wehub-resource-sync
252 lines
9.3 KiB
Plaintext
252 lines
9.3 KiB
Plaintext
---
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title: CLI
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description: The ctx7 CLI — fetch library documentation and configure Context7 MCP from your terminal
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---
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The `ctx7` CLI is the command-line interface for Context7. It does two things:
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- **Fetch library documentation** — resolve any library by name and query its up-to-date docs directly in your terminal, without opening a browser
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- **Configure your AI coding agent** — set up the Context7 MCP server (or a CLI-based `docs` skill) for Claude Code, Cursor, OpenCode, and more with a single command
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The CLI is useful both as a standalone tool (fetching docs while you code) and as a setup utility (wiring up Context7 for your AI coding agent).
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## Installation
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Requires Node.js 18 or later.
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<Tabs>
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<Tab title="npx (no install)">
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Run ctx7 directly without installing anything. Useful for one-off commands or trying it out.
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```bash
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npx ctx7 --help
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npx ctx7 library react
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```
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</Tab>
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<Tab title="Global install">
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Install globally for faster access — no `npx` prefix needed on every command.
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```bash
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npm install -g ctx7
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# Verify installation
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ctx7 --version
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```
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</Tab>
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</Tabs>
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---
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## Query Library Documentation
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Fetching docs is a two-step process: first resolve the library name to get its Context7 ID, then use that ID to query documentation.
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### Step 1 — ctx7 library
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Searches the Context7 index by name and returns matching libraries. Pass a `query` describing what you're trying to do — this ranks results by relevance and helps when a library name is ambiguous or shared across multiple packages.
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```bash
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ctx7 library react "How to clean up useEffect with async operations"
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ctx7 library nextjs "How to set up app router with middleware"
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ctx7 library prisma "How to define one-to-many relations with cascade delete"
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```
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Each result includes:
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| Field | Description |
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| --------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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| **Library ID** | The identifier to pass to `ctx7 docs` (format: `/org/project`) |
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| **Code Snippets** | Number of indexed code examples — higher means more documentation coverage |
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| **Source Reputation** | Authority indicator: High, Medium, Low, or Unknown |
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| **Benchmark Score** | Quality score from 0 to 100 |
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| **Versions** | Version-specific IDs when available (format: `/org/project/version`) |
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When multiple results come back, the best match is usually the one with the closest name, highest snippet count, and strongest reputation. If you need docs for a specific version, pick the matching version ID from the list.
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```bash
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# Fetch docs for a specific version
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ctx7 docs /vercel/next.js/v14.3.0-canary.87 "How to set up app router"
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# Output as JSON for scripting
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ctx7 library react "How to use hooks for state management" --json | jq '.[0].id'
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```
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### Step 2 — ctx7 docs
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Takes a library ID and a natural-language question, and returns relevant code snippets and explanations from the indexed documentation.
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```bash
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ctx7 docs /facebook/react "How to clean up useEffect with async operations"
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ctx7 docs /vercel/next.js "How to add middleware that redirects unauthenticated users"
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ctx7 docs /prisma/prisma "How to define one-to-many relations with cascade delete"
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```
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<Note>
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Library IDs always start with `/`. Running `ctx7 docs react "hooks"` will fail — always use the
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full ID returned by `ctx7 library` in Step 1.
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</Note>
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Queries work best when they're specific. Describe what you're trying to accomplish rather than using single keywords — `"How to set up authentication with JWT in Express.js"` returns much better results than `"auth"`.
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The output contains two types of content: **code snippets** (titled, with language-tagged blocks) and **info snippets** (prose explanations with breadcrumb context). Both are formatted for readability in the terminal.
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```bash
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# Output as structured JSON
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ctx7 docs /facebook/react "How to use hooks for state management" --json
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# Pipe to other tools — output is clean when not in a TTY (no spinners or colors)
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ctx7 docs /facebook/react "How to use hooks for state management" | head -50
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ctx7 docs /vercel/next.js "How to add middleware for route protection" | grep -A 10 "middleware"
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```
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---
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## Setup
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Configure Context7 for your AI coding agent. On first run, prompts you to choose between two modes:
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- **MCP server** — registers the Context7 MCP server in your agent's config so it can call `resolve-library-id` and `query-docs` tools natively
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- **CLI + Skills** — installs a `docs` skill that guides your agent to fetch up-to-date library docs using `ctx7` CLI commands (no MCP required)
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### ctx7 setup
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```bash
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# Interactive — prompts for mode, then agent/install target
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ctx7 setup
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# Skip the mode prompt
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ctx7 setup --mcp # MCP server mode
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ctx7 setup --cli # CLI + Skills mode
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# Target a specific agent (MCP mode)
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ctx7 setup --claude
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ctx7 setup --cursor
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ctx7 setup --opencode
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# Target a specific install location (CLI + Skills mode)
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ctx7 setup --cli --claude # Claude Code (~/.claude/skills)
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ctx7 setup --cli --cursor # Cursor (~/.cursor/skills)
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ctx7 setup --cli --universal # Universal (~/.agents/skills)
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ctx7 setup --cli --antigravity # Antigravity (~/.agent/skills)
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# Configure for current project only (default is global)
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ctx7 setup --project
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# Skip confirmation prompts
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ctx7 setup --yes
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```
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**Authentication options:**
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```bash
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# Use an existing API key (works for both MCP and CLI + Skills mode)
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ctx7 setup --api-key YOUR_API_KEY
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# Use OAuth endpoint — MCP mode only (IDE handles the auth flow)
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ctx7 setup --oauth
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```
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Without `--api-key` or `--oauth`, setup runs the OAuth device flow: it shows a verification link and short code that you open on any device to sign in, so it works the same locally or on a remote, headless, or SSH host. MCP mode additionally generates a new API key after login. `--oauth` is MCP-only — use it when an IDE handles the auth flow on your behalf.
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**What gets written — MCP mode:**
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| File | Purpose |
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| --------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- |
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| `.mcp.json` / `.cursor/mcp.json` / `.opencode.json` | MCP server entry |
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| Agent rules directory | Rule file — instructs the agent to use Context7 for library docs |
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| Agent skills directory | `context7-mcp` skill |
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**What gets written — CLI + Skills mode:**
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| File | Purpose |
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| ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
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| Agent skills directory | `docs` skill — guides the agent to use `ctx7 library` and `ctx7 docs` commands |
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### ctx7 remove
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Remove the setup written by `ctx7 setup`. By default this removes both MCP setup and CLI setup for the selected agent.
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```bash
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# Interactive
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ctx7 remove
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# Target specific agents
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ctx7 remove --cursor
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ctx7 remove --claude --project
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# Remove both setup modes explicitly
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ctx7 remove --cursor --all
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# Remove only one setup mode
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ctx7 remove --cursor --cli
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ctx7 remove --claude --mcp
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```
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If you installed the CLI itself with `npm install -g ctx7`, remove that separately with `npm uninstall -g ctx7`. If you run Context7 with `npx ctx7`, there is no permanent CLI install to remove.
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---
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## Authentication
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Most commands work without authentication. Log in to unlock higher rate limits on documentation commands.
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### Commands
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```bash
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# Log in (opens browser for OAuth)
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ctx7 login
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# Log in without opening the browser (prints URL instead)
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ctx7 login --no-browser
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# Check current login status
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ctx7 whoami
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# Log out
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ctx7 logout
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```
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### API Key
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Set an API key via environment variable to skip interactive login entirely — useful for CI or scripting:
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```bash
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export CONTEXT7_API_KEY=your_key
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```
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### When is authentication required?
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| Feature | Required |
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| -------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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| `ctx7 library` / `ctx7 docs` | No — login gives higher rate limits |
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| `ctx7 setup` | Yes — unless `--api-key` is passed (`--oauth` also skips login for MCP mode) |
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---
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## Telemetry
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The CLI collects anonymous usage data to help improve the product. To disable:
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```bash
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# For a single command
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CTX7_TELEMETRY_DISABLED=1 ctx7 docs /facebook/react "useEffect examples"
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# Permanently — add to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc
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export CTX7_TELEMETRY_DISABLED=1
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```
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---
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## Next Steps
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<CardGroup cols={2}>
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<Card title="Claude Code" icon="terminal" href="/clients/claude-code">
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Set up Context7 in Claude Code
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</Card>
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<Card title="All Clients" icon="grid" href="/resources/all-clients">
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Installation for every supported editor
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</Card>
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</CardGroup>
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