🧩 Vix.cpp — CLI Module

Modern C++ Runtime Tooling • Zero-Friction Development • Fast Web Apps

Vix CLI is the official command-line interface for
Vix.cpp — the modern C++ backend runtime.

It provides a professional, modern, runtime-like developer experience for C++, comparable to Python, Node.js, Deno, or Bun.

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🚀 Overview

The Vix CLI (vix) brings modern runtime ergonomics to C++:

• Instant project creation
• Smart CMake-based builds
• Friendly compiler diagnostics
• Sanitizer-first validation
• Script-like execution of .cpp files
• Packaging & artifact verification
• Built-in interactive REPL (default)

Running vix with no arguments launches the interactive REPL.

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⚙️ Features

🧠 Built-in REPL (default)

vix

• Variables & expressions
• JSON literals
• Math evaluation
• Runtime APIs (Vix.cwd(), Vix.env(), etc.)
• Script-like exploration

Explicit mode:

vix repl

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🏗️ Project scaffolding

vix new blog

Creates:

• CMake-based project
• Modern C++20 structure
• Ready-to-run Vix app

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⚡ Smart build system

vix build

• Uses CMake presets automatically
• Parallel builds
• Colored logs & spinners
• Clean Ctrl+C handling

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🚀 Run applications

vix run

• Auto-build if required
• Real-time logs
• Runtime log-level injection

Script mode:

vix run demo.cpp

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🧪 Check & Tests (Sanitizers ready)

Compile-only validation:

vix check
vix check demo.cpp

With sanitizers:

vix check demo.cpp --san
vix check demo.cpp --asan
vix check demo.cpp --ubsan
vix check demo.cpp --tsan

Run tests:

vix tests
vix tests --san

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📦 Packaging & Verification

Create a distribution artifact:

vix pack --name blog --version 1.0.0

Verify artifacts:

vix verify dist/blog@1.0.0
vix verify dist/blog@1.0.0 --require-signature

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🧠 ErrorHandler — your C++ teacher

• Explains template & overload errors
• Detects missing includes
• Highlights the first real error
• Provides actionable hints

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🧰 Commands

vix <command> [options]

Command	Description
vix	Start REPL (default)
vix repl	Start REPL explicitly
vix new <name>	Create a new project
vix build [name]	Configure + build
vix run [name] [--args]	Build and run
vix dev [name]	Dev mode (watch & reload)
vix check [path]	Compile-only validation
vix tests [path]	Run tests
vix pack [options]	Create distribution artifact
vix verify [options]	Verify artifact
vix orm <subcommand>	ORM tooling
vix help [command]	Show help
vix version	Show version

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🧪 Usage Examples

vix
vix new api
cd api
vix dev
vix check --san
vix tests
vix pack --name api --version 1.0.0
vix verify dist/api@1.0.0

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🧩 Architecture

The CLI is built around a command dispatcher:

std::unordered_map<std::string, CommandHandler> commands;

Main components

Path	Responsibility
include/vix/cli/CLI.hpp	CLI entry & parsing
src/CLI.cpp	Command routing
src/ErrorHandler.cpp	Compiler diagnostics
src/commands/ReplCommand.cpp	Interactive REPL
src/commands/CheckCommand.cpp	Validation
src/commands/PackCommand.cpp	Packaging
src/commands/VerifyCommand.cpp	Verification

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🔧 Build & Installation

Standalone CLI build

git clone https://github.com/vixcpp/vix.git
cd vix/modules/cli
cmake -B build -S .
cmake --build build -j$(nproc)

Binary:

./build/vix

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Full Vix build

cd vix
cmake -B build -S .
cmake --build build

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⚙️ Configuration

Environment variables

Variable	Description
VIX_LOG_LEVEL	Runtime log level
VIX_STDOUT_MODE	line for real-time logs
VIX_MINISIGN_SECKEY	Secret key for pack
VIX_MINISIGN_PUBKEY	Public key for verify

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📦 CLI Help Output

Vix.cpp — Modern C++ backend runtime
Version: v1.x.x

Usage:
  vix [GLOBAL OPTIONS] <COMMAND> [ARGS...]
  vix help <command>

Quick start:
  vix new api
  cd api && vix dev
  vix pack --name api --version 1.0.0 && vix verify

Commands:
  Project:
    new <name>               Create a new Vix project
    build [name]             Configure + build
    run   [name]             Build and run
    dev   [name]             Dev mode
    check [path]             Compile-only validation
    tests [path]             Run tests

  Packaging & security:
    pack                     Create distribution artifact
    verify                   Verify artifact or package

  REPL:
    repl                     Start interactive REPL
    (default)                Run `vix` to start the REPL

Global options:
  --verbose
  -q, --quiet
  --log-level <level>
  -h, --help
  -v, --version

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🧾 License

MIT License © Gaspard Kirira
See LICENSE for details.