DevExtreme Angular - DevExtreme CLI
DevExtreme CLI is a set of command-line tools to be used with the DevExtreme controls library.
Installation
npm i -g devextreme-cli
Alternatively, you can use npx to execute DevExtreme CLI commands without installing the CLI globally. Examples in this article illustrate both approaches.
Add DevExtreme to an Existing Application
Angular
devextreme add devextreme-angular // ===== or without installing the DevExtreme CLI ===== npx -p devextreme-cli devextreme add devextreme-angular
This command does the following:
- Adds the devextremeanddevextreme-angularnpm packages to thedependenciesinpackage.jsonand installs their latest versions.
- References the dx.common.cssanddx.light.cssDevExtreme stylesheets inangular.json.
These steps are explained in the Add DevExtreme to an Angular CLI Application article.
Once the command is executed, import DevExtreme modules.
Vue
devextreme add devextreme-vue // ===== or without installing the DevExtreme CLI ===== npx -p devextreme-cli devextreme add devextreme-vue
This command does the following:
- Adds the devextremeanddevextreme-vuenpm packages to thedependenciesinpackage.jsonand installs their latest versions.
- Imports the dx.common.cssanddx.light.cssDevExtreme stylesheets insrc/main.js.
These steps are explained in the Add DevExtreme to a Vue Application article.
Once the command is executed, import DevExtreme components.
React
devextreme add devextreme-react // ===== or without installing the DevExtreme CLI ===== npx -p devextreme-cli devextreme add devextreme-react
This command does the following:
- Adds the devextremeanddevextreme-reactnpm packages to thedependenciesinpackage.jsonand installs their latest versions.
- Imports the dx.common.cssanddx.light.cssDevExtreme stylesheets insrc/App.js.
These steps are explained in the Add DevExtreme to an React Application article.
Once the command is executed, import DevExtreme components.
Create a New Application
Angular
Create a new DevExtreme Angular application that uses the DevExtreme layout template:
devextreme new angular-app app-name [--layout][--empty] // ===== or without installing the DevExtreme CLI ===== npx -p devextreme-cli devextreme new angular-app app-name [--layout][--empty]
Vue
Create a new DevExtreme Vue application that uses the DevExtreme layout template:
devextreme new vue-app app-name [--layout][--empty][--version] // ===== or without installing the DevExtreme CLI ===== npx -p devextreme-cli devextreme new vue-app app-name [--layout][--empty][--version]
React
Create a new DevExtreme React application that uses the DevExtreme layout template:
devextreme new react-app app-name [--layout][--empty] // ===== or without installing the DevExtreme CLI ===== npx -p devextreme-cli devextreme new react-app app-name [--layout][--empty]
Arguments:
- --layout
 Specifies the DevExtreme layout to add. Available values:- side-nav-outer-toolbar(default)
- side-nav-inner-toolbar
 - Both layouts are illustrated in the Layouts article. 
- --empty
 Specifies whether to skip sample views generation (default:- false).
- --version,- -v(Vue only)
 Specifies whether to generate a Vue 2 or Vue 3 application. Available values: 2 (default) and 3.
Add the DevExtreme Layout to an Existing Application
Add the DevExtreme layout template to an existing Angular application:
devextreme add angular-template [--layout][--empty][--resolve-conflicts] // ===== or ===== npx -p devextreme-cli devextreme add angular-template [--layout][--empty][--resolve-conflicts]
Arguments:
- --layout
 Specifies the DevExtreme layout to add. Available values:- side-nav-outer-toolbar(default)
- side-nav-inner-toolbar
 - Both layouts are illustrated in the Layouts article. 
- --empty
 Specifies whether to skip sample views generation (default:- false).
- --resolve-conflicts
 Specifies whether to override the existing- app.componentor create a component with another name. Available values:- createNew(default)
- override(NOTE: all changes in the overridden files will be lost)
 - If you created a new component, register it in - app.module.ts:app.module.ts- // ... import { AppComponent } from './app1.component'; // ...
Add a View to the Application
The following command adds a view to an application that uses the DevExtreme layout template for Angular, Vue, or React:
devextreme add view view-name [--icon] // ===== or ===== npx -p devextreme-cli devextreme add view view-name [--icon]
Arguments:
- --icon
 Specifies the view's icon (default:- folder). You can choose an icon from the DevExtreme icon library.
ThemeBuilder
The ThemeBuilder UI is a tool that allows you to create custom themes in the browser; its CLI counterpart allows you to do the same with commands.
If your application uses npm v7 or later, open package.json and ensure the following: 
- The devextremepackage is listed independencies.
- The devextreme-themebuilderpackage is listed indevDependencies.
- Both packages have the same version.
If these conditions are not met, run the following commands to install the packages:
npm i devextreme@20.2 --save --save-exact npm i devextreme-themebuilder@20.2 --save-dev --save-exact
Build a Custom Color Scheme
devextreme build-theme [--base-theme][--input-file][--make-swatch][--output-file][--version][--widgets][--assetsBasePath][--output-color-scheme][--help] // ===== or without installing the DevExtreme CLI ===== npx -p devextreme-cli devextreme build-theme [--base-theme][--input-file][--make-swatch][--output-file][--version][--widgets][--assetsBasePath][--output-color-scheme]
Export Theme Variables
The following command exports theme variables as a .less or .scss file:
devextreme export-theme-vars [--base-theme][--input-file][--output-format][--output-file][--version][--base][--help] // ===== or ===== npx -p devextreme-cli devextreme export-theme-vars [--base-theme][--input-file][--output-format][--output-file][--version][--base]
Export Theme Metadata
Theme metadata is a JSON object that describes the theme. It is used to export or import a theme in the ThemeBuilder UI. Below is an example of theme metadata.
{
    "items": [
        {
            "key": "$base-text-color",
            "value": "rgba(94, 33, 33, 0.87)"
        },
        {
            "key": "$base-accent",
            "value": "rgba(64, 156, 199, 1)"
        }
    ],
    "baseTheme": "material.blue.light.compact",
    "outputColorScheme": "custom-scheme",
    "makeSwatch": true,
    "version": "20.2.12",
    "widgets": ["datagrid","treelist","selectbox"],
    "assetsBasePath": "../../../node_modules/devextreme/dist/css/"
}The metadata object contains the following properties:
- items
 An array that describes customized theme variables.- key
 A theme variable's name.
- value
 The theme variable's value.
 
- baseTheme
 A predefined DevExtreme theme which the custom theme is based on.
- outputColorScheme
 The custom theme's color scheme.
- makeSwatch
 A flag that indicates whether the theme is a color swatch.
- version
 The target DevExtreme version.
- widgets
 A list of UI components whose styles are included in the resulting CSS file.
- assetsBasePath
 A path to the folder that contains the DevExtreme- iconsand- fontsfolders. This property is used only if the icons and fonts are not in the same folder as your custom theme.
Run the following command to export the metadata as a .json file:
devextreme export-theme-meta [--base-theme][--input-file][--output-file][--base][--help] // ===== or ===== npx -p devextreme-cli devextreme export-theme-meta [--base-theme][--input-file][--output-file][--base]
Command-Line Arguments
- --base-theme
 Specifies a base theme's name (default:- generic.light).
- --input-file
 Specifies the name of the file that contains input data (a- .jsonfile with metadata or a- .lessor- .scssfile with Bootstrap variables).
- --output-file
 Specifies the output file name.
- --output-format
 Specifies the format of the output variables:- lessor- scss(default:- lessor the extension extracted from the- --output-filevalue (if it contains any)).
- --output-color-scheme
 Specifies the custom color scheme name (default:- custom-scheme).
- --make-swatch
 When present, creates a color swatch, i.e., adds a CSS scope to each CSS rule (- .dx-swatch-xxx, where- xxxis the value from the- --output-color-schemeparameter).
- --base
 Exports only base variables used to produce derived variables.
- --version
 Specifies the target DevExtreme version or a tag that points to it (the default value is- latest).
- --widgets
 Specifies a comma-separated list of UI components whose styles should be included in the resulting CSS file. If this argument is not specified, styles of all UI components are included. Syntax example:- --widgets=datagrid,treelist,selectbox 
- --assetsBasePath
 Specifies a path to the folder that contains the DevExtreme- iconsand- fontsfolders. Use this argument if the icons and fonts are not in the same folder as your custom theme.
- --remove-external-resources(available since v20.2.7)
 When present, removes links to external resources, such as fonts. The theme will use local fallbacks instead.
Examples
Generate a new custom color swatch that uses Generic Dark as a base theme:
npx -p devextreme-cli devextreme build-theme --base-theme="generic.dark" --make-swatch --output-color-scheme="custom"
Generate a new pink color scheme based on the Material Blue Light theme, use constants from the pink.json file:
npx -p devextreme-cli devextreme build-theme --base-theme="material.blue.light" --input-file="pink.json" --output-color-scheme="pink"
Export base variables for the Generic Carmine theme in LESS format:
npx -p devextreme-cli devextreme export-theme-vars --base-theme="generic.carmine" --output-format="less" --base
If you have technical questions, please create a support ticket in the DevExpress Support Center.