CLI Commands

This page is a complete overview of the Vix CLI command surface.

Use it when you want to quickly find the purpose of a command, its category, and the next detailed page to read.

Command overview

vix <command> [options]

Running vix without a command starts the interactive REPL:

vix

Show global help:

vix --help

Show the installed version:

vix --version

Core workflow

Most Vix projects start with this flow:

vix new api
cd api
vix install
vix dev

For an existing project:

vix install
vix dev

For a single C++ file:

vix run main.cpp

Project commands

Command	Purpose	Guide
vix	Start the interactive REPL	REPL
vix repl	Start the REPL explicitly	REPL
vix new <name>	Create a new Vix project	vix new
vix make	Generate C++ scaffolding	vix make
vix dev	Run an app in development mode with reload	vix dev
vix run	Build and run a project, file, or manifest	vix run
vix build	Configure and build a CMake project	vix build
vix check	Validate build, tests, runtime, and sanitizers	vix check
vix tests	Run project tests	vix tests
vix fmt	Format C++ source files	vix fmt
vix clean	Remove local project cache directories	vix clean
vix reset	Clean and reinstall the project	vix reset
vix task	Run reusable project tasks	vix task

Dependency commands

Command	Purpose	Guide
vix add <pkg>	Add a package to the project	vix add
vix install	Install dependencies from vix.lock	vix install
vix update	Update dependencies	vix update
vix outdated	Check outdated dependencies	vix outdated
vix remove <pkg>	Remove a dependency	vix remove
vix list	List project or global packages	vix list

Dependency aliases

Alias	Equivalent command
vix up	vix update
vix i	vix install
vix deps	vix install

Packaging commands

Command	Purpose	Guide
vix pack	Build a distributable package	vix pack
vix verify	Verify package integrity	vix verify
vix cache	Store a package locally	vix cache

Advanced commands

Command	Purpose	Guide
vix registry	Manage the local registry index	vix registry
vix store	Manage the local package store	vix store
vix orm	Run database migration tooling	vix orm
vix p2p	Run a peer-to-peer node	vix p2p

System commands

Command	Purpose	Guide
vix info	Show Vix paths, caches, and local state	vix info
vix doctor	Check the local environment	vix doctor
vix upgrade	Upgrade Vix or a global package	vix upgrade
vix uninstall	Remove Vix or a global package	vix uninstall
vix completion	Generate shell completion scripts	vix completion
vix version	Show the installed version	—

Help commands

Command	Purpose
vix help	Show general help
vix help <command>	Show help for a specific command
vix <command> --help	Show help for a specific command
vix -h	Show general help
vix --help	Show general help

Examples:

vix help run
vix run --help
vix new --help

Global options

Option	Purpose
-h, --help	Show help
-v, --version	Show version
--verbose	Enable debug logs
-q, --quiet	Show only warnings and errors
--log-level <level>	Set log level

Supported log levels: trace, debug, info, warn, error, critical, off

Project lifecycle map

Stage	Command
Create project	vix new
Install dependencies	vix install
Develop	vix dev
Run manually	vix run
Validate	vix check
Test	vix tests
Format	vix fmt
Build	vix build
Package	vix pack
Verify artifact	vix verify
Cache artifact	vix cache

New project workflow

vix new api
cd api
vix install
vix dev

Validate before committing:

vix fmt --check
vix check --tests

Build for release:

vix build --preset release
vix pack --name api --version 1.0.0
vix verify --path ./dist/api@1.0.0

Existing project workflow

git clone https://github.com/example/api.git
cd api
vix install
vix dev
vix check --tests

Single-file workflow

vix run main.cpp
vix run main.cpp --run --port 8080
vix run main.cpp -- -O2 -DNDEBUG
vix run main.cpp --san
vix check main.cpp --san

Choosing the right command

Goal	Use
Explore interactively	vix
Create a project	vix new
Generate a class or file	vix make
Run during development	vix dev
Run manually	vix run
Compile only	vix build
Validate deeply	vix check
Run tests only	vix tests
Format source files	vix fmt
Add dependencies	vix add
Install dependencies	vix install
Update dependencies	vix update
Package project	vix pack
Verify package	vix verify
Inspect environment	vix info
Diagnose setup	vix doctor

Common mistakes

Passing runtime arguments after -- in script mode

Wrong:

vix run main.cpp -- --port 8080

Correct:

vix run main.cpp --run --port 8080

Running project commands outside the project directory

Wrong:

vix new api
vix dev

Correct:

vix new api
cd api
vix dev

Forgetting to install dependencies

For a fresh or cloned project, run vix install before vix dev.

Recommended daily workflow

# Development
vix dev

# In another terminal
vix tests --watch

# Before committing
vix fmt --check
vix check --tests

# Before release
vix build --preset release
vix tests --preset release
vix check --san --full
vix pack --name api --version 1.0.0
vix verify --path ./dist/api@1.0.0

Version

vix --version

Example output: