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Overview

What is OpenCore CLI?​

The OpenCore CLI is the official command-line tool designed to orchestrate the development, building, and management of FiveM projects using the OpenCore Framework. It provides a modern developer experience similar to tools like NestJS CLI or Vite, but specifically tailored for the FiveM environment.

Key Concepts​

The CLI distinguishes between three main types of components:

  • Core: The central brain of your server. It contains the framework runtime and shared logic.
  • Satellite Resources: Modular resources that depend on the Core. They are optimized for small bundle sizes and high performance.
  • Standalone Resources: Independent resources that don't require the framework (e.g., legacy Lua scripts or utility JS).

Why Go?​

The CLI and its compiler are written in Go (Golang) for several critical reasons:

  1. Extreme Performance: Go's native compilation and efficient concurrency model (goroutines) allow us to run builds in parallel across all your CPU cores.
  2. Single Binary: No need to install complex dependencies. The CLI comes as a single executable that includes everything it needs to build your project.
  3. Low Resource Footprint: Building 10+ resources simultaneously consumes minimal RAM compared to Node.js-based build tools.

CLI Syntax​

When using CLI commands, you will see arguments wrapped in specific brackets. Understanding these is crucial for correct usage:

  • <argument>: Required. You must provide this value for the command to work (e.g., <type> in create).
  • [argument]: Optional. You can omit this value, and the CLI will either use a default or prompt you for it (e.g., [name] in init).

Package Manager: pnpm​

While npm and yarn are supported, pnpm is highly recommended and is the primary choice for OpenCore projects.

  • Compatibility: The CLI's dependency linker is optimized for pnpm's content-addressable storage.
  • Performance: Faster installations and efficient disk usage across multiple resources.
  • Strictness: Ensures that resources only access dependencies explicitly declared in their package.json.

Technical Dependencies​

The CLI isn't just a wrapper; it manages a complex build pipeline that depends on your project's configuration and the UI frameworks you choose:

NUI / Views Dependencies​

The compiler (internal/builder/embedded/views.js) automatically detects which framework you are using and requires the corresponding adapters to be installed in your project:

  • React: Requires react and react-dom.
  • Svelte: Requires svelte and esbuild-svelte.
  • Vue: Requires vue and esbuild-plugin-vue3.
  • SASS/SCSS: Requires sass and esbuild-sass-plugin.

If the compiler detects these files but the dependencies are missing, it will provide a clear error message with the exact pnpm add command needed.

Framework Adapters​

The CLI's behavior changes based on how your resources interact with the OpenCore Framework:

  • Satellite Resources: Depend on the Core's exports. The CLI ensures these exports are correctly mapped during the build.
  • Neutral Runtime: For client-side code, the CLI strips all Node.js and Web APIs, as the FiveM client environment is "neutral" (JS only).