Nest CLI is a command line interface for creating the following things

NestJS CLI command options

  • Create a NestJS Application
  • update the NestJS application

Prerequisite:

First, Check nest CLI is installed or not by issuing thenest --version command

It gives the installed nestjs version as given below

A:\work>nest --version
9.1.4

If it gives ’nest’ is not recognized as an internal or external command error. It is not installed, So follow to install nestjs cli

A:\work>nest --version
'nest' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

Nestjs command syntax is

nest options

options:

new or n : Generates new application generate or g: Generate components such as classes, controllers, services, etc.

How to Generate NestJS application

Let’s create a NestJS application using the nest new command

nest new applicationname

or
nest n application name

applicationname is an application or project name. It creates a folder in File System on the Machine.

With this command, It creates and does the following things.

  • Create an Application with the directory structure
  • Create a configuration with all dependencies
  • Install all dependencies

Here is an example

A:\work>nest new nestjs-hello-world
⚡  We will scaffold your app in a few seconds..

CREATE nestjs-hello-world/.eslintrc.js (665 bytes)
CREATE nestjs-hello-world/.prettierrc (51 bytes)
CREATE nestjs-hello-world/nest-cli.json (118 bytes)
CREATE nestjs-hello-world/package.json (2003 bytes)
CREATE nestjs-hello-world/README.md (3340 bytes)
CREATE nestjs-hello-world/tsconfig.build.json (97 bytes)
CREATE nestjs-hello-world/tsconfig.json (546 bytes)
CREATE nestjs-hello-world/src/app.controller.spec.ts (617 bytes)
CREATE nestjs-hello-world/src/app.controller.ts (274 bytes)
CREATE nestjs-hello-world/src/app.module.ts (249 bytes)
CREATE nestjs-hello-world/src/app.service.ts (142 bytes)
CREATE nestjs-hello-world/src/main.ts (208 bytes)
CREATE nestjs-hello-world/test/app.e2e-spec.ts (630 bytes)
CREATE nestjs-hello-world/test/jest-e2e.json (183 bytes)

? Which package manager would you ❤️  to use? yarn
√ Installation in progress... ☕

🚀  Successfully created project nestjs-hello-world
👉  Get started with the following commands:

$ cd nestjs-hello-world
$ yarn run start


                          Thanks for installing Nest 🙏
                 Please consider donating to our open collective
                        to help us maintain this package.


               🍷  Donate: https://opencollective.com/nest

Create Module using nestjs cli command

NestJS is a module design with components. Syntax for modules

nest g mo modulename
nest generate module modulename

Here is an example of generating a module in NestJS.

A:\work\nestjs-hello-world>nest generate module employee
CREATE src/employee/employee.module.ts (85 bytes)
UPDATE src/app.module.ts (326 bytes)

It generates an Empty Typescript file

import { Module } from '@nestjs/common';

@Module({})
export class EmployeeModule {}

Update this module in the import section of the main module(app.module.ts)

import { Module } from '@nestjs/common';
import { EmployeeModule } from './employee/employee.module';


@Module({
  imports: [EmployeeModule],
  controllers: [],
  providers: [],
})
export class AppModule { }

How to create DTO classes in NestJS Cli using the command

Dto or entity or typescript classes can be created using the class option.

nest g cl classname
nest generate class classname

Here is an example

A:\work\nestjs-hello-world>nest g class  Employee
CREATE src/employee.ts (25 bytes)
CREATE src/employee.spec.ts (155 bytes)

It creates a typescript class and test file.

How to create a nest json configuration file using the command line

To create a nest-cli.json file, use the configuration or config option

A:\work\nestjs-hello-world>nest generate configuration
CREATE nest-cli.json (118 bytes)
```

## Create a Controller using the nest CLI command

The controller is a basic component that takes requests, processes, and returns responses.

```bash
nest g co controllername
nest generate controller controllername
```
Here is an example

```bash
A:\work\nestjs-hello-world>nest generate co Employee
CREATE src/employee/employee.controller.ts (105 bytes)
CREATE src/employee/employee.controller.spec.ts (506 bytes)
UPDATE src/employee/employee.module.ts (182 bytes)
```

It creates a controller and test spec file.
```typescript
import { Controller } from '@nestjs/common';

@Controller('employee')
export class EmployeeController {}
```
Also, update the controller section in employee.module.ts
```typescript
import { Module } from '@nestjs/common';
import { EmployeeController } from './employee.controller';

@Module({
  controllers: [EmployeeController]
})
export class EmployeeModule {}

```

## Create service with nests CLI command


```typescript
A:\work\nestjs-hello-world>nest generate service Employee
CREATE src/employee/employee.service.ts (92 bytes)
CREATE src/employee/employee.service.spec.ts (474 bytes)
UPDATE src/employee/employee.module.ts (268 bytes)
```
service and spec file is created
```typescript
import { Injectable } from '@nestjs/common';

@Injectable()
export class EmployeeService {}
```
Also, updated this service file in the Module file(employee.module.ts)
```typescript
import { Module } from '@nestjs/common';
import { EmployeeController } from './employee.controller';
import { EmployeeService } from './employee.service';

@Module({
  controllers: [EmployeeController],
  providers: [EmployeeService]
})
export class EmployeeModule {}
```
## NestJS Cli command

Following are different options for NestJS CLI commands

   ┌───────────────┬─────────────┬──────────────────────────────────────────────┐
   │ name          │ alias       │ description                                  │
   │ application   │ application │ Generate a new application workspace         │
   │ class         │ cl          │ Generate a new class                         │
   │ configuration │ config      │ Generate a CLI configuration file            │
   │ controller    │ co          │ Generate a controller declaration            │
   │ decorator     │ d           │ Generate a custom decorator                  │
   │ filter        │ f           │ Generate a filter declaration                │
   │ gateway       │ ga          │ Generate a gateway declaration               │
   │ guard         │ gu          │ Generate a guard declaration                 │
   │ interceptor   │ itc         │ Generate an interceptor declaration          │
   │ interface     │ itf         │ Generate an interface                        │
   │ middleware    │ mi          │ Generate a middleware declaration            │
   │ module        │ mo          │ Generate a module declaration                │
   │ pipe          │ pi          │ Generate a pipe declaration                  │
   │ provider      │ pr          │ Generate a provider declaration              │
   │ resolver      │ r           │ Generate a GraphQL resolver declaration      │
   │ service       │ s           │ Generate a service declaration               │
   │ library       │ lib         │ Generate a new library within a monorepo     │
   │ sub-app       │ app         │ Generate a new application within a monorepo │
   │ resource      │ res         │ Generate a new CRUD resource                 │
   └───────────────┴─────────────┴──────────────────────────────────────────────┘