@getcoherent/cli

CLI for Coherent Design Method — generate and maintain Next.js apps with a single design-system config.

Install

npm install -g @getcoherent/cli

Quick Start

# In an empty directory (or new repo)
coherent init
npm install
coherent preview

Init auto-detects your environment and wires the right generation path — skill mode (no API key) when Claude Code is present, or the API-key path otherwise. It prints the exact command to run for your setup; no flags needed unless you want to force --skill-mode / --api-mode / --both.

• App: http://localhost:3000
• Design System: http://localhost:3000/design-system
• Docs: http://localhost:3000/design-system/docs

Commands

| Command | Description | |---------|-------------| | coherent init | Create project: config, app, design-system viewer, docs. Non-interactive (optional provider flag). | | coherent chat "<request>" | Generate or modify pages using natural language. Includes generation-time TypeScript validation. | | coherent preview | Start Next.js dev server. | | coherent fix | Auto-fix everything: TypeScript errors (deterministic + AI), missing components, CSS, raw colors, layouts. | | coherent check | Show all problems: page quality, component integrity, broken links. | | coherent sync | Sync Design System with code after manual edits. | | coherent export | Production build; optional Vercel/Netlify config. | | coherent undo | Restore project to state before the last coherent chat. | | coherent update | Apply platform updates to an existing project. | | coherent status | Print config summary (pages, components). | | coherent components | List registered components. |

Workflows

After coherent init there's a generative path (auto-wired based on what init detected) plus the IDE:

1. Generation — whichever command init printed: /coherent-generate "add pricing page" in Claude Code (skill mode, no key) or coherent chat "add pricing page" (API-key mode). Same pipeline either way.
2. IDE — edit design-system.config.ts, app/, components/ directly; hot reload. Best for fine-grained control.

Tip: Use generation for structure, then the IDE for details. Commit before each generate run and git diff after.

Examples

# Skill mode (run from Claude Code chat)
/coherent-generate "add dashboard page with stats cards"
/coherent-generate "add contact page with form"

# API-key mode (any shell)
coherent chat "add Button, Card, Input from shadcn"
coherent chat "change primary color to #6366f1"

API Key (only for coherent chat)

Skill mode (/coherent-generate) needs no key — it uses your Claude Code subscription.

For the standalone coherent chat path, set one of:

• Anthropic (default): ANTHROPIC_API_KEY
• OpenAI: OPENAI_API_KEY

Put in .env in the project root or export in the shell. In Cursor, keys are often auto-detected.

Docs

• Root repo: README and QUICK_REFERENCE.md
• Project context and workflows: CONTEXT.md §7

License

MIT