Author Custom Nodes with the CLI — Avora CLI

Use avora node to create and inspect a custom node, edit its appearance, validate source, generate a selected case, prepare Python, and run tests. The CLI uses the same Node SDK as the VS Code extension.

Create and inspect offline

avora node init ./my-node --name "Scale Number" --json
avora node inspect ./my-node --json
avora node check ./my-node --json

init requires a new or empty destination and creates no remote draft. Read avora.node.json, the mapped .avora template, dependency source, and saved test case. Implement the placeholder source and choose independent expected results before running tests.

inspect reports the project's structure, files, and local capabilities. check validates schemas, references, tags, and the supported execution scope without an account or code execution.

Edit dependencies and appearance

Edit dependencies/fastapi/requirements.txt for Python dependencies. Keep the manifest's dependency mapping intact; an embedded duplicate dependency list is an error.

avora node appearance ./my-node --logo ./brand.svg --json
avora node appearance ./my-node --dark-logo ./brand-dark.png --json
avora node appearance ./my-node --color '#3b82f6' --json
avora node appearance ./my-node --auto-color --json
avora node appearance ./my-node --remove-logo --json

PNG and static, self-contained SVG imports become portable PNG files under assets/. A logo upgrades the manifest to format 4. Manual color and automatic logo color are alternative options. Commit the authored assets with the node. Appearance changes do not require regenerating code. See Node Appearance.

Generate, prepare, and test

Connect with browser sign-in before generation:

avora login
avora node generate ./my-node --case tests/cases/example.avora-test.json --json
avora node prepare ./my-node --case tests/cases/example.avora-test.json --python 3.11 --json
avora node test ./my-node --case tests/cases/example.avora-test.json --json

The default API is https://mcp.avora.dev/api/v1. For development, pass avora login --api http://localhost:8000/api/v1. Generation uses the authenticated Avora compiler. Prepare downloads managed Python tooling and installs locked PyPI wheel dependencies when needed. Test runs a disposable local FastAPI process. Matching generated applications and environments are reused.

Cases store configured values separately from JSON runtime inputs. Use expect.output for the exact response body or expect.error for an intended HTTP error. A case without an expectation remains Not tested; edited source or case inputs make previous reports Outdated. First execution supports pure FastAPI nodes with empty or enum-only scratch context.

Generate starter cases

avora node cases ./my-node --budget 24 --preview --json
avora node cases ./my-node --budget 24 --json

Preview first to inspect the bounded case plan. Starter cases cover supported variants and configuration combinations; unresolved workspace-dependent values need review. Existing manual assertions are preserved. Generated cases have no expected result and cannot count as a passed test until you add one and run them.

Use the bundled authoring skill

avora node skill
avora node skill --install --json

The first command prints the bundled skill path. Installation copies it into your local agent skills directory and refuses to overwrite a different installed skill unless --force is supplied. The skill guides agents through the same source, validation, generation, and test workflow.

Sync and publish

These CLI node commands work on local files; they do not publish nodes or provide a remote draft sync command. Open the project in the extension to link and sync a private draft, then publish through Avora.

Commit source, cases, context, assets, and avora.lock. Ignore generated output, .avora/, and .env.local. The app repository's /custom-nodes/ folder is reserved for local projects and ignored by Git.