redaxo-console-commands

name

redaxo-console-commands

description

Building CLI / diagnostic / maintenance commands for REDAXO addons using Symfony Console (rex_console_command). Covers the required class location, naming convention, package.yml registration, and SymfonyStyle helpers. Use when the user adds a CLI tool to an addon, wants a cronjob entry point, builds a diagnostic command, or asks "how do I run X from the command line in REDAXO". Replaces the anti-pattern of writing standalone bootstrap scripts in bin/.

REDAXO Console Commands

For any CLI / diagnostic / maintenance task in an addon, build a console command — not a standalone PHP bootstrap script. REDAXO uses Symfony Console under the hood; the bootstrap (autoloading, addon init, package order) only works correctly through bin/console.

Anti-pattern (don't do this)

// bin/_my_check.php — WRONG
require __DIR__ . '/../src/core/boot.php';   // missing path provider
$client = rex_elasticsearch_client::factory();  // wrong API

Standalone scripts like this either fail to boot, or end up using APIs that don't exist. Even if you get them working, they're invisible in bin/console list, can't run as cronjobs, and aren't reviewable as part of the addon.

Required structure

1. File path: src/addons/<addon>/lib/command/<name>.php
2. Class name: rex_<addon>_command_<name> — subcommand : becomes _ (e.g. command ndcg:detail → class rex_elasticsearchtools_command_ndcg_detail)
3. Extends: rex_console_command (REDAXO's wrapper around Symfony\Component\Console\Command\Command)
4. Registration in package.yml under console_commands: — without this REDAXO won't expose the command. Autoloading alone is not enough.

Skeleton

<?php

use Symfony\Component\Console\Input\InputInterface;
use Symfony\Component\Console\Input\InputOption;
use Symfony\Component\Console\Output\OutputInterface;

/**
 * Usage:
 *   bin/console addon:topic:action --option=value
 */
final class rex_addon_command_topic_action extends rex_console_command
{
    protected function configure(): void
    {
        $this
            ->setDescription('One-line description shown in `bin/console list`')
            ->addOption('alias', 'a', InputOption::VALUE_REQUIRED, 'Index alias', 'default_alias')
            ->addOption('query', null, InputOption::VALUE_REQUIRED, 'Search query', 'test');
    }

    protected function execute(InputInterface $input, OutputInterface $output): int
    {
        $io = $this->getStyle($input, $output);  // SymfonyStyle helper
        $io->title('My Command');

        $alias = (string) $input->getOption('alias');

        // SQL access works as usual
        $sql = rex_sql::factory();
        $rows = $sql->getArray(
            'SELECT COUNT(*) AS c FROM ' . rex::getTable('table') . ' WHERE state = 7'
        );

        $io->table(['Header'], [['row1'], ['row2']]);
        $io->success('Done');

        return 0;  // 0 = success, non-zero = failure
    }
}

Registration in package.yml

console_commands:
  addon:topic:action: rex_addon_command_topic_action
  addon:topic:other:  rex_addon_command_topic_other

The command name uses : as namespace separator. The class name uses _ everywhere.

SymfonyStyle helper ($io)

$this->getStyle($input, $output) returns a SymfonyStyle instance:

Method	Use for
$io->title($t)	Big heading
$io->section($t)	Subheading
$io->writeln($msg)	Plain output
$io->note($msg)	Informational box
$io->success($msg)	Green success box
$io->error($msg)	Red error box
$io->warning($msg)	Yellow warning box
$io->table($headers, $rows)	Formatted table
$io->progressStart($total) / progressAdvance() / progressFinish()	Progress bar
$io->ask($q) / confirm($q) / choice($q, $opts)	Interactive prompts

Verifying registration

bin/console list | grep <addon>

If the command isn't there, the package.yml entry is missing or the class name doesn't match the file path / case.

Common patterns

Reading from a YForm table

$items = MyTable::query()->where('status', 1)->find();
foreach ($items as $item) {
    $io->writeln($item->getValue('name'));
}

Running as a cronjob via the cronjob addon

In package.yml of the cronjob addon's host configuration (or via the cronjob backend UI), schedule a system command:

bin/console addon:topic:action --alias=production

Common pitfalls

• Forgetting the console_commands: entry in package.yml – the file is autoloaded but never registered, so bin/console list doesn't show it.
• Class name doesn't match the convention (e.g. MyAddonCommandThing instead of rex_my_addon_command_thing) – autoload silently fails.
• Returning a non-int from execute() – Symfony Console treats anything other than 0 (or the Command::SUCCESS/FAILURE constants on newer versions) as a failure.
• Writing directly to STDOUT with echo instead of $output->writeln() / $io->writeln() – Symfony's --quiet flag has no effect.
• Building the command but skipping the setDescription() – bin/console list shows no help text, future-you won't remember what it does.
• Calling rex::getUser() – there's no logged-in user in CLI context. It returns null. For permission checks, gate on --user flags or environment.