Syntax cheatsheet

Use this page to look up Nola syntax and follow links to the full explanations. .tsi files support TypeScript, with the additions below and a few restrictions, including the reserved word ask.

Declarations

Construct	Example	Page
infer function	`infer function f(.text: string) { … }`	infer functions
exported	`export infer function f(.text: string) { … }`	infer functions
with a context statement	export infer function f(.ticket: string) { `triage like a support lead` … }	context statements
a context statement with values	`Page` oncall `when the ticket is an outage.`	context statements
annotated return type	`export infer function f(.m: string): Intent<User> { … }` — never `Promise<T>`	infer functions

Parameters

Construct	Example	Page
contextual parameter (value shown to the model)	`.message: string`	Contextual parameters
plain parameter (name and type only)	`userId: string`	Contextual parameters

Extractors

Construct	Example	Page
typed	ask `the ticket id`: string	Extractors
typed, angle-bracket spelling (the same construct)	ask `the ticket id`<string>	Extractors
untyped (free text, static `any`)	ask `think step by step`	Extractors
interpolation	ask `the person described in: ${text}`: Person	Extractors
constructed, not yet resolved	export const nameIntent = ..`the user's full name`: string;	Extractors
the `..` spelling (required off the ask site and outside a call’s slots)	const i = ..`x`: T; fn(cond ? ..`x`: T : y)	Extractors
a decision question: choice	ask `Which team?`: Choice<{ billing: "Payments"; sales: null }>	Decision types
a decision question: scale	ask `How frustrated?`: Scale<["Calm", "Civil", "Angry"]>	Decision types
a decision question: probability	ask `Is it urgent?`: Prob	Decision types

ask

Construct	Example	Page
resolve an askable	`const x = ask intent;`	The ask operator
another infer function	`const r = ask otherFn(arg);`	The ask operator
pin a provider	ask with fast `a rough summary`: string	The ask operator
chain a method (precedence like `await`)	ask (..`x`: string).withRetry(2)	Intent methods
from plain TS	`const v = await f("…");` — never bare-`await` a raw extractor	The ask operator

Call intents

Construct	Example	Page
sigil-less (the slot’s `..` is implied)	ask createTicket(`a short title`: string, 2)	Call intents
empty marker	ask createTicket``("title", 3)	Call intents
hint marker	ask createTicket`file the ticket`(`a short title`: string, `priority 1-5`: number)	Call intents

Values in an instruction

Construct	Example	Page
a value as data (an `<input>` block)	infer function f(.t: string) { `Rules: …` … }	Contextual parameters
a value as part of your words (text you control)	infer function f(.t: string, team: string) { `Triage for the ${team} team. Rules: …` … }	The prompt

A value written after text in a context statement is the same as a ${} hole.

Intent methods

Method	On	Page
`.withRetry(n)` · `.withModel(nameOrProvider)` · `.withParams({…})` · `.withTimeout(ms)`	every intent	Intent methods
`.detached()`	the intent an infer function returns	Intent methods

Imports

Construct	Example	Page
`.ts` importing `.tsi`	`import { f } from "./x.tsi";` — literal extension	TypeScript interop
`.tsi` importing plain TS	`import { g } from "./y.js";` — NodeNext specifier, file is `y.ts`	TypeScript interop
types from another file	`import type { Person } from "./models.js";`	TypeScript interop

All of it in one file

import { createTicket } from "./tickets.js";

export type Severity = "low" | "medium" | "high";
export interface Person {
  name: string;
  /** age in years */
  age: number;
}

export const nameIntent = ..`the user's full name`: string;

export infer function triage(.ticket: string, fallback: Severity) {
  `Triage the ticket. Rules: never invent ticket ids.`
  const person = ask `the person described in the ticket`: Person;
  const severity = ask with careful `the severity of the ticket`: Severity;
  const id = ask createTicket(`a short ticket title for ${person.name}`: string, 2);
  const name = ask nameIntent;
  return { person, severity: severity || fallback, id, name };
}

export async function createTicket(title: string, priority: number): Promise<string> {
  return `${title}:${priority}`;
}

Not valid

These forms are not supported: async infer function, export default infer function, infer function f`…`(…) (the marker slot is reserved), infer on methods or arrows, fn(..), var .x = …, ..name on a parameter, and ask as an identifier. See Restrictions for details.

Avoid identifiers starting with __nola. The compiler uses that prefix in generated code; shadowing one can break the output without producing a diagnostic.

Next: Intent API