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mxcli - Mendix CLI for AI-Assisted Development

WARNING: Alpha-quality software. This project is in early stages and has been largely vibe-engineered with AI coding assistants. Expect bugs, missing features, and rough edges. mxcli can corrupt your Mendix project files — always work on a copy or use version control. Use at your own risk. This has been developed and tested against Mendix 11.6, other versions are currently not validated.

Do not edit a project with mxcli while it is open in Studio Pro. Studio Pro maintains in-memory caches that cannot be updated externally. Close the project in Studio Pro first, run mxcli, then re-open the project.

A command-line tool that enables AI coding assistants (Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, OpenCode, Cursor, Continue.dev, Windsurf, Aider, and others) to read, understand, and modify Mendix application projects.

Read the documentation | Try it in the Playground — no install needed, runs in your browser

Why mxcli?

Mendix projects are stored in binary .mpr files that AI agents can't read directly. mxcli bridges this gap:

  • MDL (Mendix Definition Language) — SQL-like syntax for querying and modifying Mendix models
  • Multi-tool support — Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, OpenCode, Cursor, Continue.dev, Windsurf, Aider, and more
  • Full-text search — search across all strings, messages, and source definitions
  • Code navigation — callers, callees, references, impact analysis
  • Linting and reporting — 40+ built-in rules, scored best practices report
  • Local build and run — build and run Mendix apps without Docker

Installation

Windows (recommended — avoids firewall issues)

Open Git Bash (from the Start menu, or via PowerShell):

& 'C:\Program Files\Git\bin\sh.exe'

Then inside Git Bash:

curl -fsSL https://github.com/engalar/mxcli/raw/refs/heads/dev/install.sh | bash

The script installs mxcli.exe to ~/.local/bin/, writes the path to ~/.bashrc, and registers it in the Windows user PATH so PowerShell and CMD also find it after reopening.

To use mxcli in the current Git Bash session without reopening:

export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"
mxcli version

Windows (alternative — PowerShell)

irm https://github.com/engalar/mxcli/raw/refs/heads/dev/install.ps1 | iex

Linux / macOS

curl -fsSL https://github.com/engalar/mxcli/raw/refs/heads/dev/install.sh | bash

The script installs to /usr/local/bin (if writable) or ~/.local/bin, and updates ~/.bashrc / ~/.zshrc automatically.

Upgrade

mxcli upgrade          # upgrade the launcher
mxcli daemon upgrade   # upgrade the daemon (~20 MB, downloaded on first use)
mxcli local upgrade    # upgrade mxcli-local (local build + run without Docker)

Quick Start

New project

Create a new Mendix project with everything configured in one command:

mxcli new MyApp --version 11.8.0

This downloads MxBuild, creates a blank Mendix project, sets up AI tooling and a Dev Container, and installs the correct mxcli binary. Open the resulting folder in VS Code and reopen in the Dev Container — you're ready to go.

Existing project

Add AI tooling to an existing Mendix project:

mxcli init /path/to/my-mendix-project

Then open in VS Code, reopen in Dev Container, and start your AI assistant:

claude   # or Cursor, Continue.dev, Windsurf, etc.

Supported AI tools

Tool Config file Description
Claude Code .claude/, CLAUDE.md Full integration with skills and commands
OpenCode .opencode/, opencode.json Skills, commands, and lint rules
Cursor .cursorrules Compact MDL reference and command guide
Continue.dev .continue/config.json Custom commands and slash commands
Windsurf .windsurfrules MDL rules for Codeium
Aider .aider.conf.yml Terminal-based AI pair programming
Universal AGENTS.md Works with all tools 
mxcli init --list-tools   # list supported tools
mxcli add-tool cursor     # add a tool to an existing project

First commands

# explore your project
mxcli -p app.mpr -c "show modules"
mxcli -p app.mpr -c "show entities in MyModule"
mxcli -p app.mpr -c "describe page MyModule.Home"

# search
mxcli search -p app.mpr "validation"

# lint
mxcli lint -p app.mpr

Compatibility

  • Mendix versions: Studio Pro 8.x, 9.x, 10.x, 11.x
  • MPR formats: v1 and v2 (with mprcontents folder)
  • Platforms: Linux, macOS, Windows (amd64 and arm64)

Further reading

Document Contents
CLI Reference All commands — search, navigation, export/import, widgets, catalog, lint, testing
MDL Quick Reference Full MDL syntax tables
AI Integration mxcli init details, dev container, tool-specific setup
Manual Install Fallback for restricted networks, corporate proxy
Go Library Using mxcli as a Go library
Contributing Building from source, running tests, contribution workflow

License

Apache License 2.0 — See LICENSE for details.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please read CONTRIBUTING.md and open an issue before starting work.