Getting started

This walkthrough uses the repository’s synthetic DocBook fixtures to verify a source checkout, learn the command shape, and inspect the shared response contract. It does not download or reproduce official DICOM Standard content.

Before you begin

You need:

Python 3.12 or newer;
uv;
a source checkout of dicom-standard-kb.

Complete Install from source first.

Build the fixture

Use explicit temporary paths so the exercise does not modify an existing local knowledge base:

uv run dicom-kb build-fixture \
  --edition 2026b \
  --cache-dir /tmp/dicom-standard-kb-fixture-cache \
  --db /tmp/dicom-standard-kb-fixture.sqlite \
  --force

The command prints a JSON build summary. Confirm that it contains:

"edition": "2026b";
the requested SQLite path;
a source-manifest digest;
import summaries;
aggregate metrics;
gate_failures and warnings arrays.

The 2026b label identifies this synthetic fixture. It is not a claim about the current official DICOM release.

Look up a data element

uv run dicom-kb lookup tag '(0008,0060)' \
  --edition 2026b \
  --db /tmp/dicom-standard-kb-fixture.sqlite

Confirm that the response has:

"status": "ok";
"tool": "lookup_data_element";
a result for the Modality data element;
at least one source reference;
classification, parse_confidence, and trace.

The same resolver accepts a keyword:

uv run dicom-kb lookup tag Modality \
  --edition 2026b \
  --db /tmp/dicom-standard-kb-fixture.sqlite

Resolve the attribute in an IOD

A data-dictionary lookup tells you what an attribute is. A contextual lookup asks how it is used:

uv run dicom-kb context attribute Modality \
  --edition 2026b \
  --iod 'CT Image' \
  --db /tmp/dicom-standard-kb-fixture.sqlite

Inspect the matched attribute-use rows, declared types, effective-type result, references, and warnings. The resolver may preserve ambiguity rather than forcing a single answer.

Verify the local artifacts and database

uv run dicom-kb verify \
  --edition 2026b \
  --cache-dir /tmp/dicom-standard-kb-fixture-cache \
  --db /tmp/dicom-standard-kb-fixture.sqlite

A successful result has top-level "status": "ok". Verification checks the manifest digest, each fixture artifact checksum, and the database’s recorded edition and source-manifest digest.