Output formats

nsc ships five output formats: table, json, jsonl, yaml, csv. Default is table on a TTY and JSON when stdout is piped — the piped default is JSON even if your config sets a different defaults.output. Selection precedence (highest first): --output/-o > NSC_OUTPUT env var > non-TTY → JSON > defaults.output in config (default table).

The five formats

Flag	Purpose
--output table (default for TTY)	Rich table with auto-selected columns
--output json (default when piped)	Records as a JSON array (single-record writes emit the resulting record dict)
--output jsonl	One JSON object per line — good for streaming
--output yaml	YAML; useful when you'll round-trip to -f file.yaml
--output csv	CSV with nested fields flattened to dotted paths (status.label)

nsc dcim devices list                                   # table on TTY, JSON if piped
nsc dcim devices list -o json                           # explicit
nsc dcim devices list --output csv > devices.csv
nsc dcim devices list -o yaml > devices.yaml
nsc dcim devices list -o jsonl | jq '. | select(.status.value == "active")'

Auto-selected columns

Heuristic for the table view:

1. Always id.
2. Then any field named name, slug, or display.
3. Then up to 6 scalar fields from the resource's GET response schema.

Override per <tag> <resource> in ~/.nsc/config.yaml:

columns:
  dcim:
    devices: [id, name, status, site, role]

Unknown column names are silently ignored, so the same config remains valid across NetBox versions and plugin changes.

Nested objects and lists in columns

A column may name a nested field directly or drill in with a dotted path:

• A dotted path selects the leaf scalar: status.value, site.name.
• A bare nested object collapses to its human label: FK objects (site, role, tenant) use their display field — role renders Router, not an empty cell — and choice fields (status, …) use their label — status renders Active. The precedence is display → label → compact JSON for objects with neither. The machine value of a choice stays reachable via the dotted path (status.value → active).
• A list of objects renders as its members' labels joined with , (e.g. tags → prod, edge); an empty list renders blank.

This applies to both table and csv. The json, jsonl, and yaml formats always keep the full nested structure untouched.

Compact JSON

nsc dcim devices list -o json --compact > devices.json

One-line records — convenient for jq chains and ndjson tooling.

Pagination and --all

nsc dcim devices list                       # default page (50 records)
nsc dcim devices list --all                 # follow `next` to completion
nsc dcim devices list --limit 200           # cap at 200
nsc dcim devices list --filter status=active --all

--all shows a Rich progress bar on TTY. For machine output, prefer --output json --all and pipe.