= Starting the tool

!RefactorErl can be started either as a standalone or as an embedded application.

== Standalone application

==== Normal mode

To start the tool, simply execute our startup script from the base directory of your !RefactorErl copy:

(In Linux)
{{{ 
bin/referl
}}}

(In Windows)
{{{
bin/referl.bat
}}}

Note that if you do not specify the back-end to be used, the tool uses the [wiki:MnesiaDB mnesia-based database] by default. If you would like to use another back-end, for example, the [wiki:MnesiaDB NIF-based C++ graph], you should start the tool like this:

{{{
bin/referl -db nif
}}}

[=#options] 
==== Options 
The following table details the possible startup options. You can get this list any time by using the {{{-help}}} option.

  || -build TARGET     ||  Build TARGET (e.g. tool, doc, clean) ||
  || -bufsrv           ||  Build bufferserver (use with '-build tool') ||
  || -igraph PATH      ||  Path to the Igraph lib directory (use with '-build tool') ||
  || -qt_gui           ||  Build Qt GUI (use with '-build tool') ||
  || || ||
  || -client           ||  Start in client mode (no server is started) ||
  || -db DB            ||  [mnesia|nif|kcmini] The database engine to use (default: mnesia) ||
  || -dir DIR          ||  Sets the !RefactorErl data directory ||
  || -base PATH        ||  Path to the !RefactorErl base directory ||
  || -pos POS          ||  [abs|rel] The positioning mode to use (default: abs) ||
  || -erl PATH         ||  Path to the Erlang executable to use ||
  || -g++ PATH         ||  Path of the g++ compiler to use ||
  || -synchronize      ||  Database synchronization ||
  || -help             ||  Print this help text ||
  || || ||
  || -server           ||  Start in server mode (no shell is started) ||
  || -sname NAME       ||  Short name of the Erlang node ||
  || -name NAME        ||  Full name of the Erlang node ||
  || -srvname NAME     ||  Name of the Erlang server node to connect ||
  || -client           ||  Start in client mode (no server is started) ||
  || || ||
  || -emacs            ||  Start as an Emacs client ||
  || -vim              ||  Start as a Vim client ||
  || -wx               ||  Start as a Wx client ||
  || || ||
  || -nitrogen         ||  Start with Nitrogen ||
  || -web2             ||  Start with Web2 ||
  || -yaws_path PATH   ||  Path to the Yaws ebin directory (need /ebin at the end) ||
  || -yaws_name NAME   ||  Set Yaws server name ||
  || -yaws_port PORT   ||  Set Yaws port ||
  || -yaws_listen IP   ||  Set Yaws IP ||
  || -browser_root     ||  Set the file browser root directory ||
  || -images_dir       ||  Set root directory where generated Nitrogen images will be written ||
  || -restricted_mode  ||  Set restricted mode on the web interface or  on a !RefactorErl started as server ||

==== Configuration File

The same [#options Options ] may be used in the user configuration file ${HOME}/.referlrc. [[br]]
This can be useful when multiple long command line switches are required to start the {{{bin/referel}}} tool.[[br]]
The tool first reads the specified switches from the ${HOME}/.referlrc and then applies the command line arguments, if any.[[br]]
Please note, this feature is currently not available on Windows.

Example configuration file:
{{{#!erlang
% User configuration file
% single entries are just plain strings like: nitrogen
% entries with user defined second argument are tuples eg.: {erl, path_to_erl}
%
% {erl,path_to_erl}
% {base,basedir}
% {name,instancename}
% {sname,servername}
% {srvname,yourservername}
% server
% emacs
% wx
% qt
% vim
% nitrogen
% web2
% {browser_root,browserroot}
% {images_dir,imgdir}
% yaws
% {yaws_path,path}
% {yaws_name,name}
% {yaws_port,port}
% {yaws_listen,ipaddress}
% gcc
% g++
% build
% no_cpp
% bufsrv
% ericsson
% {igraph,path}
% yaws_189
% client
% synchronize
% {wrangler,path}
% dbtype = mnesia nif kcmini
% {db,dbtype}
% {dbmod,dbmod}
% {dir,referldir}
% {dbargs,dbargs}
% {pos,posi}
% qt_gui
}}}


==== Server mode

!RefactorErl can be run as a server, you only have to specify a name with {{{-name}}} or {{{-sname}}} when starting the tool. If you do not need a command line access to the server, you can use the {{{-server}}} option, which starts the tool in server-only mode.

==== Client mode

If you already have a running !RefactorErl instance (a running "server") started with {{{-name}}} or {{{-sname}}}, then you can connect to this server with a command line client and you can enter Erlang commands that will be executed on the server. To start a client, use the {{{-client}}} option and specify the name of the server (the name you have used in {{{-name}}} or {{{-sname}}} while starting the server) with the {{{-srvname}}} option.

=== Embedded application

User interfaces like [EmacsInterface Emacs] are capable of starting their embedded instance of !RefactorErl. For further information visit the pages of various interfaces.