CLI Reference
Complete reference for the Spiderly CLI tool — all commands, options, and usage examples.
Installation
dotnet tool install -g Spiderly.CLITo update to the latest version:
dotnet tool update -g Spiderly.CLIUsage
spiderly [command] [options]Run spiderly help to see all available commands.
Commands
init
Initialize a new Spiderly project with a .NET backend and an Angular frontend.
spiderly init [--name <AppName>] [--db <provider>] [--db-connection-string <connectionString>] [--pm <manager>]| Option | Description |
|---|---|
--name | App name in PascalCase, without spaces (e.g., MyApp). If omitted, the CLI will prompt you. Required in non-interactive mode. |
--db | Database provider: postgresql, sqlserver, or skip. If omitted, the CLI will prompt you. Required in non-interactive mode. See Database Providers for details on what each option generates. |
--db-connection-string | Full EF Core connection string. Bypasses auto-discovery and Docker. Example: "Host=localhost;Port=5432;Database=myapp;Username=postgres;Password=secret" |
--pm | Package manager: npm (default), pnpm, yarn, or bun. If omitted, the CLI will prompt you in interactive mode or default to npm. |
In non-interactive mode (e.g., AI agents, CI), if no running database is found and Docker is available, the CLI will automatically start a database container.
Examples:
spiderly initspiderly init --name MyApp --db postgresqlspiderly init --name MyApp --db postgresql --pm pnpmspiderly init --name MyApp --db postgresql --db-connection-string "Host=localhost;Port=5432;Database=myapp;Username=postgres;Password=secret"add-new-entity
Create a new entity and generate all necessary files: entity class, Angular pages (list and details), routes, and menu item.
spiderly add-new-entity [--name <EntityName>] [--data-view]| Option | Description |
|---|---|
--name | Entity name in PascalCase (e.g., Product). If omitted, the CLI will prompt you. Required in non-interactive mode. |
--data-view | Generate a DataView template instead of the default Table template for the list page. |
Examples:
spiderly add-new-entityspiderly add-new-entity --name Productspiderly add-new-entity --name Product --data-viewadd-migration
Create a new EF Core migration.
spiderly add-migration <name>| Argument | Description |
|---|---|
<name> | The name for the new migration (required). |
Example:
spiderly add-migration AddProductTableupdate-database
Apply all pending EF Core migrations to the database.
spiderly update-databaseremove-migration
Remove the last EF Core migration.
spiderly remove-migrationlist-migrations
List all available EF Core migrations.
spiderly list-migrationshelp
Show all available commands and their options.
spiderly helpWhat Needs a Migration?
Not every entity change requires a database migration. Use this table to decide:
| Change | Migration needed? |
|---|---|
| Add/remove entity class | Yes |
| Add/remove/rename property | Yes |
| Change property type | Yes |
Change [StringLength] | Yes |
Change [Required] | Yes |
Add/remove [CascadeDelete]/[SetNull] | Yes |
Change [DisplayName] | No (UI only) |
Change [UIControlType] | No (UI only) |
Change [UIControlWidth] | No (UI only) |
Add/remove [UIDoNotGenerate] | No (UI only) |
Change [UIOrderedOneToMany] | No (UI only) |
Add/remove [BlobName] | No (mapped to existing string column) |
Change [AcceptedFileTypes]/[MaxFileSize] | No (validation only) |
Add/remove [DoNotAuthorize] | No (authorization only) |
Change [Controller] | No (routing only) |
Excel Export
How Spiderly auto-generates Excel export for every entity — backend service, API endpoint, Angular UI button, column selection, and customization.
Claude Code Plugin
Use AI-assisted development with Spiderly — the Claude Code plugin gives Claude deep knowledge of entity design, backend hooks, migrations, Angular customization, and more.