Ask a Side Question with /btw

Ask a quick side question in the praisonai code REPL without derailing the main task or polluting history.

In the praisonai code interactive REPL, /btw <question> answers a side question from a parallel, throwaway context — the main task’s history, place, and momentum stay untouched.

from praisonaiagents import Agent

agent = Agent(
    name="Coder",
    instructions="You are a coding assistant.",
)

# Launch an interactive session, then ask a side question mid-task:
#   $ praisonai code
#   > refactor the auth module to use the new token store
#   > /btw what does REDIS_TLS_URL do here?     # answered in a side panel
#   > (continue refactoring — history is unchanged)

​

Quick Start

1. Launch a coding session

   praisonai code
   

   Start working on your main task as usual:

   > refactor the auth module to use the new token store
   
2. Ask a side question with /btw

   Type /btw followed by your question:

   > /btw what does REDIS_TLS_URL do here?
   

   The answer renders in a distinct btw panel:

   ╭─ btw ────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
   │ REDIS_TLS_URL points the client at a TLS-secured      │
   │ Redis endpoint (rediss://). When set, the connection  │
   │ negotiates TLS instead of plain TCP.                  │
   ╰───────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
   

   Nothing is appended to the main conversation — your refactor context is untouched.

3. Keep a one-line note (optional)

   Add --keep to record a single one-line note in the main history:

   > /btw --keep what does REDIS_TLS_URL do here?
   

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​

How It Works

/btw builds a fresh, read-only Agent with minimal context — just your question plus the current working directory — and no tools, then runs it in isolation and renders the answer in a btw panel.

The main agent is never invoked for a side question. An empty question (/btw with no text) prints a usage hint instead of running anything.

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​

Options

The only flag is --keep.

Form	Records in main history	Side answer panel
/btw <question>	No — throwaway context	Yes
/btw --keep <question>	Yes — one-line note	Yes
/btw (empty)	No	No — prints a usage hint

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/btw vs /queue

Both defer work, but they touch the main task differently — /btw is a throwaway parallel context, /queue costs the main context.

	/btw	/queue
Context used	A fresh, throwaway side agent	The main conversation
Touches main history	No (unless --keep)	Yes — the prompt lands in the main history
Tools	None — read-only side agent	Full main-task tools on dequeue
Use it when	You need a quick lookup without losing your spot	The answer should influence the main task

Reach for /btw when the answer is just for you; reach for /queue when the answer should feed the main task.

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Common Patterns

Look up an environment variable mid-refactor without derailing:

> /btw what format does DATABASE_URL expect?

Confirm a library’s behaviour while staying in the main task:

> /btw does httpx retry on connection errors by default?

Keep a breadcrumb in history when the answer matters later:

> /btw --keep which port does the gateway bind to?

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​

Best Practices

Use /btw for context lookups, not follow-up work

/btw answers from a throwaway context with no tools — perfect for “what does this mean?” lookups. For work that changes files or should build on the main task, ask in the main conversation instead.

Prefer /queue when the answer should influence the main task

If the side answer needs to feed back into the task, /queue keeps it in the main history where the main agent can act on it. /btw intentionally discards its context.

Add --keep only when you want a breadcrumb

Default /btw leaves zero trace. Reach for --keep when you want a one-line reminder in the transcript that you looked something up — without pulling the full answer into context.

Keep questions self-contained

The side agent sees only your question and the current working directory — not the main conversation. Phrase the question so it stands on its own.

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Related

/queue

Defer a prompt into the main history for the main task to act on.

/recap

Render a read-only “where were we” summary of the session.

Shell Escape

Run a shell command inline with !cmd without spending a model turn.

Slash Commands

The full interactive /command reference.