dcli — Database CLI

dcli (short for Database CLI) is a command-line tool for MongoDB data management. Designed for terminal use.

Features

• export — Export a MongoDB database to JSON file(s)
• import — Import a database or specific collection(s) from JSON file(s)
• ping — Ping databases to prevent idle/inactivity pause
• info — Show database collections and document counts
• add — Register a database URI in the auto-ping list (with optional name)
• remove — Remove a database by URI or friendly name
• auto-ping — Schedule dcli ping to run automatically on Windows logon
• view — Browse collections and documents in a styled table
• show — Display the auto-ping or auto-clone database list
• clone-add — Register a database URI in the auto-clone list
• clone-remove — Remove a database from the auto-clone list
• clone — Clone a single database by friendly name to JSON
• auto-clone — Clone all databases in the clone list to JSON files
• gui — Launch the web GUI in your browser

Installation

npm install -g @mohamed1_1ibrahim/dcli

git clone https://github.com/Mohamed-Ibrahim183/dcli
cd dcli
npm install
npm link

Usage

export

Export a MongoDB database to JSON file(s). Output is prettified by default.

dcli export "mongodb://localhost:27017/mydb"

| Option | Description | |--------|-------------| | -o, --output <name> | Output name (without or with .json extension) | | --format <type> | file (single JSON), split (per collection), all (both) | | --compact | Minify JSON output (default is prettified) | | --include <collections...> | Only export these collections | | --exclude <collections...> | Skip these collections | | --dry-run | Preview without writing files |

If the output file already exists, it auto-increments — file.json → file (1).json → file (2).json.

dcli export "mongodb://..." -o mydata
dcli export "mongodb://..." --format split
dcli export "mongodb://..." --format all --compact
dcli export "mongodb://..." --include users posts
dcli export "mongodb://..." --exclude logs analytics
dcli export "mongodb://..." --dry-run

import

Restore from a full file, single collection file, or directory.

| -f path | Behavior | |-----------|----------| | Full .json file | Restore entire DB (backup + confirmation + drop) | | Single collection .json | Restore that collection only | | Directory of .json files | Restore each file as a collection |

dcli import "mongodb://localhost:27017/mydb" -f backup.json
dcli import "mongodb://..." -f ./users.json
dcli import "mongodb://..." -f ./collections/

ping

Ping databases to prevent inactivity pause.

dcli ping                          # ping all from config
dcli ping "mongodb://..."          # ping a raw URI
dcli ping dbName                   # ping by friendly name from config
dcli ping --file my-dbs.json       # ping all from a custom file

info

Show collections and document counts.

dcli info "mongodb://localhost:27017/mydb"

add / remove

Manage the auto-ping list (~/.dcli/refresh.json).

dcli add "mongodb://..." -n dbName          # add with friendly name
dcli add "mongodb://..." -n dbName          # updates name if URI already exists
dcli remove "mongodb://user:pass@..."       # remove by URI
dcli remove dbName                          # remove by friendly name

auto-ping

Schedule dcli ping to run automatically. Requires administrator privileges.

dcli auto-ping                       # ONLOGON, 5 min delay (default)
dcli auto-ping --remove              # remove the task
dcli auto-ping --schedule DAILY --at 09:00
dcli auto-ping --schedule HOURLY --every 2
dcli auto-ping --schedule ONCE --at 18:00
dcli auto-ping --schedule ONLOGON --delay 10

| Option | Description | |--------|-------------| | --remove | Remove the scheduled task | | --schedule <type> | ONLOGON, DAILY, HOURLY, or ONCE (default: ONLOGON) | | --at <time> | Time for DAILY/ONCE schedules (24h, e.g. 09:00) | | --every <n> | Interval in hours for HOURLY (default: 1) | | --delay <n> | Delay in minutes for ONLOGON (default: 5) |

view

Browse collections and documents in a styled table.

dcli view "mongodb://localhost:27017/mydb"              # list collections
dcli view "mongodb://localhost:27017/mydb" users         # browse documents
dcli view "mongodb://..." users --limit 5
dcli view "mongodb://..." users --fields name,email --sort name
dcli view "mongodb://..." users --all --json

| Option | Description | |--------|-------------| | --limit <n> | Maximum documents (default: 10) | | --fields <fields> | Comma-separated fields to display | | --sort <field> | Sort ascending by field | | --all | Show all documents (no limit) | | --json | Output raw JSON instead of a table |

show

Display the auto-ping or auto-clone database list.

dcli show              # show ping list (~/.dcli/refresh.json)
dcli show --clone      # show clone list (~/.dcli/auto-clone.json)

clone-add / clone-remove

Manage the auto-clone list (~/.dcli/auto-clone.json).

dcli clone-add "mongodb://..." -n dbName
dcli clone-remove dbName

clone

Clone a single database from the clone list to a JSON file.

dcli clone dbName
dcli clone dbName -o ./backups

auto-clone

Clone all databases in the clone list to JSON files.

dcli auto-clone
dcli auto-clone -o ./backups

gui

Launch the web GUI in your browser (port defaults to 3456).

dcli gui
dcli gui -p 8080

Config Files

Ping list — ~/.dcli/refresh.json:

{
  "databases": [
    { "uri": "mongodb://cluster0.example.mongodb.net/mydb", "name": "dbName" },
    "mongodb://backup.example.mongodb.net/otherdb"
  ]
}

Clone list — ~/.dcli/auto-clone.json (same format as above).

Entries can be objects with uri and optional name, or plain strings (backward compatible). Many commands also accept a friendly name in place of a URI (e.g. dcli ping dbName).

Export Format

Single file:

{
  "database": "mydb",
  "exportedAt": "2026-05-25T14:30:00.000Z",
  "data": {
    "users": [ { "_id": "...", "name": "Alice" } ],
    "posts": [ { "_id": "...", "title": "Hello" } ]
  }
}

Split (per collection in a folder):

folder/
├── users.json     [ { "_id": "...", ... }, ... ]
├── posts.json     [ { "_id": "...", ... }, ... ]

Dependencies

• commander — CLI framework
• mongodb — MongoDB driver