Understand a generated project

Understand the files, result, and trace created by ptc init without writing an agent loop.

Create a project that needs no API key if you do not already have one:

ptc init requires a target directory that does not already exist. It assembles the complete scaffold and publishes it atomically without replacing anything. To add PtcRunner to an existing repository, initialize a new sibling or subdirectory, then deliberately copy or move the generated files the repository wants.

ptc init hello-ptc

It contains four files with different jobs:

File	Purpose
`ptc-project.json`	Stable local paths, artifacts, and Viewer preferences
`ptc.json`	Workflow, input, missions, selected providers, and narrower limits
`main.clj`	The generated example component selected by the workflow
`AGENTS.md`	Routing card telling a coding agent which commands answer what

The project document is the normal command argument. It points to the other files, so commands do not depend on the shell's current directory.

Run a data workflow

The checked-in orders example is deterministic and needs no credential:

ptc init tutorial-example --example kernel-tutorial
ptc run tutorial-example/01-orders.ptc-project.json

{"order_count":3,"paid_count":2,"paid_total":335.75,"pending_ids":["A-101"]}

The application reads structured input and returns one bounded JSON value. No model or external tool is involved.

Inspect the run

Open the local Viewer:

ptc viewer tutorial-example/01-orders.ptc-project.json

The trace records the command, evaluations, limits, outcome, and resource usage. It never contains prompts, model responses, generated source, or tool payloads. Those are private evidence, recorded only when artifacts.inspection is true and served only when viewer.private is also true.

The tutorial project documents set both, so the Viewer joins that evidence into the transcript: every effective prelude lists a source link beside each component, and the model-driven steps show each evaluation's generated PTC-Lisp under Program source along with the model conversation. Set either setting back to false and the same run shows the trace alone.

You can also explore the workflow directly:

ptc repl --project tutorial-example/01-orders.ptc-project.json

Continue with Configure an application to add input, missions, or selected providers. Use the project-configuration reference for the complete local file and artifact contract.