cpp/tools/skills/tsfile-cli/SKILL.md

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---
name: tsfile-cli
description: Use when you need to inspect, preview, export, OR import an Apache TsFile (.tsfile) from the command line — list devices/tables, dump schema, read file/series metadata, count rows, sample/preview rows, or write CSV/TSV into a new .tsfile — via the project's C++ `tsfile-cli` in cpp/tools.
---

# tsfile-cli

Single pipe-friendly C++ binary to inspect **and** import `.tsfile` (TsFile's analogue of
`parquet-cli`/`pqrs`). Source `cpp/tools/`. Read data → stdout, diagnostics → stderr;
`write` imports CSV/TSV → a new file.

## Binary

- Name `tsfile-cli` (CMake target `tsfile_cli`). Find: `ls cpp/build/*/bin/tsfile-cli`.
- Build only if missing: `cd cpp && bash build.sh -t=Debug`.
- CMake ≥4 aborts on bundled ANTLR4 (`Policy CMP00xx ... OLD`) → add `--disable-antlr4`
  (reader/CLI don't use ANTLR4).

## Read

`tsfile-cli <cmd> [opts] <file.tsfile>` · `tsfile-cli --help | --version | help`

| cmd | output | scans pages |
|---|---|---|
| `ls` | device (tree) / table (table) per line | no |
| `schema` | `target,measurement,datatype,encoding,compression` | no |
| `meta` | model, device/table/series counts, time range, size | no |
| `stats` | per-series `count,start,end,min,max,first,last,sum` | no |
| `count` | per-series counts + `total` row | no |
| `head` | first N rows (default 10, `-n`) | yes |
| `cat` | all matching rows (streamed; `table` format buffers) | yes |
| `sample` | reservoir sample (default 10, `-n` + `--seed`) | yes |

Prefer no-scan verbs (`ls/schema/meta/stats/count`) — cheap and never hit the page-decode caveat.

Table model + row verbs (`head/cat/sample`): without `-t`, only the **first** table is queried. Pass `-t <table>` to target a specific one (`count` covers all tables).

```
opts: -f csv|tsv|json|table  (default TTY→table, pipe→tsv)
      -d <device> | -t <table>   (mutually exclusive)
      -m a,b,c (projection) · -n N · --offset N · --start <ms> · --end <ms> (inclusive)
      --tag-filter C OP V · --tag-between C L U · --tag-not-between C L U (table TAG predicates)
      --seed N · --no-header · --model tree|table (else auto)
applies: -m → schema/stats/count/head/cat/sample · -d/-t → row cmds/schema/stats/count
         (-d needs tree model, -t needs table model in head/cat/sample/schema) · --offset ∉ sample
         tag filters → head/cat/sample table model; OP=eq|neq|lt|lteq|gt|gteq|regexp|not-regexp
json=NDJSON (num/bool bare, else quoted, null→null, NaN/Inf→null) · csv=RFC4180 · ts=raw epoch ms
exit: 0 ok · 1 usage · 2 file open/corrupt · 3 query/runtime
```

```sh
B=cpp/build/Debug/bin/tsfile-cli
$B meta data.tsfile; $B count -t table1 -f tsv data.tsfile
$B cat -t table1 --tag-filter device eq dev_1 -m temp -f tsv data.tsfile
$B cat -m temp --start 1700000000000 -f csv data.tsfile 2>/dev/null | head
```

## Write

`tsfile-cli write --table <name> --columns <spec> -o <out> [-f csv|tsv] [--no-header] [--header-match] [-v] [<input> | -]`

Imports rows into a **new table-model** file (overwritten). Input col 0 = timestamp
(epoch ms, int); remaining cols declared by `--columns` — **no type inference**.

```
spec  := col (',' col)*
col   := name ':' TYPE ':' ('tag' | 'field')          # TYPE + category case-insensitive
TYPE  ∈ { BOOLEAN, INT32, INT64, FLOAT, DOUBLE, STRING, TEXT, TIMESTAMP, DATE, BLOB }
input := file | '-' | omitted                          # '-' or omitted = stdin
```

- `-o` required (overwritten, must differ from input); `-f` default csv (json/table → usage error).
- header: first line skipped by default · `--no-header` if none · `--header-match` validates
  header names vs `--columns` (mutually exclusive with `--no-header`).
- empty cell = null · `--table` is lower-cased · `DATE` cells are `YYYY-MM-DD`, `TIMESTAMP` epoch ms · each column stored with the engine default encoding/compression for its type · success **silent**, `-v` → echoes the resolved config + `wrote N rows to <out>` on stderr.
- **timestamps must be strictly increasing per device** (device = tag-column values); rows for
  different tags may interleave/reuse timestamps. Out-of-order input → error with line number.
- a failed import deletes its partial output (no half-written `.tsfile` left behind).
- exit: `1` usage (missing `--table`/`--columns`/`-o`, bad spec, dup column, read-only flag) · `2` IO open · `3` row (field-count / type / overflow / timestamp-order / header mismatch).

```sh
printf 'time,id1,s1\n0,dev,0\n1,dev,10\n' \
  | tsfile-cli write --table t1 --columns "id1:STRING:tag,s1:INT64:field" -o out.tsfile -
tsfile-cli count -f tsv out.tsfile        # -> t1.dev  s1  2
```

Tree-model / JSON / programmatic writes → C++ SDK `cpp/examples/cpp_examples/demo_write.cpp`
(`TsFileTableWriter`/`TsFileWriter` + `Tablet`); Java/Python writers under `java/`, `python/`.

## Caveats

- `head`/`cat`/`sample` decode pages → may abort (`decode_cur_time_page_data`, exit 134) on
  some aligned files incl. bundled `cpp/examples/test_cpp.tsfile`. Storage-engine/file issue,
  not a CLI bug; metadata verbs still work. Use a well-formed (e.g. self-written) file for rows.
- table-model `target` is derived from tag bytes → may show non-printable chars in `stats/count/schema`.
- `schema` lists all columns; `meta/stats/count` count only field series → `series_count` can be
  fewer than `schema` rows (not a bug).