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CLI Reference

Complete reference for the Genifest command-line interface.

Commands Overview

Genifest uses a subcommand-based architecture:

genifest <command> [options] [directory]

Available Commands

genifest run

Apply configuration changes to manifest files using the groups-based tag selection system.

genifest run [group] [directory] [flags]

Argument Structure:

Genifest uses intelligent argument parsing to determine your intent:

  • Zero arguments: genifest run

  • Uses "all" group in current directory

  • One argument: genifest run <arg>

  • If <arg> is a defined group name: Uses that group in current directory

  • If <arg> is a directory path: Uses "all" group in that directory

  • Two arguments: genifest run <group> <directory>

  • Uses specified group in specified directory

Flags:

  • --tag string - Add additional tag expression to the selected group
  • --output string - Output mode: color, plain, markdown, or auto (default "auto")

Groups-Based Selection:

Genifest uses named groups defined in your configuration:

groups:
  all: ["*"]                           # Default group (all changes)
  config-only: ["config"]              # Only configuration changes
  no-secrets: ["*", "!secret-*"]       # Everything except secrets
  dev: ["config", "image", "!production"] # Development environment
  prod: ["*", "!dev-*", "!test-*"]     # Production with exclusions

Tag Expression Syntax:

  • "*" - All tags (wildcard)
  • "config" - Literal tag match
  • "!secret-*" - Negation with glob pattern
  • "prod-*" - Glob pattern matching
  • "manifests:secret-*" - Directory-scoped expression

Enhanced Output:

The run command provides detailed progress reporting:

  • Configuration summary with group selection and total changes
  • Individual change tracking: file -> document[index] -> keySelector: old → new
  • Clear distinction between changes applied vs actual file modifications
  • Final summary with file modification counts and emoji indicators

Examples:

# Apply all changes in current directory (uses "all" group)
genifest run

# Apply specific group in current directory
genifest run config-only

# Apply all changes in specific directory
genifest run examples/guestbook

# Apply specific group in specific directory
genifest run dev examples/guestbook

# Add additional tag expression to group selection
genifest run --tag "!secret" prod

# Apply changes without secrets in development environment
genifest run --tag "!secret-*" dev examples/app

genifest validate

Validate configuration without applying changes.

genifest validate [directory] [flags]

Flags:

  • --strict - Enable strict schema validation (fail on unknown fields)
  • --warn - Enable schema validation warnings (warn on unknown fields)
  • --output string - Output mode: color, plain, markdown, or auto (default "auto")

genifest tags

List all available tags in the configuration.

genifest tags [directory]

genifest config

Display the merged configuration in YAML format.

genifest config [directory]

genifest version

Show version information.

genifest version

Output Modes

Both run and validate commands support flexible output formatting with the --output flag:

Available Output Modes

  • color - ANSI color codes and emojis for terminal display
  • plain - Clean text without colors, suitable for logging and automation
  • markdown - Formatted markdown output for documentation workflows
  • auto - Automatically detects TTY and uses color for terminals, plain for redirected output (default)

Output Mode Examples

# Colored output with emojis (for terminals)
genifest validate --output=color
genifest run dev --output=color

# Plain text output (for scripts/logs)
genifest validate --output=plain
genifest run prod --output=plain

# Markdown formatted output (for documentation)
genifest validate --output=markdown
genifest run staging --output=markdown

# Auto-detect based on TTY (default behavior)
genifest validate --output=auto
genifest validate  # same as above

Use Cases

  • color: Interactive terminal sessions, development work
  • plain: CI/CD pipelines, log files, automation scripts
  • markdown: Documentation generation, integration with documentation workflows
  • auto: General use, automatically adapts to context

TTY Detection

When using --output=auto (the default), genifest automatically: - Uses color mode when output goes to a terminal (TTY) - Uses plain mode when output is redirected to files or pipes

genifest validate              # Color output in terminal
genifest validate > log.txt    # Plain output when redirected
genifest validate | less       # Plain output when piped

Global Options

  • --help - Show help for any command
  • --version - Show version information

Examples

See the Quick Start Guide for practical examples.