> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://praison.ai/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# 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.

```python theme={"theme":{"light":"vitesse-light","dark":"vitesse-dark"}}
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)
```

```mermaid theme={"theme":{"light":"vitesse-light","dark":"vitesse-dark"}}
graph LR
    Main[💬 Main Task] -->|/btw question| Side[🧠 Throwaway Agent<br/>no tools, no history]
    Side --> Panel[✨ btw panel<br/>side answer]
    Main -->|history unchanged| Main
    Panel -.->|--keep only| Note[📝 one-line note in history]

    classDef agent fill:#8B0000,stroke:#7C90A0,color:#fff
    classDef side fill:#189AB4,stroke:#7C90A0,color:#fff
    classDef output fill:#10B981,stroke:#7C90A0,color:#fff
    classDef opt fill:#6366F1,stroke:#7C90A0,color:#fff

    class Main agent
    class Side side
    class Panel output
    class Note opt
```

## Quick Start

**1. Launch a coding session**

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"vitesse-light","dark":"vitesse-dark"}}
praisonai code
```

Start working on your main task as usual:

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"vitesse-light","dark":"vitesse-dark"}}
> refactor the auth module to use the new token store
```

**2. Ask a side question with /btw**

Type `/btw` followed by your question:

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"vitesse-light","dark":"vitesse-dark"}}
> /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:

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"vitesse-light","dark":"vitesse-dark"}}
> /btw --keep what does REDIS_TLS_URL do here?
```

***

## 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.

```mermaid theme={"theme":{"light":"vitesse-light","dark":"vitesse-dark"}}
sequenceDiagram
    participant User
    participant REPL
    participant Side as Throwaway Agent
    participant Main as Main History

    User->>REPL: /btw what does REDIS_TLS_URL do here?
    REPL->>Side: build fresh Agent (question + cwd, no tools)
    Side-->>REPL: side answer
    REPL-->>User: render in btw panel
    Note over Main: main history unchanged
    User->>REPL: /btw --keep <question>
    REPL->>Main: append one-line note
```

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.

***

## 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 |

***

## /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`](https://praison.ai/docs/features/bot-commands#queue) when the answer should feed the main task.

***

## Common Patterns

Look up an environment variable mid-refactor without derailing:

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"vitesse-light","dark":"vitesse-dark"}}
> /btw what format does DATABASE_URL expect?
```

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

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"vitesse-light","dark":"vitesse-dark"}}
> /btw does httpx retry on connection errors by default?
```

Keep a breadcrumb in history when the answer matters later:

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"vitesse-light","dark":"vitesse-dark"}}
> /btw --keep which port does the gateway bind to?
```

***

## Best Practices

> [accordion] 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.

> [accordion] 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.

> [accordion] 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.

> [accordion] 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.

***

## Related

> [card] [/queue](https://praison.ai/docs/features/bot-commands.md#queue)
>
> Defer a prompt into the main history for the main task to act on.

> [card] [/recap](https://praison.ai/docs/features/bot-commands.md#recap)
>
> Render a read-only "where were we" summary of the session.

> [card] [Shell Escape](https://praison.ai/docs/features/interactive-shell-escape.md)
>
> Run a shell command inline with `!cmd` without spending a model turn.

> [card] [Slash Commands](https://praison.ai/docs/cli/slash-commands.md)
>
> The full interactive `/command` reference.


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