CLI Reference
The StrataDB CLI (strata) provides an interactive command-line interface for interacting with StrataDB databases.
Installation
# From crates.io
cargo install strata-cli
# From source
git clone https://github.com/stratadb-labs/strata-core
cd strata-core
cargo install --path crates/cli
Quick Start
# Open a database
strata /path/to/data
# Or use an in-memory database
strata --memory
# Run a single command
strata /path/to/data -c "kv put greeting hello"
Command Line Options
| Option | Description |
|---|
<PATH> | Path to the database directory |
--memory | Use ephemeral in-memory database |
-c, --command <CMD> | Execute command and exit |
--json | Output in JSON format |
--raw | Output raw values (no formatting) |
-h, --help | Show help |
-V, --version | Show version |
Command Reference
Database Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|
ping | Check database connectivity |
info | Get database statistics |
flush | Flush pending writes to disk |
compact | Trigger database compaction |
KV Store Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|
kv put <key> <value> | Store a value (supports multiple pairs) |
kv get <key> | Retrieve a value (supports multiple keys) |
kv del <key> | Delete a key (supports multiple keys) |
kv list [--prefix <p>] | List keys with optional prefix |
kv history <key> | Get version history |
Options:
--with-version, -v — Include version and timestamp with get--prefix, -p — Filter by prefix--limit, -n — Maximum results--all, -a — Fetch all (auto-pagination)
State Cell Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|
state set <cell> <value> | Set a state cell |
state get <cell> | Get a state cell |
state init <cell> <value> | Initialize if not exists |
state cas <cell> <value> [--expect <v>] | Compare-and-swap |
state del <cell> | Delete a state cell |
state list [--prefix <p>] | List state cells |
state history <cell> | Get version history |
Event Log Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|
event append <type> <payload> | Append an event |
event get <sequence> | Get event by sequence |
event list <type> | List events by type |
event len | Get total event count |
Options:
--file, -f — Read payload from file (use - for stdin)--limit, -n — Maximum events--after, -a — Return events after sequence
JSON Store Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|
json set <key> <path> <value> | Set value at JSONPath |
json get <key> <path> | Get value at JSONPath |
json del <key> <path> | Delete at JSONPath |
json list [--prefix <p>] | List document keys |
json history <key> | Get version history |
Vector Store Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|
vector create <coll> <dim> | Create collection |
vector drop <coll> | Delete collection |
vector list | List collections |
vector stats <coll> | Collection statistics |
vector upsert <coll> <key> <vector> | Insert/update vector |
vector get <coll> <key> | Get vector by key |
vector del <coll> <key> | Delete vector |
vector search <coll> <query> <k> | Search similar vectors |
Options:
--metric, -m — Distance metric (cosine, euclidean, dot_product)--filter, -f — Metadata filter (JSON array)--metadata — Attach metadata to vector
Branch Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|
branch create <name> | Create new branch |
branch info <name> | Get branch metadata |
branch list | List all branches |
branch exists <name> | Check if branch exists |
branch del <name> | Delete branch |
branch fork <src> <dst> | Fork with all data |
branch diff <a> <b> | Compare two branches |
branch merge <src> <tgt> | Merge branches |
branch use <name> | Switch to branch |
branch export <name> <path> | Export to bundle file |
branch import <path> | Import from bundle file |
Space Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|
space create <name> | Create new space |
space list | List all spaces |
space exists <name> | Check if space exists |
space del <name> | Delete empty space |
space del-force <name> | Delete space and all data |
space use <name> | Switch to space |
Transaction Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|
txn begin | Start transaction |
txn commit | Commit transaction |
txn rollback | Rollback transaction |
txn info | Get transaction info |
txn active | Check if transaction active |
Search Command
search <query> [--k <n>] [--primitives <list>]
Search across multiple primitives (kv, json, events, state).
Human (default)
Redis-style output optimized for readability:
> kv put name "Alice"
(integer) 1
> kv get name
"Alice"
> kv list
1) "name"
JSON (--json)
Machine-readable JSON output:
strata /data --json -c "kv get name"
# {"value": "Alice"}
Raw (--raw)
Unformatted values only:
strata /data --raw -c "kv get name"
# Alice
REPL Commands
These commands are only available in interactive mode:
| Command | Description |
|---|
help [command] | Show help for a command |
clear | Clear the screen |
quit / exit | Exit the REPL |
Press TAB to autocomplete command names, subcommands, flags, and branch/space names.