What WU CLI does
Understand how the CLI prepares a WU project and supports you from the first app to production files.
See versions, changes and requirements in Framework 4.0 and CLI 1.2.
WU CLI is the terminal tool for setting up and developing WU projects. With the wu command, you can create the page that brings your applications together, add an app, start development, and build the files you will publish.
The work it saves you
A React application and a Vue application each have their components, dependencies, and build commands. To display them together, you also need a shell: the page that reserves their spaces and decides when they appear.
The CLI generates this structure and records the relationship between shell and apps in wu.config.json. The folder containing them is called a workspace. From its root, you can install project dependencies, access development through a single HTTP origin, and collect builds in dist/.
The CLI and framework have different jobs
| Tool | Where you use it | What it does |
|---|---|---|
@wu-framework/cli |
In the terminal, through wu |
Generates files, installs dependencies, develops, and builds the project. |
wu-framework |
In application code | Loads and mounts apps; coordinates events, state, calls, and permissions. |
The CLI prepares the project the user opens; the runtime keeps coordinating apps after that project is published. If the relationship between app, shell, and runtime is still new to you, start with What is WU.
The usual workflow
Start with one app and check that it appears in the shell. Add more once you can recognize the project’s parts.
| Step | Command | Result you should recognize |
|---|---|---|
| Create | wu create |
A folder with the shell, first microapp, and wu.config.json. |
| Install | wu install |
Dependencies ready for the project commands. |
| Develop | wu dev |
The shell and apps accessible in the browser during development. |
| Add another app | wu add <framework> <name> |
A new app folder and its configuration entry. |
| Build | wu build |
Production files collected in dist/. |
| Review production | wu serve 4100 |
The contents of dist/ served locally over HTTP. |
You can repeat the add → install when needed → develop cycle before building. wu add attempts installation by default; --no-install defers it until you run wu install.
wu serve lets you review the build. To publish it, give the files in dist/ to your hosting platform; the CLI does not include a deploy command.
Follow it step by step
- Your first app: prepare the environment, generate the shell, and check a microapp in the browser.
- Add another app: integrate another framework and distinguish its files from those of the first app.
- Prepare production: build, serve the result, and check what you will publish.
CLI 1.2.0 templates declare wu-framework: ^4.0.0. See Installation and versions.
Where to work inside the project
| File or directory | What you will find there |
|---|---|
wu.config.json |
The relationship between shell and apps, their commands, and workspace options. |
shell/ |
The host page and its navigation. |
mf-*/ |
Each microapp’s components and dependencies. |
dist/ |
The output of wu build, ready to review and publish. |
Edit the sources in shell/ or the corresponding microapp. The contents of dist/ are regenerated on every build. Configuration explains wu.config.json fields; Create and Add detail generator options.
When you need to look up a command
Use wu --help for general help and wu --version to check the version. To review a project, wu info shows detected configuration and wu doctor inspects its consistency.
The command reference gathers arguments, results, and limits. These are the options recognized in the documented version:
The CLI includes wu catalog to inspect generated versions and wu upgrade to migrate existing manifests and templates. wu update updates the CLI; wu upgrade prepares the project; wu install installs its dependencies. See the migration walkthrough.