Citation CLI

Cite, don’t import. A code distribution pattern for codebases where consumers are expected to diverge — each consumer copies the reference into its own tree and owns the result.

packages/reference/       -->  cite  -->  clients/backend-a/
                          -->  cite  -->  clients/backend-b/
                          -->  cite  -->  clients/backend-c/

No shared imports. No version pinning. No breakage when one project evolves.

Quote, Paraphrase, Synthesize

The citation metaphor is literal. Every file lands at one of three levels of engagement with the source:

• Quote — copied verbatim. You are saying: this code, exactly as it is, is what I need. Integrity is checked via sha256 so drift is detected.
• Paraphrase — rewritten in your terms. The logic stays, but the code has been adapted to fit your codebase. A paraphrase means you understood the source well enough to restate it.
• Synthesize — absorbed into an existing consumer file. No standalone copy remains. A synthesis means you internalized the source completely — the boundary is gone.

Install

Python ([tool.citation] in pyproject.toml):

uv tool install citation-cli
cite add my-pkg --source ../ref --version 1.0.0 --target ./src/my-pkg
cite check

Node.js ("citation" key in package.json):

npm install -g citation-cli
cite add my-pkg --source ../ref --version 1.0.0 --target ./src/my-pkg
cite check

Migrating from assimilai

citation-cli is the successor to the earlier assimilai project. The schema and vocabulary map one-to-one (verbatim/adapted/dissolved → quote/paraphrase/synthesize). To migrate an existing manifest:

cite migrate             # rewrite pyproject.toml or package.json in place
cite migrate --dry-run   # preview the translation

See Migration for a full before/after walkthrough.

Learn more

• The Concept — why cite beats import, and how the three levels of engagement work
• Python CLI — install, commands, flags, and pyproject.toml schema
• npm CLI — install, commands, flags, and package.json schema
• When Not to Use — compliance, provenance, and cases where traditional packages are the right choice
• Migration — from assimilai v1 to citation-cli v2
• Specification — formal schema definition, field reference, propagation rules

Origin

citation-cli was developed as part of Culture, where multiple AI agent backends (Claude, Codex, and others) need to share infrastructure code while maintaining full independence in their agent-specific integration layers. Claude’s backend synthesized config.py into its own settings.py, while Codex kept it as a quote — same reference, different engagement strategies.