Kadena command-line reference

The Kadena command-line interface (kadena) provides direct access to the Kadena blockchain and to commands that help you create, deploy, and manage applications for the Kadena network. You can use the Kadena command-line interface to perform tasks interactively or in scripts and automated workflows that don't allow interactive input.

The Kadena CLI has one primary entry point—the kadena parent command. By providing a single entry point for performing a wide range of tasks, the Kadena CLI integrates naturally into the typical development workflow. With commands designed specifically for building, testing, and managing Kadena-based applications, you can focus on building innovative applications using familiar tools.

Before you use the Kadena command-line interface, verify the following basic requirements:

The Kadena CLI is packaged in a TypeScript library that you can install using a package manager such as npm or pnpm.

For example, run the following command to install globally using npm:

Run the following command to install globally using pnpm:

To verify the package is installed and display usage information, type kadena and press Return:

You can use the kadena parent command with different flags and subcommands to perform different types of operations.

The basic syntax for running kadena commands is:

Depending on the subcommand you select, the arguments, options, and flags you specify might apply to the parent command or to a specific subcommand. You can use the --help flag to display usage information for the kadena parent command, for a specified subcommand, or for a subcommand action. For example, to see all of the options available for adding a new wallet, you can run the following command:

The following diagram provides an overview of the kadena command-line interface:

Use the kadena parent as the primary entry point for commands used to create, test, deploy, and managed decentralized applications you develop for the Kadena network. Use the flags, subcommands, actions, and arguments to specify the operations you want to perform interactively or quiet mode.

The basic syntax for running kadena commands is:

You can use the following optional flags with the kadena parent command or with any of the kadena subcommands.

Subcommands to perform actions or organized into categories that describe the subject of the action you want to perform. For example, you can create and manage all wallet-related information using the wallet subcommand. Use the following subcommands to select the category of information for the operation you want to perform.

For reference information and examples, select an appropriate subcommand.

If you want to minimize the information you enter on the command-line, you can enter arguments by responding to interactive prompts. Responding to prompts interactively is typically the best approach when getting started, eliminating the need to look up or remember the argument required for the action you want to perform. As you gain experience, you can reduce interactive prompting by specifying the arguments as part of the command.

If you want to disable all interactive prompts and confirmation messages, you can use the --quiet flag. The --quiet flag enables you to automate tasks in environments where interactive input is impractical, such as continuous integration (CI) pipelines. If you include the --quiet flag in a command, the command suppresses all interactive prompts and skips confirmations, so that the command executes uninterrupted. This mode ensures that automated processes can run smoothly and efficiently, without the need for manual intervention.

The --legacy flag ensures that the output format for commands related to wallets, keys, and transactions aligns with earlier cryptographic standards and with existing workflows and tools, such as Chainweaver. This flag is especially useful if you need to interact with tools that rely on a legacy format for processing transactions or if you need to maintain backwards compatibility for a wallet or other application.

Use kadena config to set up and manage the Kadena CLI environment. Use kadena config init to create a .kadena folder with the default configuration for the development, test, and main Kadena networks.

The basic syntax for the kadena config command is:

You can use the following optional flags with the kadena config command.

Use the following action to specify the operation you want to perform.

To initialize your project with the default Kadena networks, run the following command:

This command creates the .kadena folder in your current working directory and the devnets and networks subfolders with default settings for the network name, identifier, host, and block explorer for each network.

Use kadena dapp to create a new decentralized application project from a frontend framework template.

The basic syntax for the kadena dapp command is:

You can use the following optional flags with the kadena dapp command.

Use the following action to specify the operation you want to perform.

The following table summarizes all of the options you can specify.

To create a new project using a Vue.js template, you can run a command similar to the following:

If you are missing required dependencies for the template you select, you are prompted to install them. After running the command, you can change to your project directory by running a command similar to the following:

Use kadena wallet to generate, import, and manage a local wallet.

The basic syntax for the kadena wallet command is:

You can use the following optional flags with the kadena wallet command.

Use the following actions to specify the operation you want to perform.

Depending on the action you select, you can specify different arguments and options. The following table summarizes all of the options you can specify. To see the options to use for a specific action, use the --help flag on the command-line or review the examples.

To add a new local wallet interactively, you can run the following command:

This command prompts you to enter the wallet name and to set and confirm the password to unlock the wallet, then displays your 12-word secret phrase and the location of your local wallet. For example:

To import a Chainweaver wallet so you to manage it from the command-line, you can run a command similar to the following:

This command prompts you to enter and confirm the password to unlock the wallet, then displays the location of your local wallet.

To generate four hierarchical deterministic public and secret key pairs for a local wallet, you can run a command similar to the following:

This command prompts you to enter the password the keys, then displays the public and secret key pairs and the location of the keys on the local filesystem.

To list keys for all wallets, , you can run a command similar to the following:

This command returns output similar to the following for all wallets:

To delete a wallet interactively, you can run the following command:

This command prompts you to select the wallet you want to delete and to confirm the action. If you select Yes, the wallet is deleted from the local filesystem.

Use kadena key to generate and manage public and secret keys.

The basic syntax for the kadena key command is:

You can use the following optional flags with the kadena keys command.

Use the following action to specify the operation you want to perform.

Depending on the action you select, you can specify different arguments and options. The following table summarizes all of the options you can specify. To see the options to use for a specific action, use the --help flag on the command-line or review the examples.

To generate a random public and secret key pair interactively, run the following command:

This command prompts you to enter the alias you want to use for the key and the number of keys to generate. After you respond to the prompts, the command displays confirmation that the keys were generated and where the key is stored on the local filesystem. For example:

To generate two public and secret key pairs, you can run a command similar to the following:

To generate a public and secret key pair using a legacy format for backward compatibility, you can run a command similar to the following:

To list information about available keys, you can run the following command:

This command displays information similar to the following:

To delete a key interactively, you can run the following command:

This command prompts you to select all key files or a specific key file. After you select the key file you want to delete, you are prompted to confirm the selection. For example:

Use kadena network to add and manage Kadena networks and network information.

The basic syntax for the kadena network command is:

You can use the following optional flags with the kadena network command.

Use the following actions to specify the operation you want to perform.

Depending on the action you select, you can specify different arguments and options. The following table summarizes all of the arguments you can specify. To see usage information for a specific action, use the --help flag in the command-line or see the examples for performing specific tasks.

To add a new network configuration, you can run a command similar to the following:

If you leave out any of the arguments, you are prompted interactively to provide the missing information. Because this example specifies all of the arguments, the command creates the network and displays output similar to the following:

To list the details for all networks, you can run a command similar to the following:

This command displays information similar to the following:

To update the information for a network, you can run a command similar to the following:

To delete an existing network, you can run a command similar to the following:

Use kadena account to add, fund, and manage Kadena accounts and fungible assets.

The basic syntax for the kadena account command is:

You can use the following optional flags with the kadena account command.

Use the following actions to specify the operation you want to perform.

Depending on the action you select, you can specify different arguments and options. The following table summarizes all of the arguments you can specify. To see usage information for a specific action, use the --help flag in the command-line or see the examples for performing specific tasks.

To create an account on the Kadena public blockchain network (mainnet) interactively, run the following command:

To add an account on the development network manually, you can run a command similar to the following:

To add an account on the test network from a wallet you've exported to a file, you can run a command similar to the following:

To see details about an account by using the account alias, you can run a command similar to the following:

This command returns output similar to the following for the specified alias:

To fund an account on the test network using the account alias, you can run a command similar to the following:

To display the Kadena account name (k: prefix) for a specified Kadena domain address (.kda) name, you can run a command similar to the following:

To display the Kadena domain address (.kda) for a specified Kadena account name (k: prefix) name, you can run a command similar to the following:

To list account information for a specified account alias, you can run a command similar to the following:

This command returns output similar to the following for the specified alias:

To list account information for all account aliases, you can specify --account-alias="all" in the command.

To delete a specific account:

kadena account delete --account-alias="nft-owner" --confirm

To delete all accounts:

kadena account delete --account-alias="all" --confirm

Use kadena tx to create, submit, and manage transactions.

The basic syntax for the kadena tx command is:

You can use the following optional flags with the kadena tx command.

Use the following actions to specify the operation you want to perform.

Depending on the action you select, you can specify different arguments and options. The following table summarizes all of the options you can specify. To see the options to use for a specific action, use the --help flag on the command-line or review the examples.

The kadena tx add command enables you to create transactions using templates in combination with values you specify to generate the most common types of transactions that are ready to sign and submit across multiple chains with minimal effort. Currently, there are two default templates—transfer and safe-transfer—to enable to you create transactions that transfer tokens between accounts. For more information about using templates to generate transactions, see Code templates. To generate a transaction from a template interactively, you can run the following command:

This command then prompts you to select the template to use and information about the account to transfer from and the account to transfer to.

For example:

After you respond to the prompts, the command displays the transaction you constructed and confirms the location of the file containing the unsigned transaction.

To sign an unsigned transaction using a public and secret key pair, you can run a command similar to the following:

To sign two unsigned transactions using a key alias file from a wallet, you can run a command similar to the following:

You can use the kadena tx test command to use a local API endpoint to check whether a signed transaction for a specified network is viable without submitting the transaction. By using the local endpoints, you can dry-run smart contract code using data in the coin contract tables without paying transaction fees.

To test whether a signed transaction would be successful on the test network using the local endpoint, you can run a command similar to the following:

To send a signed transaction to the Kadena main network and test network, you can run a command similar to the following:

To get the status of a transaction on the Kadena blockchain, you can run a command similar to the following:

This command returns the current status of the transaction identified by the provided request key.

To monitor the status of a transaction until it is finalized, you can add the --poll option. For example:

This command checks the transaction status and continues to run until the transaction is confirmed. The default timeout for polling is 60 seconds, but it will attempt to keep polling until confirmation is achieved.