User guide

The supported interactive interface is the PyQt desktop application launched by openhcs. The former Textual terminal interface has been removed.

Start here

• Install and start OpenHCS — installation and first launch

• OpenHCS core model — the current OpenHCS data and execution model

• Pipelines and steps — pipeline declarations and step composition

• Data dimensions and execution axes — dimensions, stacking, and grouping

Task guides

• Creating custom functions
• Managing custom functions
• Code and UI editing
  • Clean and resolved views
  • Safe apply and recovery
• Automatic dtype conversion
• CPU-only mode
• Analysis consolidation
• Experimental layouts
  • Run an experimental analysis
• Real-time visualization
• Log viewer
• Using OpenHCS with MCP clients
  • Local installation
  • What the agent learns on connection
  • Filesystem access
  • Codex
  • Claude Desktop
  • Other local clients
  • GUI attachment

Declaration model

The public pipeline declaration is list[FunctionStep] plus PipelineConfig. Step processing, source, materialization, and streaming options live in nested configuration declarations. Compilation produces typed plans and a runtime bundle before work begins.

Where to get technical detail

• Public API orientation documents the current declaration and low-level execution calls.

• Architecture and ownership documents compiler and runtime ownership.

• Developer guide covers extension and contribution workflows.