Command line interface#
xDEM provides a command line interface (CLI) that allows to run workflows for various analyses relevant to elevation data.
Workflows consist of a series of analysis steps often performed together, that typically fit into three broad categories:
File opening and pre-preprocessing steps (e.g. reprojection to same coordinate system, interpolation to the same points), with option to perform those out-of-memory on large datasets,
Main analysis using one or several of xDEM features (e.g., co-registration and uncertainty quantification to perform an accuracy assessment), using best-performing methods by default,
Generation and writing of outputs needed to interpret the analysis (e.g., files, tables, figures), including a general report provided as an HTML output.
Caution
The CLI and workflows are currently experimental! We are adapting their early interface with feedback and improving performance for future releases.
Basic usage#
The CLI relies on a configuration file, easily editable, and which comes pre-set with defaults that we recommend for general cases.
All workflows are run using the following command structure, replacing the argument workflow_name by that of an existing workflow, such as accuracy or topo:
xdem workflow_name --config config_file.yaml
Optionally, the output folder can be set directly in the command-line using --output (overrides YAML file).
The configuration file is written as a YAML. To display a template of all available configuration options for the YAML file, use the following command:
xdem workflow_name --template-config
Also, this template can directly be saved in a YAML file like this:
xdem workflow_name --template-config template_config.yaml
When edited by a user, a configuration file must contain at minima the input parameters listed as “required” on the documentation page of the given workflow. xDEM then automatically fills in the rest with default settings. Users are free to edit the configuration file to run only the parts they need.
Note
We welcome users to create their own workflows and submit them for inclusion in xDEM!