@paljs/cli

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Installation
• Usage
• Features
• Configuration
• License

Introduction

A powerful command-line interface for generating full-stack applications with Prisma, GraphQL, and modern frontend frameworks. The PalJS CLI automates the creation of CRUD operations, admin interfaces, and GraphQL schemas.

Installation

npm install -g @paljs/cli
# or
yarn global add @paljs/cli
# or
pnpm add -g @paljs/cli

Usage

Quick Start

# Create a new project
pal create my-app

# Generate CRUD operations
pal generate

# Convert Prisma schema
pal schema json

Commands

pal create <name>

Create a new full-stack application with Prisma and GraphQL.

pal create my-awesome-app

Options:

• --example <type> - Choose project template (default: full-stack-nextjs)
• --framework <framework> - UI framework selection
• --multi - Enable multi-schema support
• --git - Initialize git repository
• --manager <manager> - Package manager (npm, yarn, pnpm)
• --skip-install - Skip dependency installation

Available Examples:

• full-stack-nextjs - Complete Next.js application with Prisma
• apollo-nexus-schema - Apollo Server with Nexus schema-first approach
• apollo-sdl-first - Apollo Server with SDL-first approach
• graphql-modules - GraphQL Modules architecture

Available Frameworks:

• Material UI
• Material UI + PrismaAdmin UI
• Tailwind CSS
• Tailwind CSS + PrismaAdmin UI
• Chakra UI
• Chakra UI + PrismaAdmin UI

Example:

pal create my-app --example full-stack-nextjs --framework "Tailwind CSS + PrismaAdmin UI" --git

pal generate [models] [type]

Generate CRUD operations, admin pages, and GraphQL queries/mutations.

# Generate everything for all models
pal generate

# Generate for specific models
pal generate User,Post

# Generate specific types
pal generate User queries,mutations

# Generate admin pages only
pal generate User admin

Arguments:

• models - Comma-separated list of model names (optional)
• type - Type of files to generate: crud, queries, mutations, admin, graphql

Options:

• -c, --config <file> - Custom config file name (default: pal.config)
• -s, --schema <name> - Schema name from config file
• -m, --multi - Work with multi-schema configuration
• -a, --autoComplete <path> - Generate CLI auto-completion for oh-my-zsh

Examples:

# Generate CRUD for User and Post models
pal generate User,Post crud

# Generate admin interface for all models
pal generate admin

# Use custom config file
pal generate --config my-pal.config

# Multi-schema mode
pal generate --multi --schema userSchema

pal schema <converter>

Convert and manipulate Prisma schema files.

# Convert schema to JSON
pal schema json

# Convert to TypeScript types
pal schema typescript

# Convert snake_case to camelCase
pal schema camel-case

Arguments:

• converter - Conversion type: json, typescript, camel-case

Options:

• -o, --output-path <path> - Output folder path (default: src/)
• -t, --type <type> - Output file type for JSON conversion: js, ts, json (default: ts)
• -s, --schema <path> - Custom schema file path

Examples:

# Convert to TypeScript with custom output
pal schema typescript --output-path ./types

# Convert to JSON as JavaScript file
pal schema json --type js --output-path ./generated

# Convert specific schema file
pal schema json --schema ./custom/schema.prisma

Examples

Complete Project Setup

# 1. Create new project
pal create my-blog --framework "Tailwind CSS + PrismaAdmin UI"

# 2. Navigate to project
cd my-blog

# 3. Update your Prisma schema
# Edit prisma/schema.prisma

# 4. Generate database migration
npx prisma migrate dev

# 5. Generate GraphQL CRUD operations
pal generate

# 6. Generate admin interface
pal generate admin

# 7. Start development server
npm run dev

Working with Specific Models

# Generate only for User model
pal generate User

# Generate queries only for Post model
pal generate Post queries

# Generate admin interface for specific models
pal generate User,Post,Category admin

Schema Conversion Workflow

# Convert schema to TypeScript types
pal schema typescript --output-path ./src/types

# Convert to JSON for external tools
pal schema json --type json --output-path ./tools

# Convert snake_case to camelCase
pal schema camel-case

Integration with Development Workflow

Package.json Scripts

{
  "scripts": {
    "generate": "pal generate",
    "generate:admin": "pal generate admin",
    "schema:types": "pal schema typescript",
    "db:generate": "prisma generate && pal generate"
  }
}

CI/CD Integration

# .github/workflows/generate.yml
name: Generate Code
on:
  push:
    paths:
      - 'prisma/schema.prisma'

jobs:
  generate:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
      - uses: actions/setup-node@v2
      - run: npm install
      - run: pal generate
      - run: git add .
      - run: git commit -m "Auto-generate code" || exit 0
      - run: git push

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Schema file not found

   # Specify custom schema path
   pal generate --schema ./custom/path/schema.prisma

2. Config file not found

   # Use custom config file
   pal generate --config custom.config.js

3. Permission errors

   # Install globally with proper permissions
   sudo npm install -g @paljs/cli

Debug Mode

Enable debug output:

DEBUG=paljs* pal generate

Features

Generator Types

Nexus Generator

Generates Nexus GraphQL schema with type-safe resolvers.

{
  backend: {
    generator: 'nexus',
    output: './src/graphql',
  }
}

Generated Files:

• types.ts - Nexus type definitions
• queries.ts - Query resolvers
• mutations.ts - Mutation resolvers
• index.ts - Combined exports

SDL Generator

Generates Schema Definition Language files with resolvers.

{
  backend: {
    generator: 'sdl',
    output: './src/graphql',
  }
}

Generated Files:

• typeDefs.ts - GraphQL type definitions
• resolvers.ts - Resolver functions
• index.ts - Combined exports

GraphQL Modules Generator

Generates modular GraphQL architecture using GraphQL Modules.

{
  backend: {
    generator: 'graphql-modules',
    output: './src/graphql',
  }
}

Generated Files:

• modules/ - Individual model modules
• inputs/ - Input type definitions
• app.ts - Application module

Auto-Completion

Enable CLI auto-completion for oh-my-zsh:

pal generate --autoComplete ~/.oh-my-zsh/custom/plugins/

Then add paljs to your plugins in ~/.zshrc:

plugins=(... paljs)

Configuration

Basic Configuration (pal.config.js)

module.exports = {
  schema: './prisma/schema.prisma',
  backend: {
    generator: 'nexus', // 'nexus' | 'sdl' | 'graphql-modules'
    output: './src/graphql',
    excludeFields: ['password', 'hash'],
    excludeModels: [{ name: 'Log', queries: true, mutations: false }],
  },
  frontend: {
    admin: {
      models: ['User', 'Post', 'Category'],
      output: './src/admin',
    },
    graphql: {
      output: './src/graphql/generated',
    },
  },
};

Multi-Schema Configuration

module.exports = {
  multiSchema: true,
  schemas: {
    user: {
      schema: './prisma/user.prisma',
      backend: {
        generator: 'nexus',
        output: './src/graphql/user',
      },
    },
    blog: {
      schema: './prisma/blog.prisma',
      backend: {
        generator: 'sdl',
        output: './src/graphql/blog',
      },
    },
  },
};

Advanced Configuration Options

module.exports = {
  schema: './prisma/schema.prisma',
  backend: {
    generator: 'nexus',
    output: './src/graphql',

    // Exclude specific fields globally
    excludeFields: ['password', 'hash', 'salt'],

    // Exclude specific models or operations
    excludeModels: [
      { name: 'InternalLog', queries: true, mutations: true },
      { name: 'Session', mutations: true },
    ],

    // Exclude fields per model
    excludeFieldsByModel: {
      User: ['password', 'hash'],
      Post: ['internalNotes'],
    },

    // Exclude specific queries/mutations
    excludeQueriesAndMutations: ['deleteMany', 'updateMany'],

    // Exclude queries/mutations per model
    excludeQueriesAndMutationsByModel: {
      User: ['deleteMany'],
      Post: ['updateMany'],
    },

    // Disable all queries or mutations
    disableQueries: false,
    disableMutations: false,

    // Custom Prisma client name
    prismaName: 'prisma',

    // JavaScript output instead of TypeScript
    javaScript: false,
  },

  frontend: {
    admin: {
      models: ['User', 'Post', 'Category'],
      output: './src/admin/pages',
      pageContent: 'custom-template.tsx',
    },

    graphql: {
      output: './src/graphql/generated',
      models: ['User', 'Post'],
    },
  },
};

License

MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.