mx Command-Line Tool

1 Introduction

The mx tool is a Windows and Linux command-line tool that can be used to perform various actions on a Mendix app.

2 Location

Mendix Studio Pro comes with the mx command-line tool. The executable mx.exe file can be found in the same folder that contains studiopro.exe (for example, C:\Program Files\Mendix\9.12.2.44241\modeler\mx.exe).

3 mx Tool Options

The mx tool performs the commands described below.

3.1 mx convert Command

The mx convert command converts the app(s) MPK file(s) to a specific Studio Pro version. For example, if you are using the mx command-line tool for Mendix 9.12.2.44241, then mx convert will convert the app to that version.

The input can be a single file, directory, or multiple files.

3.1.1 Usage

Use the following command pattern for mx convert:

mx convert [OPTIONS] INPUT... OUTPUT

The OPTIONS are described in the table below:

Option	Shortcut	Result
--help	-h	Displays the help text and exits.
--in-place	-p	Converts the current app directory. Use this option to convert a folder containing a Mendix app. Otherwise, mx convert will convert .mpk files.
--skip-error-check	-s	Does not check for errors. Use this option to disable app error-checking during the conversion. When omitted, the tool will report on the number of errors, warnings, and deprecations in the app and do the conversion.

For INPUT..., enter one or more .mpk files or one directory that needs to be converted.

For OUTPUT, enter the output location for the converted results. Mind the following:

• When INPUT... is a single file, OUTPUT can be a single file or directory; otherwise, OUTPUT must be a directory.
• When using the --in-place option, the INPUT... folder will also be used as the OUTPUT folder, so you do not need to specify a separate OUTPUT folder

3.1.2 Examples

Examples of commands are described in the table below:

Example	Result
mx convert --in-place C:\MxProjects\App-main	Converts the app in folder C:\MxProjects\App-main to the specific Studio Pro version which the mx tool is bundled with.
mx convert C:\Mendix\App1.mpk C:\Mendix\App2.mpk C:\Mendix\ConvertedProjects\	Converts the App1.mpk and App2.mpk app packages that are in the *C:\Mendix* folder and puts the results in the C:\Mendix\ConvertedProjects\ folder.
mx convert --skip-error-check C:\Mendix\Packages\ C:\Mendix\ConvertedPackages\	Converts all app packages in the C:\Mendix\Packages\ folder to the C:\Mendix\ConvertedPackages\ folder without checking for errors.

3.1.3 Return Codes

Return codes are described in the table below:

Return Code	Description
0	The conversion was successful.
1	An internal error occurred.
2	There is something wrong with the command-line options.
3	Converting failed.

3.2 mx create-project Command

The mx create-project command creates a new app in Studio Pro. The app version depends on the version the tool was bundled with. For example, if you are using the mx tool for Studio Pro 8.1.0.58215, mx create project will create a new app in that version.

3.2.1 Usage

Use the following command pattern: mx create-project [OPTIONS] [TEMPLATE-MPK-FILE]

The OPTIONS are described in the table below:

Option	Default Value	Result
app-name	App	Assigns the specified app name to the app.
output-dir	Current directory	The directory in which to create the app.
language-code	en_US	The default language of the app.
sprintr-app-id	Optional	Associates the app feedback features with the provided Developer Portal app. The value is a GUID. When accessing the app in the Developer Portal, this ID can be found in the browser’s URL (for example, 1a428ea7-b00e-4166-9b23-20b7be88a40e).

TEMPLATE-MPK-FILE is an optional path to a Mendix app package (.mpk) file. If this argument is omitted, the app is created with a default empty project template.

3.2.2 Examples

Examples of commands are described in the table below:

Example	Result
mx create-project	Creates an app in the current folder using all the default parameters.
mx create-project --app-name MyFirstApp --output-dir C:\Projects\MyFirstApp	Creates an app named MyFirstApp in the C:\Projects\MyFirstApp folder using all the default parameters.
mx create-project C:\Templates\ExpenseReportTemplate.mpk	Creates an app with the default parameters from a template located at C:\Templates\ExpenseReportTemplate.mpk.

3.2.3 Return Codes

Return codes are described in the table below:

Return Code	Description
0	The app creation was successful.
1	An internal error occurred.
2	There is something wrong with the command-line options.

3.3 mx check Command [version 9.10+]

The mx check command checks the app MPR file for issues such as Errors, Warnings, Deprecations, or Performance Recommendations.

3.3.1 Usage

Use the following command pattern for mx check:

mx check [OPTIONS] INPUT [Optional path to exported Suppress Warnings file (JSON)]

The OPTIONS are described in the table below:

Option	Shortcut	Result
--help	-h	Displays the help text and exits.
--warnings	-w	Include warnings in the output
--deprecations	-d	Include deprecations in the output
--performance	-p	[version 9.16+] Include performance checks in the output (performance recommendations are only output if there are no errors)

For INPUT, enter a single .mpr file.

From Studio Pro 9.17, you can optionally specify the path to an exported Suppress Warnings file (JSON file). This means that mx check -w will use the list of suppressed warnings in the JSON file, instead of the default behavior which is to read from the project-settings.user.json file in the app directory.

3.3.2 Examples

Examples of commands are described in the table below:

Example	Result
mx check --help	Displays the help text for the check command.
mx check C:\MxProjects\App-main\App-main.mpr	Checks the app at C:\MxProjects\App-main\App-main.mpr for errors.
mx check C:\MxProjects\App-main\App-main.mpr -p	Checks the app at C:\MxProjects\App-main\App-main.mpr for errors and performance recommendations.
mx check C:\MxProjects\App-main\App-main.mpr --warnings --deprecations	Checks the app at C:\MxProjects\App-main\App-main.mpr for errors, warnings, and deprecations. Suppressed warnings will be read from the project-settings.user.json file within the app directory.
mx check C:\MxProjects\App-main\App-main.mpr c:\MxFiles\my-exported-suppressed-warnings.json --warnings	Checks the app at C:\MxProjects\App-main\App-main.mpr for errors and warnings. Suppressed warnings will be read from the JSON file my-exported-suppressed-warnings.json.
mx check C:\MxProjects\App-main\App-main.mpr -w -d -p	Checks the app at C:\MxProjects\App-main\App-main.mpr for errors, warnings, deprecations, and performance recommendations.

3.3.3 Return Codes

Return codes are described in the table below:

Return Code	Description
0	No issues found.
1	Errors were found.
2	Warnings were found.
4	Deprecations were found.
8	Performance recommendations were found.

Those values are logically OR combined to indicate when there are a mix of errors, warnings, deprecations, or performance recommendations.

For example:

• 3 if errors and warnings found
• 7 if errors, warnings, and deprecations found

3.4 mx show-version Command [version 9.4+]

The mx show-version command reports which version of Studio Pro was used last time the app was opened.

The input is a single MPR file.

3.4.1 Usage

Use the following command pattern for mx show-version:

mx show-version [OPTIONS] INPUT

The OPTIONS are described in the table below:

Option	Shortcut	Result
--help	-h	Displays the help text and exits.

For INPUT, enter a .mpr file.

3.4.2 Examples

Examples of commands are described in the table below:

Example	Result
mx show-version --help	Displays the help text for the show-version command.
mx show-version C:\Mendix\App1\App1.mpr	Displays the version of Studio Pro that was last used to open the app.

3.4.3 Return Codes

Return codes are described in the table below:

Return Code	Description
0	The command ran successfully.

3.5 mx merge Command [version 9.17+]

The mx merge command performs a three-way merge of two MPR files having a common base commit.

The input is three MPR files: base, mine, and theirs

3.5.1 Usage

Use the following command pattern for mx merge:

mx merge [OPTIONS] BASE MINE THEIRS

The OPTIONS are described in the table below:

Option	Shortcut	Result
--help	-h	Displays the help text and exits.

BASE is common base commit.

MINE is the version to merge into; this MPR contains the results of the merge.

THEIRS is the version to merge changes from.

3.5.2 Conflicts

If there are conflicts during the merge, you have to resolve those by opening the app in Studio Pro.

3.5.3 Examples

mx merge C:\MyApp\MyApp.mpr C:\MyApp-main\MyApp.mpr C:\MyApp-FeatureBranch\MyApp.mpr

3.5.4 Return Codes

Return Code	Description
0	Merge is successful, there are no conflicts. MINE.mpr contains the result of the merge.
1	The command is invalid, check input parameters.
2	Conflicts are detected. Open MINE.mpr in Studio Pro to resolve them.
3	This code means an exception – an error occurred during the merge. Error details are printed to the command line output.
4	The version is unsupported.

3.6 mx show-app-version Command [version 9.24.2+]

The mx show-app-version command allows you to see the publisher-side version of your solution (meaning, the version of the solution that you develop) and the consumer-side version of the solution package that your app is based on (meaning, the version of the solution package when you consumed the solution).

3.6.1 Usage

Use the following command pattern for mx show-app-version:

mx show-app-version MPR-FILE [OPTIONS]

The OPTIONS are described in the table below:

Option	Shortcut	Result
--based-on	-b	Show Based on version.
--help	-h	Displays the help text and exits.

For MPR-FILE enter a .mpr file.

Based on version is a version of a solution package (.mxsolution) current App is based on.

3.6.2 Examples

mx show-app-version C:\MyApp\MyApp.mpr

mx show-app-version C:\MyApp\MyApp.mpr -b

3.6.3 Return Codes

This command uses common format exit codes for all app-version related commands.

The command outputs a version requested. If there is no errors, exit code is 0.

In case of errors the exit code consists of 3 digits XYZ:

X: determines the error type:

1: Parameter validation error.

2: Output-related error.

3: Errors related to the execution of the operation.

Y: is the number of the parameter the error is related to (if applicable).

Z: determines the following error details:

1: File not found.

2: App is too old.

3: Distribution is not enabled.

4: Version is not in the SemVer format.

5: App was not initialized from a solution package.

The table below shows return codes and their meaning:

Return Code	Description
0	No errors
315	if -b was specified but the app is not based on a solution.
313	if -b was not specified but distribution as a solution is not enabled for the app.

3.7 mx set-app-version Command [version 9.24.2+]

The mx set-app-version command allows you to set the version of your solution when building it.

3.7.1 Usage

Use the following command pattern for mx set-app-version:

mx set-app-version MPR-FILE VERSION

The OPTIONS are described in the table below:

Option	Shortcut	Result
--help	-h	Displays the help text and exits.

For MPR-FILE enter a .mpr file.

For VERSION enter a version in SemVer format

3.7.2 Examples

mx set-app-version C:\MyApp\MyApp.mpr 1.2.3

3.7.3 Return Codes

This command uses common format exit codes for all app-version related commands.

The command outputs a version requested. If there is no errors, exit code is 0.

In case of errors the exit code consists of 3 digits XYZ:

X: determines the error type:

1: Parameter validation error.

2: Output-related error.

3: Errors related to the execution of the operation.

Y: is the number of the parameter the error is related to (if applicable).

Z: determines error details:

1: File is not found.

2: App is too old.

3: Distribution is not enabled.

4: Version is not in the SemVer format.

5: App was not initialized from a solution package.

The table below shows return codes and their meaning:

Return Code	Description
0	No errors
124	if Version is not in SemVer format
313	if Distribution as a solution is not enabled for the app

3.8 Undocumented Options

The mx tool contains options that are not described in this document. Those are for internal Mendix usage and are not officially supported. This might change in the future, but these options can be used only at your own risk.