refactor: rename harness configuration flags to --config for inline JSON and --config-file for paths

README.md

@@ -193,8 +193,8 @@ ax exec \
     [--input <text>] \
     [--conversation <id>] \
     [--harness <id>] \
-    [--config <file.json>] \
-    [--config-json <json>] \
+    [--config <json>] \
+    [--config-file <file.json>] \
     [--server <address>] \
     [--ax-config <file>] \
     [--resume] \
@@ -207,8 +207,8 @@ Options:
 - `--input`: Input message to send to agents (optional if `--resume` is set, otherwise required)
 - `--conversation`: Conversation ID (optional, generates UUID if not provided, or resumes if exists)
 - `--harness`: Harness ID to use (optional, defaults to the default harness)
-- `--config`: Path to a JSON file with per-request harness configuration (optional)
-- `--config-json`: Per-request harness configuration as an inline JSON string (optional, mutually exclusive with `--config`)
+- `--config`: Per-request harness configuration as an inline JSON string (optional, mutually exclusive with `--config-file`)
+- `--config-file`: Path to a JSON file with per-request harness configuration (optional)
 - `--server`: gRPC controller server address (optional. If not provided, runs with a local built-in AX server)
 - `--ax-config`: Path to YAML configuration file (only used with a local built-in AX server, default: "ax.yaml")
 - `--resume`: Resume a conversation without inputs (optional, mutually exclusive with `--input`)
@@ -228,11 +228,11 @@ ax exec --server localhost:8494 --input "Hello agents!"
 
 # Execute with per-request harness config
 ax exec \
-  --config-json '{"system_instructions":"Answer in one sentence.","model":"gemini-3.5-flash"}' \
+  --config '{"system_instructions":"Answer in one sentence.","model":"gemini-3.5-flash"}' \
   --input "Explain durable execution."
 
-# To keep the same JSON in a file, use `--config` instead:
-ax exec --config antigravity.json --input "Explain durable execution."
+# To keep the same JSON in a file, use `--config-file` instead:
+ax exec --config-file antigravity.json --input "Explain durable execution."
 ```
 
 ### Serve

cmd/ax/exec.go

@@ -34,15 +34,15 @@ import (
 )
 
 var (
-	execConversationID    string
-	execHarnessID         string
-	execHarnessConfig     string
-	execHarnessConfigJSON string
-	execInput             string
-	execServerAddr        string
-	execConfigFile        string
-	execResume            bool // allow resuming an execution without inputs
-	execLastSeq           int32
+	execConversationID string
+	execHarnessID      string
+	execConfigFile     string
+	execConfig         string
+	execInput          string
+	execServerAddr     string
+	execAXConfigFile   string
+	execResume         bool // allow resuming an execution without inputs
+	execLastSeq        int32
 )
 
 var execCmd = &cobra.Command{
@@ -57,15 +57,15 @@ If no conversation ID is provided, a new UUID will be generated.`,
 func init() {
 	execCmd.Flags().StringVar(&execConversationID, "conversation", "", "Conversation ID (optional, generates UUID if not provided)")
 	execCmd.Flags().StringVar(&execHarnessID, "harness", "", "Harness ID (optional, default harness is used if not specified)")
-	execCmd.Flags().StringVar(&execHarnessConfig, "config", "", "Path to a JSON file with per-request harness configuration")
-	execCmd.Flags().StringVar(&execHarnessConfigJSON, "config-json", "", "Per-request harness configuration as an inline JSON string (mutually exclusive with --config)")
+	execCmd.Flags().StringVar(&execConfigFile, "config-file", "", "Path to a JSON file with per-request harness configuration")
+	execCmd.Flags().StringVar(&execConfig, "config", "", "Per-request harness configuration as an inline JSON string (mutually exclusive with --config-file)")
 	execCmd.Flags().StringVar(&execInput, "input", "", "Input message to send (optional)")
 	execCmd.Flags().StringVar(&execServerAddr, "server", "", "gRPC controller server address (if specified, connects to remote server; otherwise runs with a local built-in AX server)")
-	execCmd.Flags().StringVar(&execConfigFile, "ax-config", "ax.yaml", "Path to YAML configuration file (only used with a local built-in AX server)")
+	execCmd.Flags().StringVar(&execAXConfigFile, "ax-config", "ax.yaml", "Path to YAML configuration file (only used with a local built-in AX server)")
 	execCmd.Flags().BoolVar(&execResume, "resume", false, "Resume a conversation without inputs")
 	execCmd.Flags().Int32Var(&execLastSeq, "last-seq", 0, "Last sequence number seen by the client")
 	execCmd.MarkFlagsMutuallyExclusive("input", "resume")
-	execCmd.MarkFlagsMutuallyExclusive("config", "config-json")
+	execCmd.MarkFlagsMutuallyExclusive("config", "config-file")
 }
 
 // TODO(jbd): Add multimodal input flags, e.g. --input-image.
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ func runExec(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	}()
 
 	if execServerAddr == "" {
-		cfg, err := newConfig(cmd, execConfigFile)
+		cfg, err := newConfig(cmd, execAXConfigFile)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -124,14 +124,14 @@ func runExec(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	}
 
 	var harnessConfig []byte
-	if execHarnessConfig != "" {
-		b, err := os.ReadFile(execHarnessConfig)
+	if execConfigFile != "" {
+		b, err := os.ReadFile(execConfigFile)
 		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("failed to read harness config %q: %w", execHarnessConfig, err)
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to read harness config %q: %w", execConfigFile, err)
 		}
 		harnessConfig = b
-	} else if execHarnessConfigJSON != "" {
-		harnessConfig = []byte(execHarnessConfigJSON)
+	} else if execConfig != "" {
+		harnessConfig = []byte(execConfig)
 	}
 
 	return execLoop(ctx, execConversationID, execHarnessID, harnessConfig, execInput, execLastSeq)

cmd/ax/main.go

@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ const currentVersion = "v1alpha"
 func newConfig(cmd *cobra.Command, configFile string) (*cliutil.Config, error) {
 	cfg, err := cliutil.LoadFromFile(configFile)
 	configFlagChanged := (cmd.Flags().Lookup("ax-config") != nil && cmd.Flags().Changed("ax-config")) ||
-		(cmd.Flags().Lookup("config") != nil && cmd.Flags().Changed("config") && cmd.Flags().Lookup("ax-config") == nil)
+		(cmd.Flags().Lookup("config-file") != nil && cmd.Flags().Changed("config-file"))
 	if errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) && !configFlagChanged {
 		cfg := cliutil.DefaultConfig()
 		cfg.Version = currentVersion