---
title: Your first report
description: From an empty folder to an interactive report, then to your own data.
styles: [scientific]
---

You need a terminal and a browser. A coding agent helps write the report, but you can try the whole rendering path yourself first.

## Get the command

The native release is not available yet. Try the [playground](https://richview.ai/playground) now. The walkthrough below is for an installed native command.

## Make the smallest useful report

In a fresh working folder, run:

```sh
richview init first-report
richview validate first-report/report.rmd --format json
richview check first-report/report.rmd --format json
richview generate first-report/report.rmd --format json
```

Open **`first-report/Rendered/report.html`** in your browser. It is a complete interactive HTML report in Sleek, titled **Direct visits lead our traffic**, with a 910-visit metric and fictional observations in `data/visits.csv`. Hover or focus the chart, inspect its table and try a download. Keep the source beside the result: you edit `report.rmd`, then generate again.

`validate` checks syntax, schema and local resources. `check` also renders the report and inspects chart geometry. In JSON output, `status: clean` means no errors or warnings; `ok: true` can still include warnings. Read those before treating the report as finished.

## Keep a preview open

```sh
richview serve first-report/report.rmd --port 4711
```

Open `http://127.0.0.1:4711/`. Save a source or data edit and the preview reloads. Stop the command with Ctrl+C. The server binds to loopback by default; this is a preview of one local report.

## Give your agent the job

Paste this into Claude Code, Codex, Cursor or another coding agent that can read your files and run the command:

```text
If RichView is installed, run richview learn. Then make me a beautiful report from my data, or from the starter example if I have none. Check it, fix anything it flags, and show me the result. Keep everything on my machine.
```

Attach or name your data files and explain the question you want the report to answer. The agent writes ordinary saved Rich Markdown and data files. You can read them, put them in Git and keep working after an interrupted session. Review the interpretation as well as the chart.

## Take a finished example apart

The [orders example](https://richview.ai/docs/example/Rendered/report.html) uses a different fictional dataset to demonstrate a metric, table, caveat and local styling. Download its [source](https://richview.ai/docs/example/report.rmd), [style YAML](https://richview.ai/docs/example/report.rstyle.yaml) and [CSV](https://richview.ai/docs/example/data/orders.csv) into this layout:

```text
orders/
  report.rmd
  report.rstyle.yaml
  data/orders.csv
```

Keep exactly one `.rmd` in each report folder, including its subfolders. Store source backups outside that folder or use Git. Generated files go into `Rendered/` with a capital R.

Next: [use the CLI](https://richview.ai/docs/cli), [choose a style](https://richview.ai/docs/styles), or [learn the source format](https://richview.ai/docs/authoring).