Getting started with HelixDB CLI v2

Step-by-step guide to install, configure, and deploy your first HelixDB instance with CLI v2

Prerequisites: - Rust version 1.88.0 or higher - Docker Desktop (for local development) - Git (for first-time Helix source cache) - If using the cloud, you will need the CLIs for deployment targets (AWS CLI, Fly CLI)

1. How do I install the Helix CLI?

   Use the official installer script to automatically download and set up the Helix CLI:

   curl -sSL https://install.helix-db.com | bash
   

   If you already have the Helix CLI installed, you can update it with helix update, you can migrate your project with helix migrate.

   See the Migration Guide for more information.

2. How do I create a new HelixDB project?

   helix init
   
3. How do I define schemas and queries?

   Inside the schema.hx file, create your schema.

   N::User {
     INDEX name: String,
     email: String,
     created_at: Date DEFAULT NOW
   }
   

   Inside the queries.hx file, create your queries.

   QUERY createUser(name: String, email: String) =>
     user <- AddN<User>({name: name, email: email})
     RETURN user
   
   QUERY getUser(name: String) =>
     user <- N<User>({name: name})
     RETURN user
   
4. How do I deploy my HelixDB instance?

   helix push dev 
   
5. How do I test my HelixDB connection?

   Create a user

   curl -X POST http://localhost:6969/createUser -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{"name": "John Doe", "email": "[e-mail]"}'
   

   Get a user

   curl -X POST http://localhost:6969/getUser -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{"name": "John Doe"}'
   

You now have a working HelixDB instance running locally with docker! You can now start building your application on top of it.

Best Practices

Development Best Practices

• Always run helix check before deploying
• Use descriptive instance names
• Keep development and production configurations separate
• Regularly clean up unused resources with helix prune
• Version control your helix.toml file

Production Best Practices

• Use build_mode = "release" for production
• Configure appropriate vector parameters for your data scale
• Enable monitoring and logging
• Set up automated backups
• Test migrations in staging first

Security Best Practices

• Never commit credentials to version control
• Use environment variables for sensitive data
• Regularly rotate API keys
• Keep CLI updated with helix update
• Use private instances for production data

Next Steps

Troubleshooting

Solutions to common issues

Configuration Guide

Advanced configuration options