Command-Line Interface
The FlowForce solution consists of two services: FlowForce Server and FlowForce Web Server, each with its own executable. To work with the command-line interface, you need to invoke the appropriate executable.
Depending on your operating system, the path to the executable varies. The default paths are shown in the table below.
OS | Path |
---|---|
Linux | /opt/Altova/FlowForceServer2026/bin |
Windows | C:\Program Files\Altova\FlowForceServer2026\bin |
Note: If FlowForce Server 32-bit is installed on Windows 64-bit, change C:\Program Files to C:\Program Files (x86).
For simplicity, this documentation omits the full path of the executable and refers to it by its name only, for example:
flowforceserver help |
How to run a command
To run a command, open a command prompt, then select one of the options below to access the executable.
Option 1: Use the absolute path
You can type the absolute path of the executable, which works from any directory. If the path contains spaces, enclose it in double quotation marks.
Linux
/opt/Altova/FlowForceServer2026/bin/flowforceserver help |
Windows
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Altova\FlowForceServer2026\bin\FlowForceServer.exe" help |
Option 2: Change to the installation directory
You can change the terminal's current directory to the installation directory. Then you can run commands by typing the executable's name (without the full path) and the desired command:
Linux
cd /opt/Altova/FlowForceServer2026/bin ./flowforceserver help |
Windows
cd C:\Program Files (x86)\Altova\FlowForceServer2026\bin FlowForceServer help |
Note: On Linux systems, the prefix ./ indicates that the executable is in the current directory.
Option 3: Add the executable’s path to PATH
You can add the directory containing the executable to the PATH environment variable. This allows you to run commands from any directory by typing the executable’s name (without the full path), followed by the desired command:
Linux
flowforceserver help |
Windows
FlowForceServer help |
Tips and tricks
Below are some tips that might be useful when you work with the command-line interface.
•To find out the current directory where you command line window is, enter pwd on Linux. On Windows, enter echo %CD%.
•You can use the Tab key to quickly enter various file or directory paths, without having to type them in full. For example, if you type cd c:\prog at the command line and press Tab, you will get C:\Program Files automatically pre-filled (or some other directory under C:\ whose name begins with "Prog").
•When you enter paths that contain white space, such as C:\Program Files on Windows, enclose them within quotes.
•If you see a message similar to "This command is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file", you have most likely mistyped a path or command.
•On Linux, ensure that you use the correct case for file and directory names. For example, typing a path such as /home/nikita/downloads will return an error if the directory name is actually /home/nikita/Downloads.
•When typing a path on Linux, use forward slashes, as opposed to back slashes on Windows.
Overview of available commands
The command-line interface can be used for administration purposes (such as licensing, troubleshooting, and internal database backup). The available commands are listed below. The abbreviations FFS and FFW in the table below stand for FlowForce Server and FlowForce Web Server, respectively.
Before using some of the commands, you must shut down the FlowForce Server and FlowForce Web Server services (see details below). It is recommended to run the commands with administrative rights; otherwise, access might be denied.
Command | FFS | FFW | Services must be shut down | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|
Yes | Yes | Displays help for the command supplied as argument. | ||
Yes | Accepts the end user license agreement for FlowForce Server. | |||
Yes | This command applies to Windows platforms only. It can be used to upload and assign a license file to FlowForce Server. | |||
Yes | Yes | Reduces the size of FlowForce .db files if they contain deleted records. | ||
Yes | Yes | Creates a new FlowForce database. | ||
Yes | Yes | Yes | Starts the application in debug mode. | |
Yes | Yes | Exports all application resource strings to an XML file. | ||
Yes | Yes | Yes | Starts the application in foreground mode (Linux only). | |
Yes | Yes | Creates or updates the FlowForce database. | ||
Yes | Yes | Installs the application as a Windows service. | ||
Yes | Registers FlowForce Server with the Altova LicenseServer on the local network. | |||
Yes | Yes | Migrates FlowForce Server data from an older instance-data directory to a new one. | ||
Yes | Yes | Starts the application in repair mode. | ||
Yes | Resets the password of the | |||
Yes | Yes | Yes | Sets the default language. | |
Yes | Yes | Uninstalls the FlowForce Server and FlowForce Web Server services. | ||
Yes | Yes | Upgrades the FlowForce Server database to the latest version. | ||
Yes | This command is used for Windows platforms only. It can be used to verify whether FlowForce Server is licensed, and optionally check whether a given license key is already assigned to FlowForce Server. |