wheels server

Manage the Wheels development server with enhanced functionality.

Synopsis

wheels server [subcommand] [options]

Description

The wheels server command provides a suite of server management tools that wrap CommandBox's native server functionality with Wheels-specific enhancements. These commands add validation, helpful error messages, and integration with the Wheels framework.

Available Subcommands

start - Start the development server
stop - Stop the development server
restart - Restart the development server
status - Show server status
log - Tail server logs
open - Open application in browser

Key Features

Wheels Application Validation

All server commands check that you're working in a valid Wheels application directory before executing. This prevents common errors and provides helpful guidance.

Enhanced Status Information

When checking server status, the commands also display:

Wheels framework version
Application root directory
Quick action suggestions

Integrated Restart

The restart command not only restarts the server but also reloads the Wheels application, ensuring your changes are picked up.

Smart Browser Opening

The open command can open specific paths in your application and works with your preferred browser.

Examples

# Display available server commands
wheels server

# Start server on port 8080
wheels server start port=8080

# Check if server is running
wheels server status

# Tail the server logs
wheels server log

# Open admin panel in browser
wheels server open /admin

Configuration

Server settings can be configured through:

Command line options - Pass options directly to commands
server.json - Create a server.json file in your project root
box.json - Configure server settings in your box.json

Example server.json:

{
  "web": {
    "port": 8080,
    "host": "127.0.0.1",
    "rewrites": {
      "enable": true
    }
  }
}

Integration with CommandBox

These commands are thin wrappers around CommandBox's native server commands, providing:

Validation specific to Wheels applications
Better error messages and guidance
Integration with Wheels-specific features
Consistent command structure

You can always use the native CommandBox commands directly if needed:

# Native CommandBox commands still work
server start
server stop
server status

Troubleshooting

Server won't start

Check if a server is already running: wheels server status
Try forcing a start: wheels server start --force
Check for port conflicts: wheels server start port=8081

Can't find Wheels application

Ensure you're in a directory containing:

/vendor/wheels - The Wheels framework
/config - Configuration files
/app - Application code

Server starts but application doesn't work

Check logs: wheels server log
Verify database connection in datasource settings
Try reloading: wheels reload