generated: '2026-08-06'
method: searched
source: https://github.com/swagger-api/swagger-codegen#getting-started
name: swagger-codegen-cli
description: >-
  The first-party command line interface for Swagger Codegen. It is the same
  generation engine that backs the hosted generator3.swagger.io service, run
  locally, with the addition of custom template support. Distributed as an
  executable JAR and as an official Docker image.
install:
  - method: jar
    command: 'java -jar swagger-codegen-cli.jar'
    download: https://repo1.maven.org/maven2/io/swagger/codegen/v3/swagger-codegen-cli/
    note: Latest 3.x jar from Maven Central; 2.x jars live under io/swagger/swagger-codegen-cli/
  - method: docker
    command: 'docker run --rm -v ${PWD}:/local swaggerapi/swagger-codegen-cli-v3 generate -i /local/spec.yaml -l python -o /local/out'
    image: https://hub.docker.com/r/swaggerapi/swagger-codegen-cli-v3
  - method: docker
    command: 'docker run --rm -v ${PWD}:/local swaggerapi/swagger-codegen-cli generate'
    image: https://hub.docker.com/r/swaggerapi/swagger-codegen-cli
    note: 2.x line image, documented in docs/docker.md
  - method: build-from-source
    command: 'mvn clean package && java -jar modules/swagger-codegen-cli/target/swagger-codegen-cli.jar'
    source: https://github.com/swagger-api/swagger-codegen
commands:
  - name: generate
    summary: Generate code with the chosen language/framework generator.
    docs: 'java -jar swagger-codegen-cli.jar help generate'
    key_flags:
      - {flag: '-i, --input-spec', description: 'Location of the OpenAPI/Swagger spec (file or URL)'}
      - {flag: '-l, --lang', description: 'Client language / server framework to generate'}
      - {flag: '-o, --output', description: 'Output directory'}
      - {flag: '-c, --config', description: 'Path to a JSON config file of generator options'}
      - {flag: '-t, --template-dir', description: 'Directory of custom Mustache templates'}
    api_equivalent: generate
  - name: config-help
    summary: Show the configuration options available for a given language.
    example: 'java -jar swagger-codegen-cli.jar config-help -l php'
    api_equivalent: listOptions
  - name: langs
    summary: List the available generator languages.
    api_equivalent: languages
  - name: meta
    summary: Scaffold a new generator project (custom generator authoring).
    api_equivalent: null
  - name: help
    summary: Per-command help, e.g. 'help generate'.
    api_equivalent: null
build_plugins:
  - {kind: maven, artifact: 'io.swagger.codegen.v3:swagger-codegen-maven-plugin', url: 'https://mvnrepository.com/artifact/io.swagger.codegen.v3/swagger-codegen-maven-plugin'}
  - {kind: gradle, artifact: 'org.hidetake.swagger.generator', url: 'https://plugins.gradle.org/plugin/org.hidetake.swagger.generator', official: false}
relationship_to_api: >-
  The CLI and the hosted API are two front doors onto the same engine. Every CLI
  generate run has an API equivalent (POST /api/generate), and the language and
  option discovery commands map onto languages and listOptions. The CLI adds
  custom templates and local file output; the API adds nothing the CLI lacks.
evidence:
  - {url: 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/swagger-api/swagger-codegen/master/README.md', http_status: 200, fetched: '2026-08-06'}
  - {url: 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/swagger-api/swagger-codegen/master/docs/docker.md', http_status: 200, fetched: '2026-08-06'}