JAWT CLI Reference

The JAWT CLI provides essential commands for creating, developing, and building JAWT applications.

Installation

Ensure JAWT is installed and available in your system PATH before using these commands.

Quick Start

# Create a new project
jawt init my-app

# Navigate to project directory
cd my-app

# Start development server
jawt run

# Build for production
jawt build

Commands

init

Creates a new JAWT project with the default structure and configuration files.

Synopsis

jawt init <project-name>

Arguments

Argument Description Required
<project-name> Name of the new project directory Yes

Examples

# Create a new project called "my-app"
jawt init my-app

# Create a project with a more descriptive name
jawt init portfolio-website

Generated Structure

project-name/
├── app/
│   └── index.jml          # Main application entry point
├── components/            # Reusable components directory
├── assets/               # Static assets (images, fonts, etc.)
├── app.json             # Application configuration
└── jawt.config.json     # JAWT toolchain configuration

run

Starts the development server with hot reload functionality. Monitors JML files for changes and automatically reloads the browser.

Synopsis

jawt run [options]

Options

Option Description Default
-p <port> Specify custom port 6500
-c Run with cleared cache -

Prerequisites

  • app.json must exist in the current directory
  • jawt.config.json must exist in the current directory

Examples

# Start on default port (6500)
jawt run

# Start on custom port
jawt run -p 3000

# Start with cleared cache
jawt run -c

# Combine options
jawt run -p 8080 -c

Output

The development server will be available at http://localhost:<port> with:

  • Hot reload enabled for JML files
  • Automatic browser refresh on changes
  • Real-time error reporting

build

Compiles your JAWT application into production-ready web standard files. Generates optimised HTML, CSS, and JavaScript output.

Synopsis

jawt build [options]

Options

Option Description Default
-o <directory> Specify custom output directory dist

Examples

# Build to default dist directory
jawt build

# Build to custom output directory
jawt build -o public

# Build to nested directory
jawt build -o build/production

Output Files

The build process generates: - HTML: Compiled pages from JML definitions - CSS: Optimised stylesheets with unused styles removed - JavaScript: Minified component bundles - WASM: Compiled modules (when applicable) - Assets: Processed static files (images, fonts, etc.)

serve

Serves the production build locally for previewing how your application will behave in production environment.

Synopsis

jawt serve

Prerequisites

  • Must have a built application (run jawt build first)
  • Built files must exist in the output directory

Example Workflow

# Build your application
jawt build

# Serve the production build
jawt serve

Status

⚠️ Currently Unavailable - This command is planned for future releases.

debug

Starts the JAWT debugger, providing debugging tools and insights into your application's compilation and runtime behaviour.

Synopsis

jawt debug [options]

Options

Option Description Default
-p <port> Specify custom port 6501

Examples

# Start debugger on default port (6501)
jawt debug

# Start debugger on custom port
jawt debug -p 9000

Features

The debugger interface provides: - Component hierarchy inspection - JML syntax error highlighting - Build process insights - Performance metrics

Status

⚠️ Currently Unavailable - This command is planned for future releases.

Global Options

These options work with most JAWT commands:

Option Description
--help Display help information for the command
--version Display JAWT version information

Examples

jawt --version
jawt run --help
jawt build --help

Configuration Files

app.json

Application-specific configuration including metadata, routing, and build settings.

jawt.config.json

JAWT toolchain configuration for compilation, development server, and build optimisations.

Project Structure

A typical JAWT project follows this structure:

my-project/
├── app/                   # Application pages
│   ├── index.jml         # Main entry point
│   └── about.jml         # Additional pages
├── components/           # Reusable components
│   ├── Header.jml
│   └── Footer.jml
├── assets/              # Static assets
│   ├── images/
│   ├── fonts/
│   └── styles/
├── dist/                # Build output (generated)
├── app.json            # App configuration
└── jawt.config.json    # JAWT configuration

Common Workflows

Starting a New Project

# Create and set up new project
jawt init my-project
cd my-project

# Start development
jawt run

Development Workflow

# Start development server
jawt run

# In another terminal, start debugger (when available)
jawt debug

Production Deployment

# Build for production
jawt build

# Preview production build locally (when available)
jawt serve

# Deploy contents of dist/ directory to your hosting provider

Working with Custom Ports

# If default ports are in use
jawt run -p 3000
jawt debug -p 3001

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Command not found: jawt

Problem: JAWT CLI is not recognised by your shell.

Solutions:

  • Ensure JAWT is properly installed
  • Verify JAWT is in your system PATH
  • Restart your terminal after installation

Missing app.json or jawt.config.json

Problem: Required configuration files are missing.

Solutions:

  • Create a new project using jawt init
  • Manually create the required configuration files
  • Check that you're running commands from the correct directory

Port already in use

Problem: Default ports (6500, 6501) are occupied by other processes.

Solutions:

# Use custom ports
jawt run -p 8080
jawt debug -p 8081

# Find and stop processes using default ports
lsof -ti:6500 | xargs kill -9  # macOS/Linux
netstat -ano | findstr :6500   # Windows

Build fails

Problem: Compilation errors during the build process.

Solutions:

  • Check JML syntax for errors
  • Ensure all imported components exist
  • Verify file paths and dependencies
  • Run jawt debug for detailed error information (when available)

Hot reload not working

Problem: Changes aren't reflected in the browser automatically.

Solutions:

  • Ensure you're editing files within the project directory
  • Check the browser console for connection errors
  • Try running with cleared cache: jawt run -c
  • Manually refresh the browser

Getting Help

For additional support:

Version: Early Development
Last Updated: Development Roadmap Phase 1