nebula CLI

The nebula command-line tool (CLI) is the main entry point for getting up and running with a nebula visualization, for using features including running a development server and building out your visualization for extension and mashup.

How to run nebula CLI

The nebula CLI is available via npm and can be installed globally by running the following:

npm install @nebula.js/cli -g

When you do not want to install nebula CLI globally, you can still use it, for example creating a new nebula visualization by run the following:

npx @nebula.js/cli create sn-table

Usage

All the following usage is available in the tool by running nebula --help.

nebula <command> [options]

Commands:
  nebula create <name>    Create a visualization
  / create mashup <name>  / Create a mashup
  nebula build          Build visualization
  nebula serve          Start a development server
  nebula sense          Build a nebula visualization as a Qlik Sense extension

Options:
  --version   Show version number                                      [boolean]
  -h, --help  Show help                                                [boolean]

How to use nebula CLI in your visualization

You can use the package.json script variant of these commands, which are exposed for you with nebula create. When you want to make the nebula serve, nebula build, and nebula sense commands available in your visualization by yourself, run the following command.

npm install @nebula.js/cli @nebula.js/cli-build @nebula.js/cli-sense @nebula.js/cli-serve

Open up your package.json, those dependencies are added.

{
  "devDependencies": {
    "@nebula.js/cli": "1.7.0",
    "@nebula.js/cli-build": "1.6.0",
    "@nebula.js/cli-sense": "1.7.0",
    "@nebula.js/cli-serve": "1.7.0"
  }
}

and add a script like so:

"scripts": {
    "build": "nebula build",
    "start": "nebula serve",
    "sense": "nebula sense"
  },

You can also run nebula CLI commands with Node.js. Create a JavaScript file called build.js and add the following:

const build = require('@nebula.js/cli-build');
const sense = require('@nebula.js/cli-sense');

await build({
  config: '../nebula.config.js',
  sourcemap: false,
  core: 'core',
  mode: 'production',
  watch: false,
});
await sense({ output: 'sn-table-ext', sourcemap: true });

and run the following command:

node build.js

How to test your modified nebula CLI locally and globally

Requirements:

Node.js
yarn

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/qlik-oss/nebula.js

From the root directory, run the following command to install all the necessary dependencies of nebula CLI:

yarn

You can modify code in commands directory and do the following to test modified nebula CLI locally and globally:

Test nebula CLI locally

Run nebula CLI locally to see help info using node.js:

cd commands/cli
node lib/index.js -h

Test nebula CLI globally

From the commands/cli directory, run the following command to create a global symlink to the binary:

yarn link

Run nebula CLI globally to see help info to verify whether it works:

nebula -h

Tips:

If ‘There’s already a package called “@nebula.js/cli” registered.’ or ‘command not found: nebula’ is displayed.

Run the following command to remove the symlinked nebula and run ‘yarn link’ again:

yarn unlink