jPipe is a language and toolchain for justification diagrams: structured arguments that
connect a top-level claim (“version 2.0 is ready to ship”) down to the sub-claims, strategies,
and evidence that support it. You write a model in a small textual language (a .jd file), and
jPipe renders it as a diagram you can read and review, then later execute against real data to
check that the argument still holds.
This section takes you from a blank editor to your first justification. Before you install anything, here is the map of the tools you will meet.
The three tools
| Tool | What it does | When you need it |
|---|---|---|
| jPipe IDE | A Visual Studio Code extension to author .jd files, with syntax highlighting, a live diagram preview, and one-click export. |
Everyone starts here. |
| jPipe Compiler | The jpipe command-line tool that parses, validates, and exports models. In managed mode the IDE downloads and runs it for you. |
Scripting, automation, or if you prefer the terminal. |
| jPipe Runner | The jpipe-runner tool that turns a justification into an executable check against real data. |
When you want the argument verified automatically, typically in CI/CD. |
Where to start: the IDE
Thanks to the extension’s managed mode, the IDE can download and run the compiler for you, so
for most people installing the IDE is the only step you need. You write a .jd file, the
extension previews and validates it, and there is no separate command-line setup.
- Install the IDE: the one tool most readers need.
- jPipe 101: write, preview, and export your first justification.
Going further: the command-line tools
You do not need these to get started, and you can always add them later. Reach for them when you outgrow the editor:
- The compiler CLI (Homebrew, APT, a JAR, or from source) adds scripting and automation, and opens up The Language: sub-conclusions, templates, splitting models, and the composition operators (assemble, refine).
- The runner (Homebrew, APT, or pip) makes justifications executable, all the way to CI/CD integration under Execution.
From there, follow The Language to model richer arguments, and Execution to check them automatically.