> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.macstadium.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Output formats and Getting Help

> Use --help on any Orka3 CLI command for built-in documentation. Covers output format options: default table, -o wide, -o json, and -o yaml.

## Using Built-in Help

### Global Help

Every command in the Orka CLI has built-in help documentation that you can access using the `--help` or `-h` flag.

```bash theme={null}
# Get help for the main command
orka3 --help

# Get help for a specific command
orka3 vm --help

# Get help for a sub-command
orka3 vm deploy --help

# Get help for configuration commands
orka3 config --help
```

### Command Structure

The help output for each command typically includes:

* **Synopsis:** A brief description of what the command does
* **Usage:** The command syntax with required and optional parameters
* **Options:** Available flags and their descriptions
* **Examples:** Common usage examples
* **Sub-commands:** Related commands (if applicable)

### Finding Commands

Start with the main help to browse available command groups:

```bash theme={null}
orka3 --help
```

Then drill down into specific command groups:

```bash theme={null}
# View all VM-related commands
orka3 vm --help

# View all image-related commands
orka3 image --help

# View all node-related commands
orka3 node --help
```

## Understanding Output Formats

Many Orka CLI commands support multiple output formats to suit different use cases.

### Available Output Formats

| Format    | Flag                       | Description                                        | Best For                                         |
| --------- | -------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ |
| **Table** | `--output table` (default) | Human-readable table with essential information    | Terminal viewing, quick status checks            |
| **Wide**  | `--output wide`            | Extended table with additional columns and details | Detailed troubleshooting, viewing all properties |
| **JSON**  | `--output json`            | Machine-readable JSON format                       | Scripting, automation, parsing with jq           |

### Using Output Formats

```bash theme={null}
# Default table output
orka3 vm list

# Extended table with more details
orka3 vm list --output wide

# JSON output for scripting
orka3 vm list --output json

# Short form
orka3 vm list -o json
```

### Commands Supporting Output Formats

The following command groups support the `--output` flag:

* `orka3 vm list`
* `orka3 vm-config list`
* `orka3 node list`
* `orka3 namespace list`
* `orka3 image list`
* `orka3 imagecache list`
* `orka3 imagecache info`
* `orka3 iso list`
* `orka3 serviceaccount list`
* `orka3 rolebinding list-subjects`
* `orka3 registrycredential list`

### Working with JSON Output

JSON output is particularly useful for automation and scripting. You can use tools like `jq` to parse and filter the results:

```bash theme={null}
# Get all VM names
orka3 vm list -o json | jq -r '.items[].name'

# Get VMs with more than 4 CPUs
orka3 vm list -o json | jq '.items[] | select(.cpu > 4)'

# Count total VMs
orka3 vm list -o json | jq '.items | length'

# Get node IPs
orka3 node list -o json | jq -r '.items[].ip'
```

## Common Help Patterns

### Discovering Available Commands

```bash theme={null}
# List all main command groups
orka3 --help

# List all VM commands
orka3 vm --help

# List all image commands
orka3 image --help
```

### Understanding Flags

```bash theme={null}
# See all flags for a command
orka3 vm deploy --help

# See namespace-related options
orka3 vm list --help | grep namespace

# See output format options
orka3 node list --help | grep output
```

### Finding Examples

Most command help includes an "Examples" section with common use cases:

```bash theme={null}
# View examples for VM deployment
orka3 vm deploy --help

# View examples for image management
orka3 image copy --help

# View examples for namespace management
orka3 namespace create --help
```

## Quick Tips

### Command Aliases

Many commands have short aliases for faster typing:

| Full Command               | Alias           |
| -------------------------- | --------------- |
| `orka3 vm-config`          | `orka3 vmc`     |
| `orka3 serviceaccount`     | `orka3 sa`      |
| `orka3 rolebinding`        | `orka3 rb`      |
| `orka3 registrycredential` | `orka3 regcred` |
| `orka3 imagecache`         | `orka3 ic`      |

### Flag Shortcuts

| Full Flag     | Short Flag |
| ------------- | ---------- |
| `--help`      | `-h`       |
| `--output`    | `-o`       |
| `--namespace` | `-n`       |
| `--image`     | `-i`       |
| `--cpu`       | `-c`       |
| `--memory`    | `-m`       |

### Checking Async Operations

Some operations are asynchronous. Here's how to check their status:

* **Image operations:** `orka3 image list IMAGE_NAME`
* **ISO operations:** `orka3 iso list ISO_NAME`
* **Image caching:** `orka3 imagecache info IMAGE_NAME`
* **Image push:** `orka3 vm get-push-status JOB_NAME`