@topogram/cli

Topogram Engine

This folder contains the Topogram implementation: parser, validator, resolver, generators, runtime bundle emitters, and CLI.

The active product workflow is authoring-to-generated-app. Engine development should stay separate from user-facing demos.

Package Shape

The engine is the publishable CLI package:

{
  "name": "@topogram/cli",
  "bin": {
    "topogram": "./src/cli.js"
  }
}

This lets source checkouts and package consumers call:

topogram new ../my-app
topogram version
topogram version --json
topogram doctor
topogram check
topogram generate
topogram catalog list
topogram catalog show todo
topogram catalog check topograms.catalog.json
topogram catalog copy hello ../hello-topogram
topogram import ../existing-app --out ../imported-topogram
topogram import check ../imported-topogram
topogram release status
topogram package update-cli --latest
topogram source status ../hello-topogram --local
topogram source status ../hello-topogram --remote
topogram template list
topogram template explain
topogram template status
topogram template policy check
topogram template policy pin @scope/template@0.2.0
topogram template check ../my-template
topogram template update --plan
topogram trust template

Publishing is manual through the repo-level Publish CLI Package workflow. Create generated projects outside engine/; this directory is source and test code.

From the repo root, prefer:

npm run smoke:test-app
npm run cli:check
npm run new -- ./my-topogram-app

Layout

• src/ - engine source
• tests/active/ - retained active engine tests
• tests/fixtures/templates/ - local template fixtures used by engine tests
• tests/fixtures/workspaces/ - engine-owned Topogram workspaces
• tests/fixtures/expected/ - engine-owned golden outputs
• tests/fixtures/invalid/ - invalid model cases

The generated Todo demo and Todo starter template live outside this repo in topogram-demo-todo and topogram-template-todo.

Active Fixture

The current generated-app regression fixture is:

tests/fixtures/workspaces/app-basic/
tests/fixtures/expected/app-basic/

It is a fixture, not a user example.

Commands

Run the engine gate:

npm run check

Create a starter project from the catalog-backed default hello-web alias:

topogram new ../my-topogram-app --template hello-web
cd ../my-topogram-app
npm install
npm run doctor
npm run check

Choose another catalog starter with the template commands:

topogram template list
topogram template show web-api
topogram new ../web-api-demo --template web-api

Create a starter project from a shared template package:

topogram new ../todo-demo --template @topogram/template-todo
topogram new ../todo-demo --template todo

Catalog aliases resolve through the public catalog index at github:attebury/topograms/topograms.catalog.json. The catalog is package backed; executable starter content still lives in template packages. Use topogram catalog show <id> to inspect an entry and get the correct new or copy command for that kind. Use topogram template show <id> when the entry is known to be a starter template and you want the direct topogram new flow. Pure topogram catalog entries can be copied for editing with topogram catalog copy <id> <target>. Copied topogram projects record .topogram-source.json; inspect local drift from that import baseline with topogram source status <target> --local. This metadata is provenance only and does not block local edits, checks, or generation. Template baseline divergence means the local project owns those edits; executable implementation trust is the separate state that can block generation until reviewed. Run topogram template detach <target> when the project should stop tracking template update metadata while keeping normal check/generate behavior.

Do not create generated projects under engine/. The CLI refuses paths inside the engine directory.

Template pack authoring and trust policy are documented in ../docs/template-authoring.md. Catalog layout and optional private-source access are documented in ../docs/catalog.md. Projects created from executable templates include .topogram-template-trust.json; regenerate it with topogram trust template after reviewing copied implementation/ code. Use topogram template status for the lifecycle summary, then topogram trust status and topogram trust diff to inspect changed files before refreshing trust.

Projects also include topogram.template-policy.json, the allow policy used by template update and template check commands. It can restrict candidate template sources, template ids, package scopes, executable-template behavior, and pinned template versions:

topogram template policy check
topogram template policy explain
topogram template policy init
topogram template policy pin @scope/template@0.2.0

Use topogram template policy explain for a rule-by-rule view of the current project template, package scope, catalog provenance, executable implementation setting, and pinned version state.

Use topogram template status --latest and topogram template update --latest only for package-backed templates when an explicit registry lookup is desired. Plain status and update commands do not query the registry.

Use topogram template update --status [--template <spec>] to inspect current template adoption state with baseline and conflict analysis. Use topogram template update --recommend [--template <spec>] for a concise human/agent next-step summary before applying, adopting, or deleting files. Use topogram template update --plan [--template <spec>] to compare the current project with a candidate template without writing files. Use topogram template update --check [--template <spec>] as the no-write CI guard; it exits nonzero when the project is not aligned with the recorded or supplied template. Any update mode can write a machine-readable review report with --out <path>. After review, topogram template update --apply [--template <spec>] writes added/changed template-owned files, records a new .topogram-template-files.json baseline, skips deletes, and refuses local conflicts. Existing projects can run topogram trust template after review to record the first template-owned file baseline. JSON output includes structured diagnostics with codes, paths, suggested fixes, and workflow steps.

Single-file adoption actions are explicit and baseline-aware: --accept-current <file> records the current file as the trusted baseline, --accept-candidate <file> applies one candidate file after baseline checks, and --delete-current <file> deletes one current-only file only when it still matches the trusted baseline.

Template authors can run topogram template check <template-spec-or-path> to validate manifest/layout, temporary starter creation, starter checks, trust metadata, and no-write update planning. The JSON form reports structured diagnostics with codes, paths, and suggested fixes for authoring feedback.

Run the same gate directly:

npm test

Run only the active fixture validity check:

npm run fixture:check

Inspect the active fixture topology as JSON:

npm run fixture:check:json

Generate the active fixture app bundle:

npm run fixture:generate

Run the app-generation workflow test:

node --test ./tests/active/generated-app-workflow.test.js

Validate or generate through the public CLI shape:

node ./src/cli.js check ./tests/fixtures/workspaces/app-basic
node ./src/cli.js generate ./tests/fixtures/workspaces/app-basic --out /tmp/topogram-app