When you start using clk extensively, you might end up with many aliases, parameters, commands, and extensions spread across different profiles. The clk describe command helps you discover what features are available in any profile, making clk a self-documented tool.

This is particularly useful when:

you come back to a project after some time and forgot what commands you created,
you want to explore what an extension provides before enabling it,
you want to understand what configuration exists at different levels (global vs local).

Describing the global profile

The global profile contains your personal configuration that applies everywhere. Let’s set up some global configuration first.

clk alias set hello echo Hello
clk parameter set echo --no-newline

New global alias for hello: echo Hello
New global parameters for echo: --no-newline

Now let’s describe the global profile to see what it contains.

clk describe global

The extension global is located at ./clk-root . Let's try to see what it has to offer.
##########
I found some alias, try running `clk alias --global show` to know more.
I found some parameter, try running `clk parameter --global show` to know more.
I found some value, try running `clk value --global show` to know more.

The clk describe command tells you exactly what commands to run to explore further. Let’s follow its suggestions.

clk alias --global show

hello echo Hello

clk parameter --global show | grep echo

echo --no-newline

Describing a local project

When working in a project (a directory with a .clk folder), the local profile holds project-specific configuration. Let’s create a project and add some local configuration.

mkdir myproject && cd myproject && mkdir .clk

clk alias set build echo Building the project
clk alias set test echo Running tests
clk parameter set build --verbose

New local alias for build: echo Building the project
New local alias for test: echo Running tests
New local parameters for build: --verbose

Now let’s describe the local profile.

clk describe local

The extension local is located at ./.clk . Let's try to see what it has to offer.
##########
I found some alias, try running `clk alias --local show` to know more.
I found some parameter, try running `clk parameter --local show` to know more.

This helps you quickly understand what’s configured specifically for this project.

clk alias --local show

build echo Building the project
test echo Running tests

Describing an extension

Extensions are reusable configurations that can be enabled or disabled. They’re great for grouping related functionality. Let’s create an extension with some commands and configuration.

clk extension create mytools
clk alias set --extension mytools greet echo Greetings

New local/mytools alias for greet: echo Greetings

clk command create --extension mytools bash --description "Show current date and time" --body 'date' now

Now let’s describe this extension to see what it provides.

clk describe local/mytools

The extension local/mytools is located at ./.clk/extensions/mytools . Let's try to see what it has to offer.
##########
I found some alias, try running `clk --extension mytools alias --local --extension mytools show` to know more.
I found some executable commands, try running `clk --extension mytools command --local --extension mytools list` to know more.

Let’s follow these suggestions.

clk --extension mytools alias --local --extension mytools show

greet echo Greetings

clk --extension mytools command --local --extension mytools list

./.clk/extensions/mytools/bin/now

This is especially useful when you receive an extension from someone else or when you want to remember what you put in an extension you created a while ago.

Comparing profiles

A powerful pattern is to use clk describe on different profiles to understand where configuration comes from. When a command behaves unexpectedly, you can check each level.

clk describe global
clk describe local

This helps you understand the layered configuration: global settings provide defaults, while local settings can override them for specific projects.

Discovering custom commands

When you or your team create custom bash or python commands, clk describe will detect them too.

clk command create bash --description "Deploy the application" --body 'echo Deploying...' deploy

clk describe local

The extension local is located at ./.clk . Let's try to see what it has to offer.
##########
I found some alias, try running `clk alias --local show` to know more.
I found some parameter, try running `clk parameter --local show` to know more.
I found some executable commands, try running `clk command --local list` to know more.

clk command --local list

./.clk/bin/deploy

Summary

The clk describe command is your entry point for exploring any profile’s configuration. It provides actionable suggestions for diving deeper into:

aliases: shortcuts for frequently used commands
parameters: default options for commands
executable commands: custom bash or python commands
flowdeps and triggers: workflow automation settings
values: semantic configuration settings
environment variables: environment customization
plugins: advanced behavior modifications

This self-documentation capability means you can always find your way around clk’s configuration, whether you’re exploring your own setup after some time away, or understanding a configuration shared by a colleague.