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CycloneDX CLI is a command-line toolkit for processing CycloneDX and related BOM documents. Use it to analyze a BOM, compare or merge documents, convert supported formats, add file information, validate JSON or XML, or sign and verify documents. It is designed for scripted workflows, but it should not be treated as a general-purpose source-code or dependency scanner.
What CycloneDX CLI does
The project README describes commands for working with existing BOM documents and adding file information. Its add files example can generate a source-code BOM from files; that does not establish that the CLI scans projects for dependencies or replaces a dedicated scanner. The documented command set includes analyze, diff, merge, convert, add files, validate, sign, and verify. See the official project README for the current command list.
Choose a command by the job
| Task | Command | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Inspect or examine a BOM | analyze |
Analyze a BOM document. |
| Compare two BOMs | diff |
Show differences between documents. |
| Combine BOM documents | merge |
Merge documents into a combined document. |
| Change document format | convert |
Convert among documented formats, subject to the command’s input and output options. |
| Add file information | add files |
Add file information; the README also demonstrates generating a source-code BOM from files. |
| Check a document against a specification version | validate |
Validate JSON or XML input using a selectable CycloneDX specification version. |
| Apply or check a signature | sign or verify |
Sign a BOM or verify a signature. |
These are different workflow choices, not interchangeable ways to perform one universal operation. Check the installed command’s help for required arguments and supported options.
Convert a BOM between supported formats
The README lists CycloneDX XML, JSON, Protobuf, and CSV, as well as SPDX JSON v2.3, among conversion formats. That conversion list should not be mistaken for the accepted input list for every other command.
For example, the README demonstrates converting JSON input to XML output through a shell pipeline:
cat bom.json | cyclonedx-cli convert --input-format json --output-format xml > bom.xmlHere, the command reads the piped JSON and writes XML to standard output, which the shell redirects to bom.xml. Use the actual format names and options shown by your installed release’s help.
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Validate JSON or XML separately from conversion
Validation and conversion serve distinct purposes. The README’s validation help lists JSON and XML input and CycloneDX specification versions 1.0 through 1.7, with 1.7 displayed as the default. These are README-documented options, not a guarantee that every release has identical behavior; confirm the available versions and default in the installed binary. Nor does support for a format in convert establish that validate accepts that format.
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cyclonedx-cli validate --input-file sbom.xml --fail-on-errorsA non-zero exit status lets a shell script or continuous-integration job detect a failed validation. Confirm the installed release’s help for the exact option behavior before relying on it in automation.
Use stdin and stdout in scripts
According to the README, commands that accept an input-file option can read from standard input, and commands with an output-file option can write to standard output. When piping documents, specify formats if the command requires them; otherwise the CLI may not know how to interpret the stream. This makes it possible to connect BOM processing to other shell steps without creating an intermediate file for every operation.
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- Use a documented input-file option with a pipe when the command supports stdin.
- Use a documented output-file option when you want output on stdout and need to redirect or pipe it.
- Set input and output formats explicitly where required, and check the command’s help for the installed release.
Install the CLI and check your release’s options
The project README documents installation through Homebrew with brew install cyclonedx/cyclonedx/cyclonedx-cli and links to downloadable binaries on its releases page. The README describes the CLI as built for automation use cases. Because the README tracks the project’s main branch and command options can change, consult the help output of the binary you installed and the corresponding release notes before using exact commands in a production pipeline. The available documentation does not establish a latest release number or date.
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