Command-Line Client
This page is part of the Getting Started Section. It introduces you to the standalone command-line mode of BaseX.
Contents
Startup
The command-line client can be started as follows:
- Run one of the
basex
orbasex.bat
scripts. - If you have installed BaseX on Windows, click on the BaseX Standalone icon.
Various command-line options are available to simplify batch processing. The start script can be adjusted for individual purposes (e.g. if the default memory limit is too restrictive).
Please note that the standalone client must not be used if you perform parallel (concurrent) read and write operations on your databases. See Concurrent Operations for more details.
Operations
Create a Database
- To create a database you need an XML document, e.g. factbook.xml.
- Save this document to your working directory.
- Type in the following command to create and open the database:
>
CREATE DB
factbook factbook.xml
- factbook is the name of the database
- factbook.xml is the initial input of the database
- Where is the database stored?
By default, databases are stored in the basex/data
directory, which is located in your home folder.
Depending on your Configuration, the location of your home folder varies. For example, on a Mac it's /Users/John
, if your name is John.
Execute a Query
The Template:Commands command lets you run a query.
- For example, the following query returns all country nodes in the currently opened factbook database.
>
XQUERY
//country
- You can also run queries in files:
>
RUN
/Users/John/query.xq
Database Commands
- The following command lists all databases that can be opened by the currently logged-in user:
>
LIST
- To open an existing database, execute the following:
>
OPEN
factbook
- To get information on the currently opened database, type:
>
INFO
- You can also address a database within your query with the
db:pre
function:
>
XQUERY
db:pre("factbook")//country
- To close the current database, please type:
>
CLOSE
- Use the Template:Commands command to delete a database:
>
DROP DB
factbook
Multiple Resources
One database can contain not only a single, but millions of documents. All documents can have a different structure.
With the following commands, you can create an empty database and add two documents. It is also possible to address resources via URLs:
>
CREATE DB
store
>
ADD
factbook.xml
>
ADD
http://files.basex.org/xml/xmark.xml
- Deleting a document from a database is easy, but make sure that the database, which contains the addressed document, is currently opened:
>
DELETE
factbook.xml
Backup and Restore
- To back up your database, type:
>
CREATE BACKUP
factbook
- To restore your database, type:
>
RESTORE
factbook
The backup file is stored in the database directory. It contains the name of the database and a timestamp: [db-name]-[timestamp].zip
. If a database is to be restored, and if several backups exist, the backup with the newest timestamp is taken.