> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://commandbox.ortusbooks.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://commandbox.ortusbooks.com/5.5.0/helpful-commands/ask-and-confirm.md).

# ask and confirm

Here are some fun commands for user interactivity in the shell.  You can use these as part of a recipe or a nice "one-liner".

### ask

The `ask` command is similar to the `ask()` method in Task Runners.  It requires an interactive terminal and will ask the user a question and return their answer.  It is meant to be changed with other commands.

```bash
set color=`ask "favorite Color? "`
echo "you said ${color}"
```

or with default values

```bash
ask question="Who is cool? " defaultResponse="Balbino!"
```

or with masked input

```bash
ask question="What is your password? " mask=*
```

Or fun stuff like this

```bash
ask "Secret phrase: " | assertEqual "mockingbird" || echo "access denied!" && exit 1
```

### confirm

The `confirm` command will ask the user a yes/no question and return a passing or failing exit code from the command based on the answer.

```bash
confirm "do you want to update your packages? " && update
```

Remember the `&&` operator will only execute the second command if the first command returns an exit code of `0`.


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the following URL with the `ask` and `goal` query parameters:

```
GET https://commandbox.ortusbooks.com/5.5.0/helpful-commands/ask-and-confirm.md?ask=<question>&goal=<user_goal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is what the user is ultimately trying to achieve, the reason they need the answer. Sharing it helps GitBook give you a better, more relevant answer. A goal is most helpful when it describes the outcome the user wants rather than restating the question. For example, with `ask=how do I create an API token`, a goal like `automate deployments from our CI pipeline` lets GitBook tailor the answer to that use case.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.