Problem
katalyst inspect can target a path (source layer) or a collection (collection layer), and can narrow by inspector, but it cannot directly narrow the inspected files/items within that target.
For ad-hoc analysis (for example, "inspect all README files"), users currently need a workaround: copy matching files into a temporary directory and run inspect there. That is awkward and easy to skip.
Proposal
Add file/item selection flags to inspect so users can focus analysis without reshaping the corpus.
Potential CLI shape:
katalyst inspect <target> --include "**/README*.md"
katalyst inspect <target> --include "docs/**/*.md" --exclude "**/testdata/**"
Desired behavior
- Support repeatable include globs and optional exclude globs.
- Apply selection before inspectors run.
- Keep evidence denominators explicit (for example, total discovered vs selected).
- Return a clear error/notice when selection matches nothing.
Why this helps
- Removes friction for exploratory profiling.
- Makes common workflows (README-only, docs-only, exclude fixtures) first-class.
- Keeps users in a single command path instead of temporary file staging.
Problem
katalyst inspectcan target a path (source layer) or a collection (collection layer), and can narrow by inspector, but it cannot directly narrow the inspected files/items within that target.For ad-hoc analysis (for example, "inspect all README files"), users currently need a workaround: copy matching files into a temporary directory and run
inspectthere. That is awkward and easy to skip.Proposal
Add file/item selection flags to
inspectso users can focus analysis without reshaping the corpus.Potential CLI shape:
Desired behavior
Why this helps