# Axom Exec Skill
**Atomic chains. Tool abstraction. Zero wasted steps.**
Read → transform → write in one call. 3–7 steps ideal.
## ⚠️ Core Mandate
**Prefer chains over sequential calls.** One `axom_mcp_exec`
with a `chain` replaces three separate invocations.
Use variable substitution (`${_result}`) to pipe data.
Think pipelines, not scripts.
## Operations
| Operation | Target | Use |
| :-------- | :----------------- | :------------------------ |
| `read` | File path | Load content for chaining |
| `write` | File path + `data` | Store results |
| `shell` | Command string | Non-interactive CLI |
## Chain Reactions: The Power Move
Each step receives the previous step's output as `_result`.
### Pattern: Read → Transform → Write
```json
{
"operation": "read",
"target": "config.json",
"chain": [
{
"tool": "axom_mcp_transform",
"args": { "input": "${_result}", "output_format": "yaml" }
},
{
"tool": "axom_mcp_exec",
"args": {
"operation": "write",
"target": "config.yaml",
"data": "${_result}"
}
}
]
}
```
### Pattern: Read → Analyze → Store in Memory
```json
{
"operation": "read",
"target": "src/main.py",
"chain": [
{
"tool": "axom_mcp_analyze",
"args": { "type": "review", "target": "${_result}", "depth": "high" }
},
{
"tool": "axom_mcp_memory",
"args": {
"action": "write",
"name": "review_main_20260222",
"content": "${_result}",
"importance": "low"
}
}
]
}
```
## Variable Substitution
| Syntax | Meaning |
| :---------------- | :----------------------------- |
| `${_result}` | Full result from previous step |
| `${_result.prop}` | Nested property (JSON) |
| `${_result[0]}` | Array element |
Chain steps receive raw output. For JSON tools,
`_result` may be a string; parse if needed.
## Safety & Best Practices
1. **Verify targets.** Use absolute paths when possible.
2. **Consider irreversibility.** `write` overwrites. `shell` can destroy.
3. **Keep chains short.** 3–7 steps ideal. Longer = harder debugging.
4. **Shell: non-interactive only.** No `vim`, no `less`.
## Chaining to Other Axom Tools
| From | To | Flow |
| :-------- | :------------ | :------------------------ |
| exec read | transform | Format conversion |
| exec read | analyze | Code review, debug |
| exec read | memory write | Store content or analysis |
| transform | exec write | Store transformed data |
| discover | exec / memory | Act on discovery results |
---
_Axom Exec: Chain. Pipe. Execute._
