Extended FAQ

Additional frequently asked questions beyond the main FAQ.

Development & Architecture

Q: How is the project structure organized?

A: The project is organized as:

├── bin/                 # CLI entry points
├── app/                 # Command implementations
├── utils/               # Utility functions
├── routes/              # API routes (REST server)
├── tests/               # Test files
├── types/               # TypeScript type definitions
├── docs/                # This documentation (VitePress)
├── mcp-server/          # Model Context Protocol implementation
└── _i18n/               # Internationalization files

Q: Where do I add a new command?

A:

1. Create implementation in app/[command-name].js
2. Add builder and handler functions
3. Export from app/index.js
4. Add tests in tests/
5. Document in docs/02-commands/

Q: How is testing organized?

A: Test coverage has expanded from ~40% to ~85% with:

• 317+ new test cases
• 6 dedicated test files
• Focus on critical paths
• Run with: npm test

Performance

Q: Why did startup time improve so much?

A: The 60-77% improvement comes from:

• Lazy-loading command modules (only load what's needed)
• Ultra-fast path for --version flag
• Deferred yargs loading
• Conditional debug module loading
• Eliminated completion overhead

Startup went from ~2,200ms to ~700ms for most commands.

Database Operations

Q: Can I import different file formats?

A: Currently supported:

• CSV (comma-separated values)
• Excel (.xlsx files)

Use -o excel for Excel files.

Q: What if my data types don't match?

A: The import command has improved data type handling:

• Auto-detects common types
• Reports mismatches with clear errors
• Suggests corrections
• Use --debug flag for detailed type information

Internationalization

Q: What languages are supported?

A:

• English (en) - Complete
• German (de) - First version complete

Contributing translations for other languages is welcome!

Q: How do I use German localization?

export HANA_LANG=de
hana-cli dbInfo

MCP Server

Q: What is the MCP Server for?

A: Model Context Protocol enables AI assistants to interact with HANA CLI. It allows:

• AI-assisted database queries
• Automated schema analysis
• Code generation for data operations
• Integration with Claude, ChatGPT, etc.

Q: Where is MCP Server documentation?

A: See Development Guide - MCP Server section.

API Server

Q: Can I run HANA CLI as a server?

A: Yes! Start with:

hana-cli server --port 3000

Swagger UI available at: http://localhost:3000/api-docs

Upgrades & Compatibility

Q: Which Node.js version should I use?

A: Latest stable is recommended. Current requirement: Node.js 22 or higher.

Q: How do I upgrade HANA CLI?

npm install -g hana-cli@latest

Or from source:

git clone https://github.com/SAP-samples/hana-developer-cli-tool-example
cd hana-developer-cli-tool-example
npm install
npm link

Q: Is version 4.x backward compatible?

A: Mostly yes. Main breaking change:

• Express upgraded from 4.x to 5.x
• May affect REST API integration

See Changelog for details.

Custom Builds

Q: Can I customize HANA CLI?

A: Yes, you can:

1. Fork the repository
2. Modify source code in app/, utils/, routes/
3. Run tests: npm test
4. Build: npm run build
5. Install locally: npm link

More Information

• Main FAQ
• Troubleshooting
• Development Guide
• GitHub Repository