CLI Workflow

CLI command families

The NestForge CLI currently groups its workflow into four areas:

• new for scaffolding a fresh app
• g or generate for adding code to an existing app
• db for migration-oriented database workflows
• docs and fmt for project maintenance

Scaffold a new app

Base syntax:

nestforge new <app-name>
nestforge new <app-name> --transport <http|graphql|grpc|microservices|websockets>

What the transport flag changes:

• http: classic controller-first application
• graphql: schema-first bootstrap with GraphiQL support
• grpc: tonic-oriented transport setup with proto/ and build.rs
• microservices: pattern registry plus in-process client example
• websockets: gateway-first bootstrap and src/ws/

Generate application code

Generators are designed to work inside an application folder containing Cargo.toml and src/.

Core generators:

nestforge g module users
nestforge g resource users
nestforge g controller users
nestforge g service users

Cross-cutting generators:

nestforge g guard auth
nestforge g decorator correlation_id
nestforge g filter rewrite_bad_request
nestforge g middleware audit
nestforge g interceptor logging
nestforge g serializer user

Transport-specific generators:

nestforge g graphql users
nestforge g grpc billing
nestforge g gateway events
nestforge g microservice users

Target a feature module

To generate inside a feature boundary instead of at the app root:

nestforge g resource users --module users

The CLI will:

• verify the feature module exists
• write DTO, service, and controller files under src/users/
• patch the module exports, providers, and controller wiring

Database commands

The CLI includes a lightweight migration workflow.

nestforge db init
nestforge db generate create_users_table
nestforge db migrate
nestforge db status

Behavior to know:

• init creates migrations/ and .nestforge/applied_migrations.txt
• generate creates a timestamped SQL file
• migrate reads DATABASE_URL and applies pending files
• status compares migration files with recorded state and reports drift

Utility commands

nestforge docs
nestforge fmt

• docs creates a docs/openapi.json skeleton in the current app
• fmt runs cargo fmt in the app root

Practical advice

Use the CLI to accelerate structure, not to avoid understanding the output. After each generation step, inspect the generated code and make sure:

• module wiring is correct
• feature flags in Cargo.toml match the transport or runtime you want
• .env defaults match your local environment
• generated stubs are replaced with application-specific logic before production use