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nanocode/README.md
2026-01-25 10:17:21 +00:00

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# nanocode
Minimal Claude Code alternative using DSPy RLM! Single Python file, ~305 lines.
Shoutout to Rahul for inspiring the boilerplate. Here's his initial [nanocode implementation](https://x.com/rahulgs/status/2010179011033608227).
![screenshot](https://d1pz4mbco29rws.cloudfront.net/public/nanocode.png)
## Features
- Full agentic loop with tool use via [DSPy RLM](https://dspy.ai/)
- Tools: `read`, `write`, `edit`, `glob`, `grep`, `bash`
- Conversation history with context
- Colored terminal output
- **Modaic Integration**: Push, version, and share as a [Modaic](https://modaic.dev) autoprogram
---
## Prerequisites
Before using nanocode (or any DSPy RLM-based program), you need to install the Deno code interpreter:
```bash
brew install deno
```
This is required for the RLM's code execution capabilities.
---
## Quick Start
### Option 1: Use as a Modaic AutoProgram
Load and run nanocode directly from the Modaic Hub without cloning:
```python
from modaic import AutoProgram
# Load the precompiled nanocode agent from Modaic Hub
agent = AutoProgram.from_precompiled(
"farouk1/nanocode",
config={
"lm": "openrouter/openai/gpt-5.2-codex",
"max_iters": 50
}
)
# Run a coding task
result = agent(task="What Python files are in this directory?")
print(result.answer)
```
### Option 2: Run Locally (Interactive CLI)
```bash
export OPENROUTER_API_KEY="your-key"
python nanocode.py
```
To use a specific model:
```bash
export OPENROUTER_API_KEY="your-key"
export MODEL="openai/gpt-4"
python nanocode.py
```
---
## Configuration
When using as a Modaic AutoProgram, you can configure these options:
| Parameter | Type | Default | Description |
|-----------|------|---------|-------------|
| `lm` | str | `openrouter/openai/gpt-5.2-codex` | Primary language model |
| `sub_lm` | str | `openrouter/openai/gpt-5-mini` | Sub-LM for reasoning steps |
| `max_iters` | int | `50` | Maximum agent iterations |
| `api_base` | str | `https://openrouter.ai/api/v1` | API base URL |
| `max_tokens` | int | `50000` | Maximum tokens per request |
| `max_output_chars` | int | `100000` | Maximum output character limit |
| `verbose` | bool | `False` | Enable verbose logging |
| `track_usage` | bool | `True` | Track token usage |
Example with custom configuration:
```python
from modaic import AutoProgram
agent = AutoProgram.from_precompiled(
"farouk1/nanocode",
config={
"lm": "openrouter/anthropic/claude-sonnet-4",
"sub_lm": "openrouter/openai/gpt-4.1-mini",
"max_iters": 30,
"max_tokens": 8000,
"verbose": True,
"track_usage": False
}
)
```
---
## CLI Commands
| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `/c` | Clear conversation history |
| `/q` or `exit` | Quit the application |
---
## Tools
The agent has access to the following tools:
| Tool | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `read_file(path, offset, limit)` | Read file contents with line numbers |
| `write_file(path, content)` | Write content to a file |
| `edit_file(path, old, new, replace_all)` | Replace text in a file (old must be unique unless `replace_all=True`) |
| `glob_files(pattern, path)` | Find files matching a glob pattern, sorted by modification time |
| `grep_files(pattern, path)` | Search files for a regex pattern |
| `run_bash(cmd)` | Run a shell command and return output |
---
## Example Usage
### Interactive CLI
```
────────────────────────────────────────
❯ what files are here?
────────────────────────────────────────
⏺ Thinking...
⏺ globfiles(pattern='**/*', path='.')
⏺ I found the following files:
- nanocode.py
- README.md
- modaic/SKILL.md
```
### Programmatic Usage
```python
from modaic import AutoProgram
agent = AutoProgram.from_precompiled("farouk1/nanocode")
# Read a file
result = agent(task="Read the first 10 lines of nanocode.py")
print(result.answer)
# Search for patterns
result = agent(task="Find all functions that contain 'file' in their name")
print(result.answer)
# Make edits
result = agent(task="Add a comment at the top of README.md")
print(result.answer)
```
---
## Architecture
### Overview
```
nanocode.py
├── File Operations
│ ├── read_file() - Read with line numbers
│ ├── write_file() - Write content
│ └── edit_file() - Find & replace
├── Search Operations
│ ├── glob_files() - Pattern matching
│ └── grep_files() - Regex search
├── Shell Operations
│ └── run_bash() - Execute commands
├── DSPy Components
│ ├── CodingAssistant (Signature)
│ ├── RLMCodingProgram (PrecompiledProgram)
│ │ ├── forward() - Run agent on task
│ │ ├── get_tools() - Get available tools
│ │ ├── set_tool() - Add/replace a tool
│ │ ├── remove_tool() - Remove a tool
│ │ ├── reload_lms() - Recreate LMs from config
│ │ └── load_state() - Load state with LM fix
│ └── RLMReasoningCallback
└── Modaic Integration
└── RLMCodingConfig (PrecompiledConfig)
```
### Key Classes
#### `RLMCodingConfig`
Configuration class extending `PrecompiledConfig` for experiment-specific parameters.
```python
class RLMCodingConfig(PrecompiledConfig):
max_iters: int = 50
lm: str = "openrouter/openai/gpt-5.2-codex"
sub_lm: str = "openrouter/openai/gpt-5-mini"
api_base: str = "https://openrouter.ai/api/v1"
max_tokens: int = 50000
max_output_chars: int = 100000
verbose: bool = False
track_usage: bool = True
```
#### `RLMCodingProgram`
Main program class extending `PrecompiledProgram`. Wraps a DSPy RLM agent with coding tools.
```python
class RLMCodingProgram(PrecompiledProgram):
config: RLMCodingConfig
def forward(self, task: str) -> dspy.Prediction:
# Returns prediction with .answer
return self.agent(task=task)
def get_tools(self) -> dict:
# Returns dict of available tools
def set_tool(self, name: str, tool: callable):
# Add or replace a tool
def remove_tool(self, name: str):
# Remove a tool by name
def reload_lms(self):
# Recreate LM objects from current config
```
#### `CodingAssistant`
DSPy Signature defining the agent's input/output schema.
```python
class CodingAssistant(dspy.Signature):
"""You are a concise coding assistant with access to sub agents."""
task: str = dspy.InputField(desc="The user's coding task or question")
answer: str = dspy.OutputField(desc="Your response to the user after completing the task")
```
---
## Publishing Your Own Version
If you modify nanocode and want to publish your own version to Modaic Hub:
```python
from nanocode import RLMCodingProgram, RLMCodingConfig
# Create and optionally optimize your program
program = RLMCodingProgram(RLMCodingConfig())
# Push to your Modaic Hub repo
program.push_to_hub(
"your-username/my-nanocode",
commit_message="My customized nanocode",
with_code=True # Include source code for AutoProgram loading
)
```
---
## Dependencies
- [DSPy](https://dspy.ai/) - Framework for programming language models
- [Modaic](https://modaic.dev/) - Hub for sharing and versioning DSPy programs
- OpenRouter API key (for accessing language models)
Install dependencies:
```bash
pip install dspy modaic
# or with uv
uv add dspy modaic
```
---
## Environment Variables
| Variable | Required | Description |
|----------|----------|-------------|
| `OPENROUTER_API_KEY` | Yes | Your OpenRouter API key |
| `MODEL` | No | Override the default model selection |
| `MODAIC_TOKEN` | For Hub | Required for pushing/loading from Modaic Hub |
---
## License
MIT