CLI Tool

The CLI converts diagram sources into .drawio, SVG, or imported YAML bundles.

Usage

node skills/drawio/scripts/cli.js <input> [output] [options]

Inputs

Input	How to use it
YAML	default input format
Mermaid	--input-format mermaid
CSV	--input-format csv
.drawio	--input-format drawio --export-spec
stdin	use - as the input path

Key Options

Flag	Description
--input-format <f>	yaml, mermaid, csv, or drawio
--theme <name>	Override the theme: tech-blue, academic, academic-color, nature, dark, high-contrast
--page <selector>	Select a page by index or diagram name during drawio import
--export-spec	Export canonical YAML instead of rendering XML/SVG
--write-sidecars	Emit .spec.yaml and .arch.json next to the output
--use-desktop	Use draw.io Desktop for PNG, PDF, JPG, or embedded SVG exports
--validate	Print spec warnings and run XML validation
--strict	Fail on validation warnings and strict complexity errors
--strict-warnings	Alias of --strict

Output Formats

Output	Result
no output path	XML to stdout
.drawio	draw.io XML file
.svg	standalone SVG
.png	desktop export
.pdf	desktop export
.jpg	desktop export

Examples

Render a .drawio bundle

node skills/drawio/scripts/cli.js input.yaml output.drawio --validate --write-sidecars

Render a strict SVG

node skills/drawio/scripts/cli.js input.yaml output.svg --validate --write-sidecars --strict-warnings

Override the theme

node skills/drawio/scripts/cli.js input.yaml output.drawio --theme high-contrast

Import an existing .drawio file

node skills/drawio/scripts/cli.js existing.drawio --input-format drawio --export-spec --write-sidecars

Convert Mermaid

node skills/drawio/scripts/cli.js flow.mmd output.drawio --input-format mermaid --validate

Validation Output

--validate reports two layers:

1. spec warnings
2. XML validation results

Use --strict or --strict-warnings when those warnings should block the output.

Related

• Specification Format
• Export & Save
• SVG Converter