Introduction
The apigear command-line interface (CLI) is the primary tool for working with the ApiGear platform. It provides complete functionality for API-driven development, from code generation to runtime monitoring and simulation.
Key Features
Code Generation
Generate production-ready SDKs from ObjectAPI definitions using templates for C++, Qt, Unreal Engine, Python, and more.
Project Management
Create, organize, and manage API projects with modules, solutions, and scenarios.
Template Management
Browse, install, and manage SDK templates from the ApiGear registry or create custom templates.
API Simulation
Run scripted backends that simulate your services for client development and testing.
API Stimulation
Drive your service implementations with scripted client calls for validation and load testing.
API Monitoring
Monitor real-time API traffic from your applications for debugging and validation.
Installation
Download the latest release for your platform from the GitHub releases page.
macOS
# Download and extract
curl -L https://github.com/apigear-io/cli/releases/latest/download/apigear-darwin-amd64.tar.gz | tar xz
# Move to PATH
sudo mv apigear /usr/local/bin/
Linux
# Download and extract
curl -L https://github.com/apigear-io/cli/releases/latest/download/apigear-linux-amd64.tar.gz | tar xz
# Move to PATH
sudo mv apigear /usr/local/bin/
Windows
Download the .exe file from the releases page and add it to your PATH.
Quick Start
# Check installation
apigear version
# Create a new project
apigear project create -d my-api-project
# Generate code from a solution
apigear generate solution apigear/demo.solution.yaml
# Start simulation server
apigear sim run apigear/demo.scenario.js
# Monitor API traffic
apigear monitor run
Command Overview
| Command | Alias | Description |
|---|---|---|
generate | gen, g | Generate SDKs from API definitions |
project | prj | Manage API projects |
template | tpl, t | Manage SDK templates |
simulate | sim, s | Run scripted backend simulations |
stimulate | stim | Run scripted client stimulations |
monitor | mon, m | Monitor API traffic |
olink | ol | Interactive ObjectLink REPL |
mcp | — | Start MCP server for AI assistants |
spec | — | Validate API specifications |
config | cfg, c | Manage configuration |
serve | — | Start combined server |
update | — | Update CLI to latest version |
version | — | Display version information |
Updating
The CLI can update itself to the latest version:
apigear update
Use --force to skip confirmation:
apigear update --force
Configuration
View current configuration:
apigear config info
Display all configuration values:
apigear config get
Export environment variables:
apigear config env
Configuration Locations
| Platform | Path |
|---|---|
| macOS | ~/Library/Application Support/apigear/ |
| Linux | ~/.config/apigear/ |
| Windows | %APPDATA%\apigear\ |
Environment Variables
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
APIGEAR_TEMPLATES | Override template cache location |
APIGEAR_REGISTRY | Override template registry URL |
Server Ports
Default ports used by CLI servers:
| Service | Default Port | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Simulation | 4333 | WebSocket server for ObjectLink |
| Monitor | 5555 | HTTP server for API events |
| NATS | 4222 | Message broker (optional) |
Document Validation
Validate any ApiGear document:
apigear spec check myapi.module.yaml
View schema for document types:
apigear spec schema --type module
apigear spec schema --type solution
apigear spec schema --type rules
Experimental Features
Access experimental commands with the x command:
# Convert between formats
apigear x json2yaml file.json
apigear x yaml2json file.yaml
apigear x yaml2idl api.module.yaml
apigear x idl2yaml api.idl
# WebSocket testing
apigear x wsecho --address :8080
apigear x wscat --url ws://localhost:8080
CI/CD Integration
The CLI is designed for automation:
# Non-interactive update
apigear update --force
# Generate with specific template version
apigear generate solution solution.yaml
# Watch mode for development
apigear generate solution solution.yaml --watch
Getting Help
Get help for any command:
apigear --help
apigear generate --help
apigear template install --help
Related Documentation
- Code Generation — Generate SDKs from API definitions
- Project Management — Create and manage projects
- SDK Templates — Manage SDK templates
- API Simulation — Run scripted backends
- API Monitoring — Monitor API traffic
- ObjectLink REPL — Interactive protocol testing
- MCP Server — AI assistant integration via Model Context Protocol