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Command Line Menu

You don't have to be a command-line wizard to use Spec-Up-T. There's a menu, so all you have to do is type in a number.

Still, it can be confusing. And if you're used to a regular application you control with your mouse, it takes some getting used to.

Start command line menu​

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Currently, the menu is only tested on MacOs and has not been tested on Windows OS.

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Some of these menu items are available in the GitHub Web-based version (based on Github Actions). But since GitHub Actions cannot be interactive, the “Configure” option for example is not available. That, you will have to do manually.

Assuming you already installed Spec-Up-T, here you find further instructions.

To start, run this command in the terminal:

npm run menu

You will now see this menu:

  ,---.                  .   .        --.--
  `---.,---.,---.,---.   |   |,---.     |
      ||   ||---'|    ---|   ||   |---  |
  `---'|---'`---'`---'   `---'|---'     `
       |                      |


  Please choose one of the following options:

    [0] Add content               
    [1] Render specification      
    [2] Export to PDF             
    [3] Export to DOCX            
    [4] Collect external references
    [5] Add/remove xref source    
    [6] Configure                 
    [7] Run health check          
    [8] Open documentation website
    [9] Freeze specification      
    [Q] Quit                      


    An xref is a reference to another repository.

    Enter your choice:

These menu options act as shortcuts to the below commands, such as npm run render and others. You can choose between using the menu or entering the direct commands yourself.

[0] Add content​

  • Shows a short instruction on how to add content
  • Shows a link to the this website (the website you are currently reading)

[1] Render specification​

Creates the specification, an index.html, in the docs directory, as specified in the specs.json file.

To view the index.html file, you can:

  • Open it via file:/// in your file manager or
  • Access it via HTTP by placing it on a web server.

The easiest way is to double-click the file in your file manager, which should open it in your browser.

By the way, there are three modes for rendering the specification:

CommandBehavior
npm run editRenders the site and watches for changes, re-rendering automatically when you save a file.
npm run renderRenders the site once without watching for changes.
npm run devEnables debugging features.

[2] Export to PDF​

Creates a PDF. The PDF will be created in the same directory as the index.html file.

[3] Export to DOCX​

Creates a Microsoft Word document. The DOCX file will be created in the same directory as the index.html file.

[4] Collect external references​

Also runs [1].

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External references (xrefs) are references to external glossaries (specifications).

Fetches definitions from external repositories and updates local cache with latest versions.

[5] Add, remove or view xref source​

See an overview of all external references, or add or delete them.

[6] Configure​

Configure a new installation.

[7] Run health check​

Provides diagnostic information about your Spec-Up-T installation and configuration.

[8] Open documentation website​

This command will redirect to the documentation website (the site you are reading right now).

[9] Freeze specification​

Makes a copy of the index.html file and adds a version number to the file name.

Example: index-v1.html, index-v2.html etc. These files are placed in the same folder as the index.html but in a subfolder called versions.

[Q] Quit​

This command will take you out of the menu.