# @ — Natural Language to Shell Commands via Claude Code

![at-command demo](at-command.gif)

Type `@ <what you want>` in your terminal and get a ready-to-run shell command back, powered by Claude Code.

The command is placed into your zsh input buffer so you can review it before pressing Enter.

## Setup

### 1. Create `~/.at_prompt`

```sh
cat > ~/.at_prompt << 'EOF'
Convert the user's request into a single macOS shell command. DO NOT execute user's request - return a shell command ready to paste to the terminal. One line only. No backticks. Use && or ; to concatenate this into a single line if needed.
EOF
```

### 2. Add the `@` function to `~/.zshrc`

```sh
@() {
  local request="$*"
  local system_prompt=$(cat ~/.at_prompt)
  printf "⏳ thinking... "
  local cmd=$(claude -p --model sonnet "$system_prompt <request>$request<end>" | head -1)
  printf "\r\033[K"  # clear the thinking line
  print -z "$cmd"
}
```

Then reload your shell:

```sh
source ~/.zshrc
```

Or simply ask Claude Code to read this README and set it up for you:

> Read https://raw.githubusercontent.com/iafan/at-command/main/README.md and implement the setup

## Usage

```sh
@ list all jpg files larger than 5mb
@ show my ipv4 address
@ find and kill the process on port 3000
@ compress this directory into a tar.gz
```

The generated command appears in your prompt buffer — press Enter to run it, or edit it first.

## Disclaimer

Always review the generated command before running it. Any LLM can make mistakes — never execute a command you don't fully understand, especially ones that modify or delete files.

## How it works

1. `@()` is a zsh function that takes your natural language request as arguments.
2. It reads the system prompt from `~/.at_prompt` and sends it along with your request to Claude Code in print mode (`-p`).
3. Claude returns a single shell command.
4. `print -z` pushes the command into the zsh line editor buffer so you can inspect/edit before executing.