# Archify CLI Commands: Complete Reference for Diagram Lifecycle Management > Explore Archify CLI commands for complete diagram lifecycle management. Discover essential commands like render, compare, and validate to manage your diagrams from JSON to HTML. - Repository: [tt-a1i/archify](https://github.com/tt-a1i/archify) - Tags: api-reference - Published: 2026-08-30 --- **The Archify CLI provides 15 specialized sub-commands—including render, compare, deliver, preview, validate, and inspect—accessible via the `archify/bin/archify.mjs` entry point to manage the complete diagram lifecycle from JSON IR to deterministic HTML artifacts.** The `tt-a1i/archify` repository ships a single-purpose command-line interface that transforms typed JSON intermediate representations into validated HTML and SVG diagrams. Mastering the available **Archify CLI commands** enables automated documentation pipelines, deterministic architecture reviews, and automated visual regression testing. ## Core Rendering Commands The rendering pipeline supports multiple diagram types including `architecture`, `workflow`, `sequence`, `dataflow`, and `lifecycle`. Each command delegates to specific renderer modules located in `renderers//render-.mjs`. ### render The `render ` command compiles typed JSON IR into static HTML or SVG artifacts. Key options include: - `--quality standard|showcase` – Controls rendering fidelity and detail level - `--repo-root ` – Required for architecture diagrams to resolve relative paths ### deliver The `deliver ` command executes a **safety-first workflow** that validates, renders, and atomically commits artifacts. According to the source code in `archify/bin/archify.mjs`, this command uses temporary staging directories and `renameSync` operations to prevent corruption of existing files. - `--open` – Automatically opens the generated artifact in the default browser - `--json` – Outputs machine-readable status information ### preview The `preview ` command spawns a long-running Node process via `archify/bin/preview.mjs` that implements a live-reload development loop. The process watches the source file and re-renders only after the JSON passes all validation checks, preserving the last valid artifact during editing errors. - `--no-open` – Suppresses automatic browser opening - `--quality` and `--repo-root` – Standard rendering options ## Validation and Inspection Commands These commands leverage JSON-Schema definitions from `archify/schemas/*.schema.json` and standalone validators in `renderers/shared/generated-validators.mjs`. ### validate The `validate ` command performs schema and layout validation without generating output files. Options include `--json` for structured output and `--layout-json` for detailed layout analysis. ### inspect The `inspect ` command dumps a human-readable representation of the parsed intermediate representation, useful for debugging JSON structure issues. ### check The `check ` command executes the artifact verification script at `archify/scripts/check-render-output.mjs`, validating composition, routing, and rendering integrity of existing HTML files. ### visual-check The `visual-check ` command runs headless pixel-diff regression testing via `archify/bin/visual-check.mjs` to detect unintended visual changes between builds. Use `--json` for CI-friendly output. ## Comparison and Migration Tools ### compare architecture The `compare architecture ` command produces deterministic Before/Delta/After views using the delta engine at `archify/delta/architecture-delta.mjs`. This generates semantic diffs between architecture snapshots rather than simple text diffs. - `--receipt ` – Saves comparison metadata to a JSON receipt file - `--json` – Outputs structured comparison data ### migrate workflow The `migrate workflow --to-schema 2` command converts workflow IR from legacy schema versions to current specifications, ensuring backward compatibility for archived diagrams. ## Utility and Diagnostic Commands ### guide The `guide [scenario]` command provides interactive scenario assistance using data from `archify/recipes/scenarios.mjs`. It lists available recipes or queries specific architectural scenarios. - `--lang en|zh` – Selects language for output (English or Chinese) - `--json` – Returns structured recipe data ### brands The `brands` command group manages brand mark lookups and capture: - `brands [search]` – Queries brand marks by name, alias, domain, or category - `brands capture ` – Extracts brand metadata from websites using automated scraping ### examples The `examples` command renders all bundled demonstration diagrams located in `archify/examples/`, providing reference implementations for each supported diagram type. ### doctor The `doctor` command runs comprehensive health checks on the installation, verifying Node version compatibility, required file presence, and runtime binary accessibility. ### demo The `demo [output-directory]` command builds complete demonstration distributions including HTML, PNG, WebM, and social share cards for portfolio or documentation purposes. ## CLI Implementation Architecture The command definitions reside at **lines 15-32** of `archify/bin/archify.mjs`, where a modular dispatch system routes arguments to specialized handlers. The architecture enforces **deterministic output**—renderers produce identical SVG/HTML given the same JSON IR, enabling reliable content hashing for receipts and cache validation. Safety mechanisms include atomic file operations in `deliver` and `compare` commands, preventing partial writes during concurrent access. The extensible validator system allows new diagram types to inherit schema checking capabilities without modifying core CLI logic. ## Command Usage Examples Render an architecture diagram with showcase quality: ```bash node archify/bin/archify.mjs render architecture web-app.architecture.json web-app.html --quality showcase ``` Compare two architecture snapshots and generate a JSON receipt: ```bash node archify/bin/archify.mjs compare architecture base.json head.json delta.html --json ``` Deliver a workflow diagram and open automatically: ```bash node archify/bin/archify.mjs deliver workflow my-workflow.json workflow.html --open ``` Run the scenario guide in Chinese: ```bash node archify/bin/archify.mjs guide --lang zh --json ``` Validate without rendering: ```bash node archify/bin/archify.mjs validate architecture design.json --layout-json ``` ## Summary - The **Archify CLI** exposes 15 commands through `archify/bin/archify.mjs` for complete diagram lifecycle management. - **Rendering commands** (`render`, `deliver`, `preview`) delegate to type-specific modules and support `standard` or `showcase` quality profiles. - **Validation commands** (`validate`, `inspect`, `check`, `visual-check`) leverage JSON-Schema validators and headless browser testing. - **Comparison tools** use semantic diffing via `archify/delta/architecture-delta.mjs` to generate delta views between snapshots. - **Utility commands** provide brand management, interactive guidance, installation diagnostics, and demo generation. - All commands implement deterministic output and atomic file operations to ensure reliable CI/CD integration. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How do I render a diagram from JSON using the Archify CLI? Use the `render` command with the diagram type, input JSON, and output path. For example: `node archify/bin/archify.mjs render architecture app.json output.html --quality showcase`. The command compiles the typed JSON IR into HTML or SVG using the renderer defined in `renderers/architecture/render-architecture.mjs`. ### What is the difference between the deliver and preview commands? The `deliver` command performs a one-time atomic commit of a validated artifact, optionally opening it in the browser, while `preview` starts a persistent watch process via `archify/bin/preview.mjs` that re-renders only when the source JSON passes validation. Use `deliver` for production builds and `preview` for iterative development. ### How does the compare command work for architecture reviews? The `compare architecture` command accepts two JSON snapshots and generates a three-panel delta view (Before/Delta/After) using the engine in `archify/delta/architecture-delta.mjs`. It performs semantic differencing on the architecture graph rather than text comparison, producing deterministic HTML outputs suitable for code review workflows. The `--receipt` option saves comparison metadata for audit trails. ### Where are the CLI command definitions located in the source code? Command definitions and usage strings are located at **lines 15-32** of `archify/bin/archify.mjs`. Individual command implementations are modularized across the codebase: renderers reside in `renderers//render-.mjs`, validation uses `renderers/shared/generated-validators.mjs`, and specialized tools like `visual-check` and `preview` have dedicated binaries in `archify/bin/`.