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Quickstart

This guide will walk you through installing Dex, configuring your workspace, and creating your first content entry.

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Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:
  • Node.js 16.x or higher installed
  • npm package manager
  • Git for repository operations
  • A terminal with TTY support for interactive features

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Installation

1

Clone and Install

Clone the Dex CLI repository and install dependencies:
git clone https://github.com/dexdsl/dex-cli.git
cd dex-cli
npm install
2

Verify Installation

Test that Dex is working:
node scripts/dex.mjs --help
You should see the Dex help output listing all available commands.
3

Configure Workspace

Run the setup wizard to configure your workspace:
node scripts/dex.mjs setup
The wizard will prompt you to:
  • Select a repository (site or api)
  • Choose to use an existing path or clone a repository
  • Provide the repository path or clone URL
Workspace configuration is stored in ~/.config/dexdsl/workspaces.json and can be reconfigured anytime using dex setup --reset.

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Launch the Dashboard

Start the interactive TUI dashboard: 
node scripts/dex.mjs
You’ll see the Dex dashboard with organized command groups:
  • Entry Commands - Create and manage entries
  • Content Commands - Catalog, home, notes, polls, newsletter
  • Infrastructure Commands - Assets, deploy, release, setup
Use arrow keys to navigate and press Enter to select a command. Press ? to open the command palette for quick access.

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Create Your First Entry

Let’s create a new content entry using the interactive wizard:
1

Launch Init Wizard

From the dashboard, select Init or run directly:
node scripts/dex.mjs init
The wizard will guide you through all required fields.
2

Enter Basic Information

Provide the entry details:
  • Slug: URL-friendly identifier (e.g., my-first-entry)
  • Title: Display title
  • Description: Brief description of the content
  • Series: Content series (dex, inDex, dexFest)
3

Configure Credits

Add credit information:
  • Artist name(s)
  • Instruments
  • Director, cinematography, editing
  • Recording, mix, master credits
  • Year and season
  • Location
4

Add Download Sources

The wizard includes a download manager where you can:
  • Import from recording index (press Ctrl+I)
  • Paste URLs (press Ctrl+P)
  • View segments and metadata
  • Cycle through different views (press Ctrl+G)
5

Select Tags

Choose relevant tags from the interactive tag selector:
  • Type to filter tags
  • Press Space to toggle selection
  • Use arrow keys to navigate
6

Review and Generate

Review your entry and confirm to generate:
  • Entry JSON manifest
  • HTML output
  • Download metadata
The entry will be created in the entries/ directory with structure:
entries/my-first-entry/
├── entry.json
├── index.html
└── manifest.json

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Verify Your Entry

After creating the entry, validate it: 
node scripts/dex.mjs entry audit --slug my-first-entry
This performs:
  • Runtime validation of the entry structure
  • Download tree health checks
  • Metadata verification
  • Coverage analysis
The entry audit command shows a comprehensive report including pass/fail status, warnings, and the download coverage model.

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Next Steps

Now that you’ve created your first entry, explore more features:

Update Entries

Edit existing entries with the update wizard

Manage Catalog

Add entries to catalog and configure spotlight

Run Doctor

Scan entries for drift and health issues

Deploy

Deploy your content to production

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Common Tasks

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Create Entry from Seed File

For non-interactive entry creation, use a seed JSON file: 
node scripts/dex.mjs init --from ./seed.json --dry-run
Example seed file structure: 
{
  "slug": "example-entry",
  "title": "Example Entry",
  "description": "Description here",
  "series": "dex",
  "credits": {
    "artist": ["Artist Name"],
    "year": 2024,
    "season": "S1"
  }
}

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Quick Entry with Template

Use a custom template: 
node scripts/dex.mjs init my-entry --template ./entry-template/index.html --out ./entries

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Link Entry to Catalog

Link an existing entry to the catalog: 
node scripts/dex.mjs entry link --entry my-entry --catalog my-catalog-id --status active

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Keyboard Shortcuts

Master these shortcuts for efficient workflow:
ShortcutAction
Ctrl+QQuit Dex
?Open command palette
EnterExecute selected command
Up/DownNavigate menu
EscGo back

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Getting Help

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Command Help

Get help for any command: 
node scripts/dex.mjs <command> --help

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Documentation

Core Concepts

Understand workspaces, entries, and catalog

Command Reference

Complete command documentation

TUI Guide

Learn TUI keybindings and features

Troubleshooting

Common issues and solutions

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What’s Next?

1

Explore the Dashboard

Launch node scripts/dex.mjs and explore all command centers including Catalog Manager, Home Featured, and Notes.
2

Learn the Workflows

Review the production workflows for creating, validating, and deploying content.
3

Configure Your Environment

Set up admin tokens and environment variables for publishing to test/prod environments.
For detailed installation instructions, see the Installation Guide.

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