            )
 
 
 def int_range_validator(minimum: int, maximum: int) -> Validator:
@@ -44,4 +97,119 @@ def yes_no_validator() -> Validator:
             return False
         return True
 
-    return Validator.from_callable(validate, error_message="Enter 'Y' or 'n'.")
+    return Validator.from_callable(validate, error_message="Enter 'Y', 'y' or 'N', 'n'.")
+
+
+def words_validator(
+    keys: Sequence[str] | KeysView[str], error_message: str | None = None
+) -> Validator:
+    """Validator for specific word inputs."""
+
+    def validate(text: str) -> bool:
+        if text.upper() not in [key.upper() for key in keys]:
+            return False
+        return True
+
+    if error_message is None:
+        error_message = f"Invalid input. Choices: {{{', '.join(keys)}}}."
+
+    return Validator.from_callable(validate, error_message=error_message)
+
+
+def word_validator(word: str) -> Validator:
+    """Validator for specific word inputs."""
+
+    def validate(text: str) -> bool:
+        if text.upper().strip() == "N":
+            return True
+        return text.upper().strip() == word.upper()
+
+    return Validator.from_callable(validate, error_message=f"Enter '{word}' or 'N', 'n'.")
+
+
+class MultiIndexValidator(Validator):
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        minimum: int,
+        maximum: int,
+        number_selections: int | str,
+        separator: str,
+        allow_duplicates: bool,
+        cancel_key: str,
+    ) -> None:
+        self.minimum = minimum
+        self.maximum = maximum
+        self.number_selections = number_selections
+        self.separator = separator
+        self.allow_duplicates = allow_duplicates
+        self.cancel_key = cancel_key
+        super().__init__()
+
+    def validate(self, document):
+        selections = [
+            index.strip() for index in document.text.strip().split(self.separator)
+        ]
+        if not selections or selections == [""]:
+            raise ValidationError(message="Select at least 1 item.")
+        if self.cancel_key in selections and len(selections) == 1:
+            return
+        elif self.cancel_key in selections:
+            raise ValidationError(message="Cancel key must be selected alone.")
+        for selection in selections:
+            try:
+                index = int(selection)
+                if not self.minimum <= index <= self.maximum:
+                    raise ValidationError(
+                        message=f"Invalid selection: {selection}. Select a number between {self.minimum} and {self.maximum}."
+                    )
+            except ValueError:
+                raise ValidationError(
+                    message=f"Invalid selection: {selection}. Select a number between {self.minimum} and {self.maximum}."
+                )
+            if not self.allow_duplicates and selections.count(selection) > 1:
+                raise ValidationError(message=f"Duplicate selection: {selection}")
+        if isinstance(self.number_selections, int):
+            if self.number_selections == 1 and len(selections) > 1:
+                raise ValidationError(message="Invalid selection. Select only 1 item.")
+            if len(selections) != self.number_selections:
+                raise ValidationError(
+                    message=f"Select exactly {self.number_selections} items separated by '{self.separator}'"
+                )
+
+
+class MultiKeyValidator(Validator):
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        keys: Sequence[str] | KeysView[str],
+        number_selections: int | str,
+        separator: str,
+        allow_duplicates: bool,
+        cancel_key: str,
+    ) -> None:
+        self.keys = keys
+        self.separator = separator
+        self.number_selections = number_selections
+        self.allow_duplicates = allow_duplicates
+        self.cancel_key = cancel_key
+        super().__init__()
+
+    def validate(self, document):
+        selections = [key.strip() for key in document.text.strip().split(self.separator)]
+        if not selections or selections == [""]:
+            raise ValidationError(message="Select at least 1 item.")
+        if self.cancel_key in selections and len(selections) == 1:
+            return
+        elif self.cancel_key in selections:
+            raise ValidationError(message="Cancel key must be selected alone.")
+        for selection in selections:
+            if selection.upper() not in [key.upper() for key in self.keys]:
+                raise ValidationError(message=f"Invalid selection: {selection}")
+            if not self.allow_duplicates and selections.count(selection) > 1:
+                raise ValidationError(message=f"Duplicate selection: {selection}")
+        if isinstance(self.number_selections, int):
+            if self.number_selections == 1 and len(selections) > 1:
+                raise ValidationError(message="Invalid selection. Select only 1 item.")
+            if len(selections) != self.number_selections:
+                raise ValidationError(
+                    message=f"Select exactly {self.number_selections} items separated by '{self.separator}'"
+                )

falyx/version.py

@@ -1 +1 @@
-__version__ = "0.1.28"
+__version__ = "0.1.78"

pyproject.toml

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [tool.poetry]
 name = "falyx"
-version = "0.1.28"
+version = "0.1.78"
 description = "Reliable and introspectable async CLI action framework."
 authors = ["Roland Thomas Jr <roland@rtj.dev>"]
 license = "MIT"
@@ -10,12 +10,13 @@ packages = [{ include = "falyx" }]
 [tool.poetry.dependencies]
 python = ">=3.10"
 prompt_toolkit = "^3.0"
-rich = "^13.0"
+rich = "^14.0"
 pydantic = "^2.0"
 python-json-logger = "^3.3.0"
 toml = "^0.10"
 pyyaml = "^6.0"
 aiohttp = "^3.11"
+python-dateutil = "^2.8"
 
 [tool.poetry.group.dev.dependencies]
 pytest = "^8.3.5"
@@ -26,6 +27,10 @@ black = { version = "^25.0", allow-prereleases = true }
 mypy = { version = "^1.0", allow-prereleases = true }
 isort = { version = "^5.0", allow-prereleases = true }
 pytest-cov = "^4.0"
+mkdocs = "^1.6.1"
+mkdocs-material = "^9.6.14"
+mkdocstrings = {extras = ["python"], version = "^0.29.1"}
+mike = "^2.1.3"
 
 [tool.poetry.scripts]
 falyx = "falyx.__main__:main"

tests/test_action_basic.py

@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
 import pytest
 
-from falyx.action import Action, ChainedAction, FallbackAction, LiteralInputAction
+from falyx.action import (
+    Action,
+    ActionGroup,
+    ChainedAction,
+    FallbackAction,
+    LiteralInputAction,
+)
 from falyx.context import ExecutionContext
 from falyx.execution_registry import ExecutionRegistry as er
 
@@ -40,11 +46,11 @@ async def test_action_async_callable():
     assert result == "Hello, World!"
     assert (
         str(action)
-        == "Action(name='test_action', action=async_callable, args=(), kwargs={}, retry=False)"
+        == "Action(name='test_action', action=async_callable, args=(), kwargs={}, retry=False, rollback=False)"
     )
     assert (
         repr(action)
-        == "Action(name='test_action', action=async_callable, args=(), kwargs={}, retry=False)"
+        == "Action(name='test_action', action=async_callable, args=(), kwargs={}, retry=False, rollback=False)"
     )
 
 
@@ -59,11 +65,12 @@ async def test_chained_action():
         return_list=True,
     )
 
+    print(chain)
     result = await chain()
     assert result == [1, 2]
     assert (
         str(chain)
-        == "ChainedAction(name='Simple Chain', actions=['one', 'two'], auto_inject=False, return_list=True)"
+        == "ChainedAction(name=Simple Chain, actions=['one', 'two'], args=(), kwargs={}, auto_inject=False, return_list=True)"
     )
 
 
@@ -72,17 +79,17 @@ async def test_action_group():
     """Test if ActionGroup can be created and used."""
     action1 = Action("one", lambda: 1)
     action2 = Action("two", lambda: 2)
-    group = ChainedAction(
+    group = ActionGroup(
         name="Simple Group",
         actions=[action1, action2],
-        return_list=True,
     )
 
+    print(group)
     result = await group()
-    assert result == [1, 2]
+    assert result == [("one", 1), ("two", 2)]
     assert (
         str(group)
-        == "ChainedAction(name='Simple Group', actions=['one', 'two'], auto_inject=False, return_list=True)"
+        == "ActionGroup(name=Simple Group, actions=['one', 'two'], args=(), kwargs={}, inject_last_result=False, inject_into=last_result)"
     )
 
 

tests/test_actions/test_action_factory.py

@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+import pytest
+
+from falyx.action import Action, ActionFactory, ChainedAction
+
+
+def make_chain(value) -> ChainedAction:
+    return ChainedAction(
+        "test_chain",
+        [
+            Action("action1", lambda: value + "_1"),
+            Action("action2", lambda: value + "_2"),
+        ],
+        return_list=True,
+    )
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_action_factory_action():
+    action = ActionFactory(name="test_action", factory=make_chain, args=("test_value",))
+
+    result = await action()
+
+    assert result == ["test_value_1", "test_value_2"]

tests/test_actions/test_action_types.py

@@ -0,0 +1,145 @@
+import pytest
+
+from falyx.action.action_types import ConfirmType, FileType, SelectionReturnType
+
+
+def test_file_type_enum():
+    """Test if the FileType enum has all expected members."""
+    assert FileType.TEXT.value == "text"
+    assert FileType.PATH.value == "path"
+    assert FileType.JSON.value == "json"
+    assert FileType.TOML.value == "toml"
+    assert FileType.YAML.value == "yaml"
+    assert FileType.CSV.value == "csv"
+    assert FileType.TSV.value == "tsv"
+    assert FileType.XML.value == "xml"
+
+    assert str(FileType.TEXT) == "text"
+
+
+def test_file_type_choices():
+    """Test if the FileType choices method returns all enum members."""
+    choices = FileType.choices()
+    assert len(choices) == 8
+    assert all(isinstance(choice, FileType) for choice in choices)
+
+
+def test_file_type_missing():
+    """Test if the _missing_ method raises ValueError for invalid values."""
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="Invalid FileType: 'invalid'"):
+        FileType._missing_("invalid")
+
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="Invalid FileType: 123"):
+        FileType._missing_(123)
+
+
+def test_file_type_aliases():
+    """Test if the _get_alias method returns correct aliases."""
+    assert FileType._get_alias("file") == "path"
+    assert FileType._get_alias("filepath") == "path"
+    assert FileType._get_alias("unknown") == "unknown"
+
+
+def test_file_type_missing_aliases():
+    """Test if the _missing_ method handles aliases correctly."""
+    assert FileType._missing_("file") == FileType.PATH
+    assert FileType._missing_("filepath") == FileType.PATH
+
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="Invalid FileType: 'unknown'"):
+        FileType._missing_("unknown")
+
+
+def test_confirm_type_enum():
+    """Test if the ConfirmType enum has all expected members."""
+    assert ConfirmType.YES_NO.value == "yes_no"
+    assert ConfirmType.YES_CANCEL.value == "yes_cancel"
+    assert ConfirmType.YES_NO_CANCEL.value == "yes_no_cancel"
+    assert ConfirmType.TYPE_WORD.value == "type_word"
+    assert ConfirmType.TYPE_WORD_CANCEL.value == "type_word_cancel"
+    assert ConfirmType.OK_CANCEL.value == "ok_cancel"
+    assert ConfirmType.ACKNOWLEDGE.value == "acknowledge"
+
+    assert str(ConfirmType.YES_NO) == "yes_no"
+
+
+def test_confirm_type_choices():
+    """Test if the ConfirmType choices method returns all enum members."""
+    choices = ConfirmType.choices()
+    assert len(choices) == 7
+    assert all(isinstance(choice, ConfirmType) for choice in choices)
+
+
+def test_confirm_type_missing():
+    """Test if the _missing_ method raises ValueError for invalid values."""
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="Invalid ConfirmType: 'invalid'"):
+        ConfirmType._missing_("invalid")
+
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="Invalid ConfirmType: 123"):
+        ConfirmType._missing_(123)
+
+
+def test_confirm_type_aliases():
+    """Test if the _get_alias method returns correct aliases."""
+    assert ConfirmType._get_alias("yes") == "yes_no"
+    assert ConfirmType._get_alias("ok") == "ok_cancel"
+    assert ConfirmType._get_alias("type") == "type_word"
+    assert ConfirmType._get_alias("word") == "type_word"
+    assert ConfirmType._get_alias("word_cancel") == "type_word_cancel"
+    assert ConfirmType._get_alias("ack") == "acknowledge"
+
+
+def test_confirm_type_missing_aliases():
+    """Test if the _missing_ method handles aliases correctly."""
+    assert ConfirmType("yes") == ConfirmType.YES_NO
+    assert ConfirmType("ok") == ConfirmType.OK_CANCEL
+    assert ConfirmType("word") == ConfirmType.TYPE_WORD
+    assert ConfirmType("ack") == ConfirmType.ACKNOWLEDGE
+
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="Invalid ConfirmType: 'unknown'"):
+        ConfirmType._missing_("unknown")
+
+
+def test_selection_return_type_enum():
+    """Test if the SelectionReturnType enum has all expected members."""
+    assert SelectionReturnType.KEY.value == "key"
+    assert SelectionReturnType.VALUE.value == "value"
+    assert SelectionReturnType.DESCRIPTION.value == "description"
+    assert SelectionReturnType.DESCRIPTION_VALUE.value == "description_value"
+    assert SelectionReturnType.ITEMS.value == "items"
+
+    assert str(SelectionReturnType.KEY) == "key"
+
+
+def test_selection_return_type_choices():
+    """Test if the SelectionReturnType choices method returns all enum members."""
+    choices = SelectionReturnType.choices()
+    assert len(choices) == 5
+    assert all(isinstance(choice, SelectionReturnType) for choice in choices)
+
+
+def test_selection_return_type_missing():
+    """Test if the _missing_ method raises ValueError for invalid values."""
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="Invalid SelectionReturnType: 'invalid'"):
+        SelectionReturnType._missing_("invalid")
+
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="Invalid SelectionReturnType: 123"):
+        SelectionReturnType._missing_(123)
+
+
+def test_selection_return_type_aliases():
+    """Test if the _get_alias method returns correct aliases."""
+    assert SelectionReturnType._get_alias("desc") == "description"
+    assert SelectionReturnType._get_alias("desc_value") == "description_value"
+    assert SelectionReturnType._get_alias("unknown") == "unknown"
+
+
+def test_selection_return_type_missing_aliases():
+    """Test if the _missing_ method handles aliases correctly."""
+    assert SelectionReturnType._missing_("desc") == SelectionReturnType.DESCRIPTION
+    assert (
+        SelectionReturnType._missing_("desc_value")
+        == SelectionReturnType.DESCRIPTION_VALUE
+    )
+
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="Invalid SelectionReturnType: 'unknown'"):
+        SelectionReturnType._missing_("unknown")

tests/test_actions/test_confirm_action.py

@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+import pytest
+
+from falyx.action import ConfirmAction
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_confirm_action_yes_no():
+    action = ConfirmAction(
+        name="test",
+        prompt_message="Are you sure?",
+        never_prompt=True,
+        confirm_type="yes_no",
+    )
+
+    result = await action()
+    assert result is True
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_confirm_action_yes_cancel():
+    action = ConfirmAction(
+        name="test",
+        prompt_message="Are you sure?",
+        never_prompt=True,
+        confirm_type="yes_cancel",
+    )
+
+    result = await action()
+    assert result is True
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_confirm_action_yes_no_cancel():
+    action = ConfirmAction(
+        name="test",
+        prompt_message="Are you sure?",
+        never_prompt=True,
+        confirm_type="yes_no_cancel",
+    )
+
+    result = await action()
+    assert result is True
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_confirm_action_type_word():
+    action = ConfirmAction(
+        name="test",
+        prompt_message="Are you sure?",
+        never_prompt=True,
+        confirm_type="type_word",
+    )
+
+    result = await action()
+    assert result is True
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_confirm_action_type_word_cancel():
+    action = ConfirmAction(
+        name="test",
+        prompt_message="Are you sure?",
+        never_prompt=True,
+        confirm_type="type_word_cancel",
+    )
+
+    result = await action()
+    assert result is True
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_confirm_action_ok_cancel():
+    action = ConfirmAction(
+        name="test",
+        prompt_message="Are you sure?",
+        never_prompt=True,
+        confirm_type="ok_cancel",
+    )
+
+    result = await action()
+    assert result is True
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_confirm_action_acknowledge():
+    action = ConfirmAction(
+        name="test",
+        prompt_message="Are you sure?",
+        never_prompt=True,
+        confirm_type="acknowledge",
+    )
+
+    result = await action()
+    assert result is True

tests/test_actions/test_selection_action.py

@@ -0,0 +1,287 @@
+import pytest
+
+from falyx.action import SelectionAction
+from falyx.selection import SelectionOption
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_selection_list_never_prompt_by_value():
+    action = SelectionAction(
+        name="test",
+        selections=["a", "b", "c"],
+        default_selection="b",
+        never_prompt=True,
+    )
+    assert action.never_prompt is True
+    assert action.default_selection == "b"
+
+    result = await action()
+    assert result == "b"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_selection_list_never_prompt_by_index():
+    action = SelectionAction(
+        name="test",
+        selections=["a", "b", "c"],
+        default_selection="2",
+        never_prompt=True,
+    )
+    assert action.never_prompt is True
+    assert action.default_selection == "2"
+
+    result = await action()
+    assert result == "c"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_selection_list_never_prompt_by_value_multi_select():
+    action = SelectionAction(
+        name="test",
+        selections=["a", "b", "c"],
+        default_selection=["b", "c"],
+        never_prompt=True,
+        number_selections=2,
+    )
+    assert action.never_prompt is True
+    assert action.default_selection == ["b", "c"]
+
+    result = await action()
+    assert result == ["b", "c"]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_selection_list_never_prompt_by_index_multi_select():
+    action = SelectionAction(
+        name="test",
+        selections=["a", "b", "c"],
+        default_selection=["1", "2"],
+        never_prompt=True,
+        number_selections=2,
+    )
+    assert action.never_prompt is True
+    assert action.default_selection == ["1", "2"]
+
+    result = await action()
+    assert result == ["b", "c"]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_selection_prompt_dict_never_prompt():
+    action = SelectionAction(
+        name="test",
+        selections={"a": "Alpha", "b": "Beta", "c": "Gamma"},
+        default_selection="b",
+        never_prompt=True,
+    )
+    assert action.never_prompt is True
+    assert action.default_selection == "b"
+
+    result = await action()
+    assert result == "Beta"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_selection_prompt_dict_never_prompt_by_value():
+    action = SelectionAction(
+        name="test",
+        selections={"a": "Alpha", "b": "Beta", "c": "Gamma"},
+        default_selection="Beta",
+        never_prompt=True,
+    )
+    assert action.never_prompt is True
+    assert action.default_selection == "Beta"
+
+    result = await action()
+    assert result == "Beta"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_selection_prompt_dict_never_prompt_by_key():
+    action = SelectionAction(
+        name="test",
+        selections={"a": "Alpha", "b": "Beta", "c": "Gamma"},
+        default_selection="b",
+        never_prompt=True,
+    )
+    assert action.never_prompt is True
+    assert action.default_selection == "b"
+
+    result = await action()
+    assert result == "Beta"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_selection_prompt_map_never_prompt_by_key():
+    prompt_map = {
+        "a": SelectionOption(description="Alpha", value="Alpha Service"),
+        "b": SelectionOption(description="Beta", value="Beta Service"),
+        "c": SelectionOption(description="Gamma", value="Gamma Service"),
+    }
+    action = SelectionAction(
+        name="test",
+        selections=prompt_map,
+        default_selection="c",
+        never_prompt=True,
+    )
+    assert action.never_prompt is True
+    assert action.default_selection == "c"
+
+    result = await action()
+    assert result == "Gamma Service"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_selection_prompt_map_never_prompt_by_description():
+    prompt_map = {
+        "a": SelectionOption(description="Alpha", value="Alpha Service"),
+        "b": SelectionOption(description="Beta", value="Beta Service"),
+        "c": SelectionOption(description="Gamma", value="Gamma Service"),
+    }
+    action = SelectionAction(
+        name="test",
+        selections=prompt_map,
+        default_selection="Alpha",
+        never_prompt=True,
+    )
+    assert action.never_prompt is True
+    assert action.default_selection == "Alpha"
+
+    result = await action()
+    assert result == "Alpha Service"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_selection_prompt_map_never_prompt_by_value():
+    prompt_map = {
+        "a": SelectionOption(description="Alpha", value="Alpha Service"),
+        "b": SelectionOption(description="Beta", value="Beta Service"),
+        "c": SelectionOption(description="Gamma", value="Gamma Service"),
+    }
+    action = SelectionAction(
+        name="test",
+        selections=prompt_map,
+        default_selection="Beta Service",
+        never_prompt=True,
+    )
+    assert action.never_prompt is True
+    assert action.default_selection == "Beta Service"
+
+    result = await action()
+    assert result == "Beta Service"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_selection_prompt_dict_never_prompt_by_value_multi_select():
+    action = SelectionAction(
+        name="test",
+        selections={"a": "Alpha", "b": "Beta", "c": "Gamma"},
+        default_selection=["Beta", "Gamma"],
+        number_selections=2,
+        never_prompt=True,
+    )
+    assert action.never_prompt is True
+    assert action.default_selection == ["Beta", "Gamma"]
+
+    result = await action()
+    assert result == ["Beta", "Gamma"]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_selection_prompt_dict_never_prompt_by_key_multi_select():
+    action = SelectionAction(
+        name="test",
+        selections={"a": "Alpha", "b": "Beta", "c": "Gamma"},
+        default_selection=["a", "b"],
+        number_selections=2,
+        never_prompt=True,
+    )
+    assert action.never_prompt is True
+    assert action.default_selection == ["a", "b"]
+
+    result = await action()
+    assert result == ["Alpha", "Beta"]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_selection_prompt_map_never_prompt_by_key_multi_select():
+    prompt_map = {
+        "a": SelectionOption(description="Alpha", value="Alpha Service"),
+        "b": SelectionOption(description="Beta", value="Beta Service"),
+        "c": SelectionOption(description="Gamma", value="Gamma Service"),
+    }
+    action = SelectionAction(
+        name="test",
+        selections=prompt_map,
+        default_selection=["b", "c"],
+        number_selections=2,
+        never_prompt=True,
+    )
+    assert action.never_prompt is True
+    assert action.default_selection == ["b", "c"]
+
+    result = await action()
+    assert result == ["Beta Service", "Gamma Service"]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_selection_prompt_map_never_prompt_by_description_multi_select():
+    prompt_map = {
+        "a": SelectionOption(description="Alpha", value="Alpha Service"),
+        "b": SelectionOption(description="Beta", value="Beta Service"),
+        "c": SelectionOption(description="Gamma", value="Gamma Service"),
+    }
+    action = SelectionAction(
+        name="test",
+        selections=prompt_map,
+        default_selection=["Alpha", "Gamma"],
+        number_selections=2,
+        never_prompt=True,
+    )
+    assert action.never_prompt is True
+    assert action.default_selection == ["Alpha", "Gamma"]
+
+    result = await action()
+    assert result == ["Alpha Service", "Gamma Service"]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_selection_prompt_map_never_prompt_by_value_multi_select():
+    prompt_map = {
+        "a": SelectionOption(description="Alpha", value="Alpha Service"),
+        "b": SelectionOption(description="Beta", value="Beta Service"),
+        "c": SelectionOption(description="Gamma", value="Gamma Service"),
+    }
+    action = SelectionAction(
+        name="test",
+        selections=prompt_map,
+        default_selection=["Beta Service", "Alpha Service"],
+        number_selections=2,
+        never_prompt=True,
+    )
+    assert action.never_prompt is True
+    assert action.default_selection == ["Beta Service", "Alpha Service"]
+
+    result = await action()
+    assert result == ["Beta Service", "Alpha Service"]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_selection_prompt_map_never_prompt_by_value_wildcard():
+    prompt_map = {
+        "a": SelectionOption(description="Alpha", value="Alpha Service"),
+        "b": SelectionOption(description="Beta", value="Beta Service"),
+        "c": SelectionOption(description="Gamma", value="Gamma Service"),
+    }
+    action = SelectionAction(
+        name="test",
+        selections=prompt_map,
+        default_selection=["Beta Service", "Alpha Service"],
+        number_selections="*",
+        never_prompt=True,
+    )
+    assert action.never_prompt is True
+    assert action.default_selection == ["Beta Service", "Alpha Service"]
+
+    result = await action()
+    assert result == ["Beta Service", "Alpha Service"]

tests/test_command.py

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # test_command.py
 import pytest
 
-from falyx.action import Action, ActionGroup, BaseIOAction, ChainedAction
+from falyx.action import Action, BaseIOAction, ChainedAction
 from falyx.command import Command
 from falyx.execution_registry import ExecutionRegistry as er
 from falyx.retry import RetryPolicy
@@ -50,108 +50,13 @@ def test_command_str():
     """Test if Command string representation is correct."""
     action = Action("test_action", dummy_action)
     cmd = Command(key="TEST", description="Test Command", action=action)
+    print(cmd)
     assert (
         str(cmd)
-        == "Command(key='TEST', description='Test Command' action='Action(name='test_action', action=dummy_action, args=(), kwargs={}, retry=False)')"
+        == "Command(key='TEST', description='Test Command' action='Action(name='test_action', action=dummy_action, args=(), kwargs={}, retry=False, rollback=False)')"
     )
 
 
-@pytest.mark.parametrize(
-    "action_factory, expected_requires_input",
-    [
-        (lambda: Action(name="normal", action=dummy_action), False),
-        (lambda: DummyInputAction(name="io"), True),
-        (
-            lambda: ChainedAction(name="chain", actions=[DummyInputAction(name="io")]),
-            True,
-        ),
-        (
-            lambda: ActionGroup(name="group", actions=[DummyInputAction(name="io")]),
-            True,
-        ),
-    ],
-)
-def test_command_requires_input_detection(action_factory, expected_requires_input):
-    action = action_factory()
-    cmd = Command(key="TEST", description="Test Command", action=action)
-
-    assert cmd.requires_input == expected_requires_input
-    if expected_requires_input:
-        assert cmd.hidden is True
-    else:
-        assert cmd.hidden is False
-
-
-def test_requires_input_flag_detected_for_baseioaction():
-    """Command should automatically detect requires_input=True for BaseIOAction."""
-    cmd = Command(
-        key="X",
-        description="Echo input",
-        action=DummyInputAction(name="dummy"),
-    )
-    assert cmd.requires_input is True
-    assert cmd.hidden is True
-
-
-def test_requires_input_manual_override():
-    """Command manually set requires_input=False should not auto-hide."""
-    cmd = Command(
-        key="Y",
-        description="Custom input command",
-        action=DummyInputAction(name="dummy"),
-        requires_input=False,
-    )
-    assert cmd.requires_input is False
-    assert cmd.hidden is False
-
-
-def test_default_command_does_not_require_input():
-    """Normal Command without IO Action should not require input."""
-    cmd = Command(
-        key="Z",
-        description="Simple action",
-        action=lambda: 42,
-    )
-    assert cmd.requires_input is False
-    assert cmd.hidden is False
-
-
-def test_chain_requires_input():
-    """If first action in a chain requires input, the command should require input."""
-    chain = ChainedAction(
-        name="ChainWithInput",
-        actions=[
-            DummyInputAction(name="dummy"),
-            Action(name="action1", action=lambda: 1),
-        ],
-    )
-    cmd = Command(
-        key="A",
-        description="Chain with input",
-        action=chain,
-    )
-    assert cmd.requires_input is True
-    assert cmd.hidden is True
-
-
-def test_group_requires_input():
-    """If any action in a group requires input, the command should require input."""
-    group = ActionGroup(
-        name="GroupWithInput",
-        actions=[
-            Action(name="action1", action=lambda: 1),
-            DummyInputAction(name="dummy"),
-        ],
-    )
-    cmd = Command(
-        key="B",
-        description="Group with input",
-        action=group,
-    )
-    assert cmd.requires_input is True
-    assert cmd.hidden is True
-
-
 def test_enable_retry():
     """Command should enable retry if action is an Action and  retry is set to True."""
     cmd = Command(
@@ -193,13 +98,17 @@ def test_enable_retry_not_action():
     cmd = Command(
         key="C",
         description="Retry action",
-        action=DummyInputAction,
+        action=DummyInputAction(
+            name="dummy_input_action",
+        ),
         retry=True,
     )
     assert cmd.retry is True
     with pytest.raises(Exception) as exc_info:
         assert cmd.action.retry_policy.enabled is False
-    assert "'function' object has no attribute 'retry_policy'" in str(exc_info.value)
+    assert "'DummyInputAction' object has no attribute 'retry_policy'" in str(
+        exc_info.value
+    )
 
 
 def test_chain_retry_all():
@@ -229,13 +138,17 @@ def test_chain_retry_all_not_base_action():
     cmd = Command(
         key="E",
         description="Chain with retry",
-        action=DummyInputAction,
+        action=DummyInputAction(
+            name="dummy_input_action",
+        ),
         retry_all=True,
     )
     assert cmd.retry_all is True
     with pytest.raises(Exception) as exc_info:
         assert cmd.action.retry_policy.enabled is False
-    assert "'function' object has no attribute 'retry_policy'" in str(exc_info.value)
+    assert "'DummyInputAction' object has no attribute 'retry_policy'" in str(
+        exc_info.value
+    )
 
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio

tests/test_command_argument_parser.py

@@ -1,102 +1,113 @@
 import pytest
 
-from falyx.argparse import ArgumentAction, CommandArgumentParser
 from falyx.exceptions import CommandArgumentError
+from falyx.parser import ArgumentAction, CommandArgumentParser
 from falyx.signals import HelpSignal
 
 
-def build_parser_and_parse(args, config):
+async def build_parser_and_parse(args, config):
     cap = CommandArgumentParser()
     config(cap)
-    return cap.parse_args(args)
+    return await cap.parse_args(args)
 
 
-def test_none():
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_none():
     def config(parser):
         parser.add_argument("--foo", type=str)
 
-    parsed = build_parser_and_parse(None, config)
+    parsed = await build_parser_and_parse(None, config)
     assert parsed["foo"] is None
 
 
-def test_append_multiple_flags():
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_append_multiple_flags():
     def config(parser):
         parser.add_argument("--tag", action=ArgumentAction.APPEND, type=str)
 
-    parsed = build_parser_and_parse(["--tag", "a", "--tag", "b", "--tag", "c"], config)
+    parsed = await build_parser_and_parse(
+        ["--tag", "a", "--tag", "b", "--tag", "c"], config
+    )
     assert parsed["tag"] == ["a", "b", "c"]
 
 
-def test_positional_nargs_plus_and_single():
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_positional_nargs_plus_and_single():
     def config(parser):
         parser.add_argument("files", nargs="+", type=str)
         parser.add_argument("mode", nargs=1)
 
-    parsed = build_parser_and_parse(["a", "b", "c", "prod"], config)
+    parsed = await build_parser_and_parse(["a", "b", "c", "prod"], config)
     assert parsed["files"] == ["a", "b", "c"]
     assert parsed["mode"] == "prod"
 
 
-def test_type_validation_failure():
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_type_validation_failure():
     def config(parser):
         parser.add_argument("--count", type=int)
 
     with pytest.raises(CommandArgumentError):
-        build_parser_and_parse(["--count", "abc"], config)
+        await build_parser_and_parse(["--count", "abc"], config)
 
 
-def test_required_field_missing():
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_required_field_missing():
     def config(parser):
         parser.add_argument("--env", type=str, required=True)
 
     with pytest.raises(CommandArgumentError):
-        build_parser_and_parse([], config)
+        await build_parser_and_parse([], config)
 
 
-def test_choices_enforced():
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_choices_enforced():
     def config(parser):
         parser.add_argument("--mode", choices=["dev", "prod"])
 
     with pytest.raises(CommandArgumentError):
-        build_parser_and_parse(["--mode", "staging"], config)
+        await build_parser_and_parse(["--mode", "staging"], config)
 
 
-def test_boolean_flags():
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_boolean_flags():
     def config(parser):
         parser.add_argument("--debug", action=ArgumentAction.STORE_TRUE)
         parser.add_argument("--no-debug", action=ArgumentAction.STORE_FALSE)
 
-    parsed = build_parser_and_parse(["--debug", "--no-debug"], config)
+    parsed = await build_parser_and_parse(["--debug", "--no-debug"], config)
     assert parsed["debug"] is True
     assert parsed["no_debug"] is False
-    parsed = build_parser_and_parse([], config)
-    print(parsed)
+    parsed = await build_parser_and_parse([], config)
     assert parsed["debug"] is False
     assert parsed["no_debug"] is True
 
 
-def test_count_action():
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_count_action():
     def config(parser):
         parser.add_argument("-v", action=ArgumentAction.COUNT)
 
-    parsed = build_parser_and_parse(["-v", "-v", "-v"], config)
+    parsed = await build_parser_and_parse(["-v", "-v", "-v"], config)
     assert parsed["v"] == 3
 
 
-def test_nargs_star():
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_nargs_star():
     def config(parser):
         parser.add_argument("args", nargs="*", type=str)
 
-    parsed = build_parser_and_parse(["one", "two", "three"], config)
+    parsed = await build_parser_and_parse(["one", "two", "three"], config)
     assert parsed["args"] == ["one", "two", "three"]
 
 
-def test_flag_and_positional_mix():
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_flag_and_positional_mix():
     def config(parser):
         parser.add_argument("--env", type=str)
         parser.add_argument("tasks", nargs="+")
 
-    parsed = build_parser_and_parse(["--env", "prod", "build", "test"], config)
+    parsed = await build_parser_and_parse(["--env", "prod", "build", "test"], config)
     assert parsed["env"] == "prod"
     assert parsed["tasks"] == ["build", "test"]
 
@@ -134,7 +145,7 @@ def test_add_argument_multiple_optional_flags_same_dest():
     parser.add_argument("-f", "--falyx")
     arg = parser._arguments[-1]
     assert arg.dest == "falyx"
-    assert arg.flags == ["-f", "--falyx"]
+    assert arg.flags == ("-f", "--falyx")
 
 
 def test_add_argument_flag_dest_conflict():
@@ -165,7 +176,7 @@ def test_add_argument_multiple_flags_custom_dest():
     parser.add_argument("-f", "--falyx", "--test", dest="falyx")
     arg = parser._arguments[-1]
     assert arg.dest == "falyx"
-    assert arg.flags == ["-f", "--falyx", "--test"]
+    assert arg.flags == ("-f", "--falyx", "--test")
 
 
 def test_add_argument_multiple_flags_dest():
@@ -175,7 +186,7 @@ def test_add_argument_multiple_flags_dest():
     parser.add_argument("-f", "--falyx", "--test")
     arg = parser._arguments[-1]
     assert arg.dest == "falyx"
-    assert arg.flags == ["-f", "--falyx", "--test"]
+    assert arg.flags == ("-f", "--falyx", "--test")
 
 
 def test_add_argument_single_flag_dest():
@@ -185,7 +196,7 @@ def test_add_argument_single_flag_dest():
     parser.add_argument("-f")
     arg = parser._arguments[-1]
     assert arg.dest == "f"
-    assert arg.flags == ["-f"]
+    assert arg.flags == ("-f",)
 
 
 def test_add_argument_bad_dest():
@@ -257,7 +268,7 @@ def test_add_argument_default_value():
     parser.add_argument("--falyx", default="default_value")
     arg = parser._arguments[-1]
     assert arg.dest == "falyx"
-    assert arg.flags == ["--falyx"]
+    assert arg.flags == ("--falyx",)
     assert arg.default == "default_value"
 
 
@@ -297,20 +308,21 @@ def test_add_argument_default_not_in_choices():
         parser.add_argument("--falyx", choices=["a", "b"], default="c")
 
 
-def test_add_argument_choices():
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_add_argument_choices():
     parser = CommandArgumentParser()
 
     # ✅ Choices provided
     parser.add_argument("--falyx", choices=["a", "b", "c"])
     arg = parser._arguments[-1]
     assert arg.dest == "falyx"
-    assert arg.flags == ["--falyx"]
+    assert arg.flags == ("--falyx",)
     assert arg.choices == ["a", "b", "c"]
 
-    args = parser.parse_args(["--falyx", "a"])
+    args = await parser.parse_args(["--falyx", "a"])
     assert args["falyx"] == "a"
     with pytest.raises(CommandArgumentError):
-        parser.parse_args(["--falyx", "d"])
+        await parser.parse_args(["--falyx", "d"])
 
 
 def test_add_argument_choices_invalid():
@@ -333,26 +345,28 @@ def test_add_argument_choices_invalid():
 def test_add_argument_bad_nargs():
     parser = CommandArgumentParser()
 
-    # ❌ Invalid nargs value
     with pytest.raises(CommandArgumentError):
         parser.add_argument("--falyx", nargs="invalid")
 
-    # ❌ Invalid nargs type
     with pytest.raises(CommandArgumentError):
-        parser.add_argument("--falyx", nargs=123)
+        parser.add_argument("--foo", nargs="123")
 
-    # ❌ Invalid nargs type
     with pytest.raises(CommandArgumentError):
-        parser.add_argument("--falyx", nargs=None)
+        parser.add_argument("--foo", nargs=[1, 2])
+
+    with pytest.raises(CommandArgumentError):
+        parser.add_argument("--too", action="count", nargs=5)
+
+    with pytest.raises(CommandArgumentError):
+        parser.add_argument("falyx", action="store_true", nargs=5)
 
 
 def test_add_argument_nargs():
     parser = CommandArgumentParser()
-    # ✅ Valid nargs value
     parser.add_argument("--falyx", nargs=2)
     arg = parser._arguments[-1]
     assert arg.dest == "falyx"
-    assert arg.flags == ["--falyx"]
+    assert arg.flags == ("--falyx",)
     assert arg.nargs == 2
 
 
@@ -377,56 +391,63 @@ def test_get_argument():
     parser.add_argument("--falyx", type=str, default="default_value")
     arg = parser.get_argument("falyx")
     assert arg.dest == "falyx"
-    assert arg.flags == ["--falyx"]
+    assert arg.flags == ("--falyx",)
     assert arg.default == "default_value"
 
 
-def test_parse_args_nargs():
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_parse_args_nargs():
     parser = CommandArgumentParser()
     parser.add_argument("files", nargs="+", type=str)
     parser.add_argument("mode", nargs=1)
+    parser.add_argument("--action", action="store_true")
 
-    args = parser.parse_args(["a", "b", "c"])
-
+    args = await parser.parse_args(["a", "b", "c", "--action"])
+    assert args["files"] == ["a", "b"]
+    assert args["mode"] == "c"
+    args = await parser.parse_args(["--action", "a", "b", "c"])
     assert args["files"] == ["a", "b"]
     assert args["mode"] == "c"
 
 
-def test_parse_args_nargs_plus():
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_parse_args_nargs_plus():
     parser = CommandArgumentParser()
     parser.add_argument("files", nargs="+", type=str)
 
-    args = parser.parse_args(["a", "b", "c"])
+    args = await parser.parse_args(["a", "b", "c"])
     assert args["files"] == ["a", "b", "c"]
 
-    args = parser.parse_args(["a"])
+    args = await parser.parse_args(["a"])
     assert args["files"] == ["a"]
 
 
-def test_parse_args_flagged_nargs_plus():
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_parse_args_flagged_nargs_plus():
     parser = CommandArgumentParser()
     parser.add_argument("--files", nargs="+", type=str)
 
-    args = parser.parse_args(["--files", "a", "b", "c"])
+    args = await parser.parse_args(["--files", "a", "b", "c"])
     assert args["files"] == ["a", "b", "c"]
 
-    args = parser.parse_args(["--files", "a"])
+    args = await parser.parse_args(["--files", "a"])
     print(args)
     assert args["files"] == ["a"]
 
-    args = parser.parse_args([])
+    args = await parser.parse_args([])
     assert args["files"] == []
 
 
-def test_parse_args_numbered_nargs():
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_parse_args_numbered_nargs():
     parser = CommandArgumentParser()
     parser.add_argument("files", nargs=2, type=str)
 
-    args = parser.parse_args(["a", "b"])
+    args = await parser.parse_args(["a", "b"])
     assert args["files"] == ["a", "b"]
 
     with pytest.raises(CommandArgumentError):
-        args = parser.parse_args(["a"])
+        args = await parser.parse_args(["a"])
         print(args)
 
 
@@ -436,48 +457,53 @@ def test_parse_args_nargs_zero():
         parser.add_argument("files", nargs=0, type=str)
 
 
-def test_parse_args_nargs_more_than_expected():
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_parse_args_nargs_more_than_expected():
     parser = CommandArgumentParser()
     parser.add_argument("files", nargs=2, type=str)
 
     with pytest.raises(CommandArgumentError):
-        parser.parse_args(["a", "b", "c", "d"])
+        await parser.parse_args(["a", "b", "c", "d"])
 
 
-def test_parse_args_nargs_one_or_none():
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_parse_args_nargs_one_or_none():
     parser = CommandArgumentParser()
     parser.add_argument("files", nargs="?", type=str)
 
-    args = parser.parse_args(["a"])
+    args = await parser.parse_args(["a"])
     assert args["files"] == "a"
 
-    args = parser.parse_args([])
+    args = await parser.parse_args([])
     assert args["files"] is None
 
 
-def test_parse_args_nargs_positional():
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_parse_args_nargs_positional():
     parser = CommandArgumentParser()
     parser.add_argument("files", nargs="*", type=str)
 
-    args = parser.parse_args(["a", "b", "c"])
+    args = await parser.parse_args(["a", "b", "c"])
     assert args["files"] == ["a", "b", "c"]
 
-    args = parser.parse_args([])
+    args = await parser.parse_args([])
     assert args["files"] == []
 
 
-def test_parse_args_nargs_positional_plus():
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_parse_args_nargs_positional_plus():
     parser = CommandArgumentParser()
     parser.add_argument("files", nargs="+", type=str)
 
-    args = parser.parse_args(["a", "b", "c"])
+    args = await parser.parse_args(["a", "b", "c"])
     assert args["files"] == ["a", "b", "c"]
 
     with pytest.raises(CommandArgumentError):
-        args = parser.parse_args([])
+        args = await parser.parse_args([])
 
 
-def test_parse_args_nargs_multiple_positional():
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_parse_args_nargs_multiple_positional():
     parser = CommandArgumentParser()
     parser.add_argument("files", nargs="+", type=str)
     parser.add_argument("mode", nargs=1)
@@ -485,7 +511,7 @@ def test_parse_args_nargs_multiple_positional():
     parser.add_argument("target", nargs="*")
     parser.add_argument("extra", nargs="+")
 
-    args = parser.parse_args(["a", "b", "c", "d", "e"])
+    args = await parser.parse_args(["a", "b", "c", "d", "e"])
     assert args["files"] == ["a", "b", "c"]
     assert args["mode"] == "d"
     assert args["action"] == []
@@ -493,186 +519,311 @@ def test_parse_args_nargs_multiple_positional():
     assert args["extra"] == ["e"]
 
     with pytest.raises(CommandArgumentError):
-        parser.parse_args([])
+        await parser.parse_args([])
 
 
-def test_parse_args_nargs_invalid_positional_arguments():
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_parse_args_nargs_none():
+    parser = CommandArgumentParser()
+    parser.add_argument("numbers", type=int)
+    parser.add_argument("mode")
+
+    await parser.parse_args(["1", "2"])
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_parse_args_nargs_invalid_positional_arguments():
     parser = CommandArgumentParser()
     parser.add_argument("numbers", nargs="*", type=int)
     parser.add_argument("mode", nargs=1)
 
     with pytest.raises(CommandArgumentError):
-        parser.parse_args(["1", "2", "c", "d"])
+        await parser.parse_args(["1", "2", "c", "d"])
 
 
-def test_parse_args_append():
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_parse_args_append():
     parser = CommandArgumentParser()
     parser.add_argument("--numbers", action=ArgumentAction.APPEND, type=int)
 
-    args = parser.parse_args(["--numbers", "1", "--numbers", "2", "--numbers", "3"])
+    args = await parser.parse_args(["--numbers", "1", "--numbers", "2", "--numbers", "3"])
     assert args["numbers"] == [1, 2, 3]
 
-    args = parser.parse_args(["--numbers", "1"])
+    args = await parser.parse_args(["--numbers", "1"])
     assert args["numbers"] == [1]
 
-    args = parser.parse_args([])
+    args = await parser.parse_args([])
     assert args["numbers"] == []
 
 
-def test_parse_args_nargs_append():
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_parse_args_nargs_int_append():
+    parser = CommandArgumentParser()
+    parser.add_argument("--numbers", action=ArgumentAction.APPEND, type=int, nargs=1)
+
+    args = await parser.parse_args(["--numbers", "1", "--numbers", "2", "--numbers", "3"])
+    assert args["numbers"] == [[1], [2], [3]]
+
+    args = await parser.parse_args(["--numbers", "1"])
+    assert args["numbers"] == [[1]]
+
+    args = await parser.parse_args([])
+    assert args["numbers"] == []
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_parse_args_nargs_append():
     parser = CommandArgumentParser()
     parser.add_argument("numbers", action=ArgumentAction.APPEND, type=int, nargs="*")
     parser.add_argument("--mode")
 
-    args = parser.parse_args(["1", "2", "3", "--mode", "numbers", "4", "5"])
-    assert args["numbers"] == [[1, 2, 3], [4, 5]]
-
-    args = parser.parse_args(["1"])
+    args = await parser.parse_args(["1"])
     assert args["numbers"] == [[1]]
 
-    args = parser.parse_args([])
+    args = await parser.parse_args(["1", "2", "3", "--mode", "numbers", "4", "5"])
+    assert args["numbers"] == [[1, 2, 3], [4, 5]]
+    assert args["mode"] == "numbers"
+
+    args = await parser.parse_args(["1", "2", "3"])
+    assert args["numbers"] == [[1, 2, 3]]
+
+    args = await parser.parse_args([])
     assert args["numbers"] == []
 
 
-def test_parse_args_append_flagged_invalid_type():
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_parse_args_int_optional_append():
+    parser = CommandArgumentParser()
+    parser.add_argument("numbers", action=ArgumentAction.APPEND, type=int)
+
+    args = await parser.parse_args(["1"])
+    assert args["numbers"] == [1]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_parse_args_int_optional_append_multiple_values():
+    parser = CommandArgumentParser()
+    parser.add_argument("numbers", action=ArgumentAction.APPEND, type=int)
+
+    with pytest.raises(CommandArgumentError):
+        await parser.parse_args(["1", "2"])
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_parse_args_nargs_int_positional_append():
+    parser = CommandArgumentParser()
+    parser.add_argument("numbers", action=ArgumentAction.APPEND, type=int, nargs=1)
+
+    args = await parser.parse_args(["1"])
+    assert args["numbers"] == [[1]]
+
+    with pytest.raises(CommandArgumentError):
+        await parser.parse_args(["1", "2", "3"])
+
+    parser2 = CommandArgumentParser()
+    parser2.add_argument("numbers", action=ArgumentAction.APPEND, type=int, nargs=2)
+
+    args = await parser2.parse_args(["1", "2"])
+    assert args["numbers"] == [[1, 2]]
+
+    with pytest.raises(CommandArgumentError):
+        await parser2.parse_args(["1", "2", "3"])
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_parse_args_append_flagged_invalid_type():
     parser = CommandArgumentParser()
     parser.add_argument("--numbers", action=ArgumentAction.APPEND, type=int)
 
     with pytest.raises(CommandArgumentError):
-        parser.parse_args(["--numbers", "a"])
+        await parser.parse_args(["--numbers", "a"])
 
 
-def test_append_groups_nargs():
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_append_groups_nargs():
     cap = CommandArgumentParser()
     cap.add_argument("--item", action=ArgumentAction.APPEND, type=str, nargs=2)
 
-    parsed = cap.parse_args(["--item", "a", "b", "--item", "c", "d"])
+    parsed = await cap.parse_args(["--item", "a", "b", "--item", "c", "d"])
     assert parsed["item"] == [["a", "b"], ["c", "d"]]
 
+    with pytest.raises(CommandArgumentError):
+        await cap.parse_args(["--item", "a", "b", "--item", "c"])
 
-def test_extend_flattened():
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_extend_flattened():
     cap = CommandArgumentParser()
     cap.add_argument("--value", action=ArgumentAction.EXTEND, type=str)
 
-    parsed = cap.parse_args(["--value", "x", "--value", "y"])
+    parsed = await cap.parse_args(["--value", "x", "--value", "y"])
     assert parsed["value"] == ["x", "y"]
 
 
-def test_parse_args_split_order():
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_parse_args_split_order():
     cap = CommandArgumentParser()
     cap.add_argument("a")
     cap.add_argument("--x")
     cap.add_argument("b", nargs="*")
-    args, kwargs = cap.parse_args_split(["1", "--x", "100", "2"])
+    args, kwargs = await cap.parse_args_split(["1", "--x", "100", "2"])
     assert args == ("1", ["2"])
     assert kwargs == {"x": "100"}
 
 
-def test_help_signal_triggers():
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_help_signal_triggers():
     parser = CommandArgumentParser()
     parser.add_argument("--foo")
     with pytest.raises(HelpSignal):
-        parser.parse_args(["--help"])
+        await parser.parse_args(["--help"])
 
 
-def test_empty_parser_defaults():
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_empty_parser_defaults():
     parser = CommandArgumentParser()
     with pytest.raises(HelpSignal):
-        parser.parse_args(["--help"])
+        await parser.parse_args(["--help"])
 
 
-def test_extend_basic():
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_extend_basic():
     parser = CommandArgumentParser()
     parser.add_argument("--tag", action=ArgumentAction.EXTEND, type=str)
 
-    args = parser.parse_args(["--tag", "a", "--tag", "b", "--tag", "c"])
+    args = await parser.parse_args(["--tag", "a", "--tag", "b", "--tag", "c"])
     assert args["tag"] == ["a", "b", "c"]
 
 
-def test_extend_nargs_2():
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_extend_nargs_2():
     parser = CommandArgumentParser()
     parser.add_argument("--pair", action=ArgumentAction.EXTEND, type=str, nargs=2)
 
-    args = parser.parse_args(["--pair", "a", "b", "--pair", "c", "d"])
+    args = await parser.parse_args(["--pair", "a", "b", "--pair", "c", "d"])
     assert args["pair"] == ["a", "b", "c", "d"]
 
 
-def test_extend_nargs_star():
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_extend_nargs_star():
     parser = CommandArgumentParser()
     parser.add_argument("--files", action=ArgumentAction.EXTEND, type=str, nargs="*")
 
-    args = parser.parse_args(["--files", "x", "y", "z"])
+    args = await parser.parse_args(["--files", "x", "y", "z"])
     assert args["files"] == ["x", "y", "z"]
 
-    args = parser.parse_args(["--files"])
+    args = await parser.parse_args(["--files"])
     assert args["files"] == []
 
 
-def test_extend_nargs_plus():
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_extend_nargs_plus():
     parser = CommandArgumentParser()
     parser.add_argument("--inputs", action=ArgumentAction.EXTEND, type=int, nargs="+")
 
-    args = parser.parse_args(["--inputs", "1", "2", "3", "--inputs", "4"])
+    args = await parser.parse_args(["--inputs", "1", "2", "3", "--inputs", "4"])
     assert args["inputs"] == [1, 2, 3, 4]
 
 
-def test_extend_invalid_type():
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_extend_invalid_type():
     parser = CommandArgumentParser()
     parser.add_argument("--nums", action=ArgumentAction.EXTEND, type=int)
 
     with pytest.raises(CommandArgumentError):
-        parser.parse_args(["--nums", "a"])
+        await parser.parse_args(["--nums", "a"])
 
 
-def test_greedy_invalid_type():
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_greedy_invalid_type():
     parser = CommandArgumentParser()
     parser.add_argument("--nums", nargs="*", type=int)
     with pytest.raises(CommandArgumentError):
-        parser.parse_args(["--nums", "a"])
+        await parser.parse_args(["--nums", "a"])
 
 
-def test_append_vs_extend_behavior():
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_append_vs_extend_behavior():
     parser = CommandArgumentParser()
     parser.add_argument("--x", action=ArgumentAction.APPEND, nargs=2)
     parser.add_argument("--y", action=ArgumentAction.EXTEND, nargs=2)
 
-    args = parser.parse_args(
+    args = await parser.parse_args(
         ["--x", "a", "b", "--x", "c", "d", "--y", "1", "2", "--y", "3", "4"]
     )
     assert args["x"] == [["a", "b"], ["c", "d"]]
     assert args["y"] == ["1", "2", "3", "4"]
 
 
-def test_append_vs_extend_behavior_error():
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_append_vs_extend_behavior_error():
     parser = CommandArgumentParser()
     parser.add_argument("--x", action=ArgumentAction.APPEND, nargs=2)
     parser.add_argument("--y", action=ArgumentAction.EXTEND, nargs=2)
 
     # This should raise an error because the last argument is not a valid pair
     with pytest.raises(CommandArgumentError):
-        parser.parse_args(["--x", "a", "b", "--x", "c", "d", "--y", "1", "2", "--y", "3"])
+        await parser.parse_args(
+            ["--x", "a", "b", "--x", "c", "d", "--y", "1", "2", "--y", "3"]
+        )
 
     with pytest.raises(CommandArgumentError):
-        parser.parse_args(["--x", "a", "b", "--x", "c", "--y", "1", "--y", "3", "4"])
+        await parser.parse_args(
+            ["--x", "a", "b", "--x", "c", "--y", "1", "--y", "3", "4"]
+        )
 
 
-def test_extend_positional():
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_extend_positional():
     parser = CommandArgumentParser()
     parser.add_argument("files", action=ArgumentAction.EXTEND, type=str, nargs="*")
 
-    args = parser.parse_args(["a", "b", "c"])
+    args = await parser.parse_args(["a", "b", "c"])
     assert args["files"] == ["a", "b", "c"]
 
-    args = parser.parse_args([])
+    args = await parser.parse_args([])
     assert args["files"] == []
 
 
-def test_extend_positional_nargs():
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_extend_positional_nargs():
     parser = CommandArgumentParser()
     parser.add_argument("files", action=ArgumentAction.EXTEND, type=str, nargs="+")
 
-    args = parser.parse_args(["a", "b", "c"])
+    args = await parser.parse_args(["a", "b", "c"])
     assert args["files"] == ["a", "b", "c"]
 
     with pytest.raises(CommandArgumentError):
-        parser.parse_args([])
+        await parser.parse_args([])
+
+
+def test_command_argument_parser_equality():
+    parser1 = CommandArgumentParser()
+    parser2 = CommandArgumentParser()
+
+    parser1.add_argument("--foo", type=str)
+    parser2.add_argument("--foo", type=str)
+
+    assert parser1 == parser2
+
+    parser1.add_argument("--bar", type=int)
+    assert parser1 != parser2
+
+    parser2.add_argument("--bar", type=int)
+    assert parser1 == parser2
+
+    assert parser1 != "not a parser"
+    assert parser1 is not None
+    assert parser1 != object()
+
+    assert parser1.to_definition_list() == parser2.to_definition_list()
+    assert hash(parser1) == hash(parser2)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_render_help():
+    parser = CommandArgumentParser()
+    parser.add_argument("--foo", type=str, help="Foo help")
+    parser.add_argument("--bar", action=ArgumentAction.APPEND, type=str, help="Bar help")
+
+    assert parser.render_help() is None

tests/test_main.py

@@ -1,11 +1,40 @@
-import os
 import shutil
 import sys
+import tempfile
+from argparse import ArgumentParser, Namespace, _SubParsersAction
 from pathlib import Path
 
 import pytest
 
-from falyx.__main__ import bootstrap, find_falyx_config, get_falyx_parsers, run
+from falyx.__main__ import (
+    bootstrap,
+    find_falyx_config,
+    get_parsers,
+    init_callback,
+    init_config,
+    main,
+)
+from falyx.parser import CommandArgumentParser
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
+def fake_home(monkeypatch):
+    """Redirect Path.home() to a temporary directory for all tests."""
+    temp_home = Path(tempfile.mkdtemp())
+    monkeypatch.setattr(Path, "home", lambda: temp_home)
+    yield temp_home
+    shutil.rmtree(temp_home, ignore_errors=True)
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
+def setup_teardown():
+    """Fixture to set up and tear down the environment for each test."""
+    cwd = Path.cwd()
+    yield
+    for file in cwd.glob("falyx.yaml"):
+        file.unlink(missing_ok=True)
+    for file in cwd.glob("falyx.toml"):
+        file.unlink(missing_ok=True)
 
 
 def test_find_falyx_config():
@@ -52,61 +81,52 @@ def test_bootstrap_with_global_config():
     sys.path = sys_path_before
 
 
-def test_parse_args():
-    """Test if the parse_args function works correctly."""
-    falyx_parsers = get_falyx_parsers()
-    args = falyx_parsers.parse_args(["init", "test_project"])
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_init_config():
+    """Test if the init_config function adds the correct argument."""
+    parser = CommandArgumentParser()
+    init_config(parser)
+    args = await parser.parse_args(["test_project"])
+    assert args["name"] == "test_project"
 
-    assert args.command == "init"
-    assert args.name == "test_project"
-
-    args = falyx_parsers.parse_args(["init-global"])
-    assert args.command == "init-global"
+    # Test with default value
+    args = await parser.parse_args([])
+    assert args["name"] == "."
 
 
-def test_run():
-    """Test if the run function works correctly."""
-    falyx_parsers = get_falyx_parsers()
-    args = falyx_parsers.parse_args(["init", "test_project"])
-    run(args)
-    assert args.command == "init"
-    assert args.name == "test_project"
-    # Check if the project directory was created
-    assert Path("test_project").exists()
-    # Clean up
-    (Path("test_project") / "falyx.yaml").unlink()
-    (Path("test_project") / "tasks.py").unlink()
-    Path("test_project").rmdir()
-    # Test init-global
-    args = falyx_parsers.parse_args(["init-global"])
-    run(args)
-    # Check if the global config directory was created
+def test_init_callback(tmp_path):
+    """Test if the init_callback function works correctly."""
+    # Test project initialization
+    args = Namespace(command="init", name=str(tmp_path))
+    init_callback(args)
+    assert (tmp_path / "falyx.yaml").exists()
+
+
+def test_init_global_callback():
+    # Test global initialization
+    args = Namespace(command="init_global")
+    init_callback(args)
+    assert (Path.home() / ".config" / "falyx" / "tasks.py").exists()
     assert (Path.home() / ".config" / "falyx" / "falyx.yaml").exists()
-    # Clean up
-    (Path.home() / ".config" / "falyx" / "falyx.yaml").unlink()
-    (Path.home() / ".config" / "falyx" / "tasks.py").unlink()
-    (Path.home() / ".config" / "falyx").rmdir()
 
 
-def test_no_bootstrap():
-    """Test if the main function works correctly when no config file is found."""
-    falyx_parsers = get_falyx_parsers()
-    args = falyx_parsers.parse_args(["list"])
-    assert run(args) is None
-    # Check if the task was run
-    assert args.command == "list"
+def test_get_parsers():
+    """Test if the get_parsers function returns the correct parsers."""
+    root_parser, subparsers = get_parsers()
+    assert isinstance(root_parser, ArgumentParser)
+    assert isinstance(subparsers, _SubParsersAction)
+
+    # Check if the 'init' command is available
+    init_parser = subparsers.choices.get("init")
+    assert init_parser is not None
+    assert "name" == init_parser._get_positional_actions()[0].dest
 
 
-def test_run_test_project():
-    """Test if the main function works correctly with a test project."""
-    falyx_parsers = get_falyx_parsers()
-    args = falyx_parsers.parse_args(["init", "test_project"])
-    run(args)
+def test_main():
+    """Test if the main function runs with the correct arguments."""
 
-    args = falyx_parsers.parse_args(["run", "B"])
-    os.chdir("test_project")
-    with pytest.raises(SystemExit):
-        assert run(args) == "Build complete!"
-    os.chdir("..")
-    shutil.rmtree("test_project")
-    assert not Path("test_project").exists()
+    sys.argv = ["falyx", "run", "?"]
+
+    with pytest.raises(SystemExit) as exc_info:
+        main()
+    assert exc_info.value.code == 0

tests/test_parsers/test_action.py

@@ -0,0 +1,219 @@
+import pytest
+
+from falyx.action import Action
+from falyx.exceptions import CommandArgumentError
+from falyx.parser import ArgumentAction, CommandArgumentParser
+
+
+def test_add_argument():
+    """Test the add_argument method."""
+    parser = CommandArgumentParser()
+    action = Action("test_action", lambda: "value")
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "test", action=ArgumentAction.ACTION, help="Test argument", resolver=action
+    )
+    with pytest.raises(CommandArgumentError):
+        parser.add_argument("test1", action=ArgumentAction.ACTION, help="Test argument")
+    with pytest.raises(CommandArgumentError):
+        parser.add_argument(
+            "test2",
+            action=ArgumentAction.ACTION,
+            help="Test argument",
+            resolver="Not an action",
+        )
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_falyx_actions():
+    """Test the Falyx actions."""
+    parser = CommandArgumentParser()
+    action = Action("test_action", lambda: "value")
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "-a",
+        "--alpha",
+        action=ArgumentAction.ACTION,
+        resolver=action,
+        help="Alpha option",
+    )
+
+    # Test valid cases
+    args = await parser.parse_args(["-a"])
+    assert args["alpha"] == "value"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_action_basic():
+    parser = CommandArgumentParser()
+    action = Action("hello", lambda: "hi")
+    parser.add_argument("--greet", action=ArgumentAction.ACTION, resolver=action)
+    args = await parser.parse_args(["--greet"])
+    assert args["greet"] == "hi"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_action_with_nargs():
+    parser = CommandArgumentParser()
+
+    def multiply(a, b):
+        return int(a) * int(b)
+
+    action = Action("multiply", multiply)
+    parser.add_argument("--mul", action=ArgumentAction.ACTION, resolver=action, nargs=2)
+    args = await parser.parse_args(["--mul", "3", "4"])
+    assert args["mul"] == 12
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_action_with_nargs_positional():
+    parser = CommandArgumentParser()
+
+    def multiply(a, b):
+        return int(a) * int(b)
+
+    action = Action("multiply", multiply)
+    parser.add_argument("mul", action=ArgumentAction.ACTION, resolver=action, nargs=2)
+    args = await parser.parse_args(["3", "4"])
+    assert args["mul"] == 12
+
+    with pytest.raises(CommandArgumentError):
+        await parser.parse_args(["3"])
+
+    with pytest.raises(CommandArgumentError):
+        await parser.parse_args([])
+
+    with pytest.raises(CommandArgumentError):
+        await parser.parse_args(["3", "4", "5"])
+
+    with pytest.raises(CommandArgumentError):
+        await parser.parse_args(["--mul", "3", "4"])
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_action_with_nargs_positional_int():
+    parser = CommandArgumentParser()
+
+    def multiply(a, b):
+        return a * b
+
+    action = Action("multiply", multiply)
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "mul", action=ArgumentAction.ACTION, resolver=action, nargs=2, type=int
+    )
+    args = await parser.parse_args(["3", "4"])
+    assert args["mul"] == 12
+
+    with pytest.raises(CommandArgumentError):
+        await parser.parse_args(["3"])
+
+    with pytest.raises(CommandArgumentError):
+        await parser.parse_args(["abc", "3"])
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_action_with_nargs_type():
+    parser = CommandArgumentParser()
+
+    def multiply(a, b):
+        return a * b
+
+    action = Action("multiply", multiply)
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--mul", action=ArgumentAction.ACTION, resolver=action, nargs=2, type=int
+    )
+    args = await parser.parse_args(["--mul", "3", "4"])
+    assert args["mul"] == 12
+
+    with pytest.raises(CommandArgumentError):
+        await parser.parse_args(["--mul", "abc", "3"])
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_action_with_custom_type():
+    parser = CommandArgumentParser()
+
+    def upcase(s):
+        return s.upper()
+
+    action = Action("upcase", upcase)
+    parser.add_argument("--word", action=ArgumentAction.ACTION, resolver=action, type=str)
+    args = await parser.parse_args(["--word", "hello"])
+    assert args["word"] == "HELLO"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_action_with_nargs_star():
+    parser = CommandArgumentParser()
+
+    def joiner(*args):
+        return "-".join(args)
+
+    action = Action("join", joiner)
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--tags", action=ArgumentAction.ACTION, resolver=action, nargs="*"
+    )
+    args = await parser.parse_args(["--tags", "a", "b", "c"])
+    assert args["tags"] == "a-b-c"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_action_nargs_plus_missing():
+    parser = CommandArgumentParser()
+    action = Action("noop", lambda *args: args)
+    parser.add_argument("--x", action=ArgumentAction.ACTION, resolver=action, nargs="+")
+    with pytest.raises(CommandArgumentError):
+        await parser.parse_args(["--x"])
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_action_with_default():
+    parser = CommandArgumentParser()
+    action = Action("default", lambda value: value)
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--default",
+        action=ArgumentAction.ACTION,
+        resolver=action,
+        default="default_value",
+    )
+    args = await parser.parse_args([])
+    assert args["default"] == "default_value"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_action_with_default_and_value():
+    parser = CommandArgumentParser()
+    action = Action("default", lambda value: value)
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--default",
+        action=ArgumentAction.ACTION,
+        resolver=action,
+        default="default_value",
+    )
+    args = await parser.parse_args(["--default", "new_value"])
+    assert args["default"] == "new_value"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_action_with_default_and_value_not():
+    parser = CommandArgumentParser()
+    action = Action("default", lambda: "default_value")
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--default",
+        action=ArgumentAction.ACTION,
+        resolver=action,
+        default="default_value",
+    )
+    with pytest.raises(CommandArgumentError):
+        await parser.parse_args(["--default", "new_value"])
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_action_with_default_and_value_positional():
+    parser = CommandArgumentParser()
+    action = Action("default", lambda: "default_value")
+    parser.add_argument("default", action=ArgumentAction.ACTION, resolver=action)
+
+    with pytest.raises(CommandArgumentError):
+        await parser.parse_args([])
+
+    with pytest.raises(CommandArgumentError):
+        await parser.parse_args(["be"])

tests/test_parsers/test_argument.py

@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+import pytest
+
+from falyx.parser import Argument, ArgumentAction
+
+
+def test_positional_text_with_choices():
+    arg = Argument(flags=("path",), dest="path", positional=True, choices=["a", "b"])
+    assert arg.get_positional_text() == "{a,b}"
+
+
+def test_positional_text_without_choices():
+    arg = Argument(flags=("path",), dest="path", positional=True)
+    assert arg.get_positional_text() == "path"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "nargs,expected",
+    [
+        (None, "VALUE"),
+        (1, "VALUE"),
+        ("?", "[VALUE]"),
+        ("*", "[VALUE ...]"),
+        ("+", "VALUE [VALUE ...]"),
+    ],
+)
+def test_choice_text_store_action_variants(nargs, expected):
+    arg = Argument(
+        flags=("--value",), dest="value", action=ArgumentAction.STORE, nargs=nargs
+    )
+    assert arg.get_choice_text() == expected
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "nargs,expected",
+    [
+        (None, "value"),
+        (1, "value"),
+        ("?", "[value]"),
+        ("*", "[value ...]"),
+        ("+", "value [value ...]"),
+    ],
+)
+def test_choice_text_store_action_variants_positional(nargs, expected):
+    arg = Argument(
+        flags=("value",),
+        dest="value",
+        action=ArgumentAction.STORE,
+        nargs=nargs,
+        positional=True,
+    )
+    assert arg.get_choice_text() == expected
+
+
+def test_choice_text_with_choices():
+    arg = Argument(flags=("--mode",), dest="mode", choices=["dev", "prod"])
+    assert arg.get_choice_text() == "{dev,prod}"
+
+
+def test_choice_text_append_and_extend():
+    for action in [ArgumentAction.APPEND, ArgumentAction.EXTEND]:
+        arg = Argument(flags=("--tag",), dest="tag", action=action)
+        assert arg.get_choice_text() == "TAG"
+
+
+def test_equality():
+    a1 = Argument(flags=("--f",), dest="f")
+    a2 = Argument(flags=("--f",), dest="f")
+    a3 = Argument(flags=("-x",), dest="x")
+
+    assert a1 == a2
+    assert a1 != a3
+    assert hash(a1) == hash(a2)
+
+
+def test_inequality_with_non_argument():
+    arg = Argument(flags=("--f",), dest="f")
+    assert arg != "not an argument"
+
+
+def test_argument_equality():
+    arg = Argument("--foo", dest="foo", type=str, default="default_value")
+    arg2 = Argument("--foo", dest="foo", type=str, default="default_value")
+    arg3 = Argument("--bar", dest="bar", type=int, default=42)
+    arg4 = Argument("--foo", dest="foo", type=str, default="foobar")
+    assert arg == arg2
+    assert arg != arg3
+    assert arg != arg4
+    assert arg != "not an argument"
+    assert arg is not None
+    assert arg != object()
+
+
+def test_argument_required():
+    arg = Argument("--foo", dest="foo", required=True)
+    assert arg.required is True
+
+    arg2 = Argument("--bar", dest="bar", required=False)
+    assert arg2.required is False