OpenFin CLI tool

The OpenFin CLI tool is a package that allows you to do command line development in the OpenFin environment without the hassle of using a GUI. One of the simplest ways to get up and running on OpenFin is with the command-line interface (CLI) tool. With this tool, you can install the OpenFin Runtime, launch applications with a URL or configuration file, create Windows installers, and create configuration files.

CLI tool prerequisites

Node and npm are required to install the CLI tool, but not for creating an OpenFin application. We recommend a global installation (-g), as written in the installation information below, for ease of use.

Starting with version 4.0.0 of the openfin-cli package, you must use Node version 16 or higher.

License

You agree to the Developer License to download, use, test, or build with any OpenFin technology. The code in this section is covered by the OpenFin Developer License. If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].

Install and use the OpenFin CLI tool

Use the following commands into your terminal:

Enter the install command to download and install the OpenFin CLI tool.
```
npm install -g openfin-cli
```
To launch an application, you need to create an application manifest file (typically named app.json) and specify the URL of your hosted web app. Enter the following launch command to auto-generate an app manifest file and point it to your hosted web app. The host URL is automatically added to the application manifest file.
```
openfin --launch --url http://example.com
```
The command prints the location of the app manifest file that it creates. For example: Manifest written to: C:\Users\YOURUS~1\AppData\Local\Temp\app-1620249981454-2142.json

You can move or rename this manifest file as needed. For example, you could copy it to your home directory and rename it my_app.json.
To run the application again, use the --config option to specify the location of the app manifest file.
```
openfin --launch --config my_app.json
```