EQSANS-CLI: A natural-language, agent-ready command-line tool for small-angle neutron scattering data reduction at EQ-SANS

TL;DR

EQSANS-CLI is a command-line tool that streamlines small-angle neutron scattering data reduction by integrating workflow steps into a scriptable, agent-ready system with natural language capabilities.

Contribution

It introduces a coherent, flexible, and agent-compatible CLI system that simplifies and automates SANS data reduction workflows.

Findings

Automates the entire SANS data reduction pipeline with a single command.

Enables natural language control of data reduction via a Slack bot.

Provides a persistent working table for editable reduction decisions.

Abstract

Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) data reduction at user facilities follows a largely repetitive workflow. Runs are first classified in the catalog and matched to transmission, background, and empty-beam references within the same instrument configuration. The data are then reduced, placed on an absolute scale using a standard, and stitched across configurations. Although these steps are individually well understood, they remain weakly connected, producing a coordination burden that scales with the number of runs and configurations. This paper describes EQSANS-CLI, a command-line tool that organizes this workflow into a coherent, scriptable, and agent-addressable system. The design rests on four principles: a shared command-handler layer that all input paths converge on; a persistent \emph{working table} that holds every reduction decision as editable rows; two input surfaces (an interactive terminal and a headless JSON mode) that compile to the same handler entry point; and a status-driven re-reduction model that treats parameter changes as first-class events. An \texttt{/autopilot} command chains the full pipeline from the IPTS number to stitched $I(Q)$ curves in one invocation. A Slack bot demonstrates that the headless interface, together with a single skill document loaded into an external agent's system prompt, is sufficient to drive complete reductions by natural language from a mobile device. The architecture is intentionally minimal on the agent side: the CLI is the authoritative executor, and the agent's only job is to translate human intent into commands on a stable contract.