Command-line workflow

The rent command is the front door to a Rent project. You use it to create an application, generate the client, inspect the interpreted schema, review database changes, browse local data, and apply migrations.

The everyday loop

Create a complete application with SQLite, a starter entity, generated code, and project configuration:

rent new social-app
cd social-app

rent doctor
rent migrate dev --name initial
cargo run

Or add the entities you already know you need to an existing Rent project:

rent init User Post Comment

rent init regenerates the typed client immediately. After editing rent/schema.rsl, regenerate it:

rent generate
cargo check

During active schema work, keep generation running in another terminal:

rent dev

Review how Rent interpreted the schema:

rent describe

Post
  Table: posts
  Fields:
    id: int
    title: string (1 validator(s))
  Relations:
    author: User (one, required)

Classify the proposed database work without changing anything:

rent migrate preflight

For local development, create, apply, and verify the migration in one command:

rent migrate dev --name create_blog

For a controlled deployment, preview the SQL, create a reviewable migration file, and apply that exact file:

rent migrate diff

rent migrate plan --name create_blog

rent migrate validate

rent migrate apply

Migration: create_blog

Created ./rent/migrations/20260910023750_create_blog.sql
Changes   3 operations
Checksum  84ec0a3f7d1b9c5e2a8f4d6b0c3e7a9f1d5b8c2e4a6f0d3b7c9e1a5f8d2b4c6e
Valid: 1 migration verified.
Applied 20260910023750_create_blog (3 statements)

When a deployment needs an authored backfill rather than a schema diff, create an editable migration and seal it after writing the SQL:

rent migrate create --name backfill_post_summaries

# Edit the timestamped backfill_post_summaries migration.

rent migrate seal
rent migrate validate

The next drift check should be empty. That fixed point proves the live database matches the desired catalog:

rent migrate drift

Verified: No schema drift.

Browse the resulting development data in a local, read-only web interface:

rent studio

Studio binds only to your loopback interface. Enable cell editing deliberately with --allow-writes.

If the schema declares PostgreSQL extensions, check the destination server before planning their lifecycle:

rent extension check --provider self-hosted

rent extension status

Where to go deeper

The complete CLI guide gives each command its own page:

Those pages include complete options, multiple scenarios, expected output, and safety behavior.

Command-line workflow

The everyday loop

Where to go deeper

On this page