Modes
PurrCode separates two kinds of modes: task modes and permission modes. Both are shown in the header and travel with the session, so a read-only mode is a constraint the daemon enforces rather than a hint.
Task modes
Ctrl+K / /mode switches between:
| Mode | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ask | Conversation and read-only inspection. Nothing is written. |
| Plan | Produces a plan and pauses. The plan stays open to a reply — say what to change and it is rewritten as a numbered revision and paused again, for as many rounds as you need. Nothing is written to disk in any of them. |
| Build | Carries out the settled plan: implements, tests, and validates. |
| Review | Reviews the current work and diff. |
To start executing a plan you settled on, use Build this plan or /resume in the same session.
Permission modes
/permission switches between:
| Mode | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ask | Every proposed action requires explicit human approval. |
| Auto | Actions authorized by durable policy proceed without interrupting for each one. |
| Full Access | Uses the full authority the process already holds. Grants nothing the process does not already have, and the UI says so. |
Full Access does not grant any permission the process does not already hold. Read-only modes refuse mutation; the daemon enforces the boundary.
Adaptive workflow
New sessions use a daemon-resolved auto task mode. Based on task evidence, the daemon selects a workflow profile:
| Profile | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Direct | Single specialist lane for straightforward work. |
| Standard | Balanced plan/build/test flow. |
| Ultra | Bounded parallel specialist lanes for complex work. |
The TUI header also shows the current workflow and search policy; /usage exposes the recorded token/cost ledger.