= 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

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

|| -base PATH          || Path to the !RefactorErl base directory                                ||
|| -browser_root       || Set the file browser root directory                                    ||
|| -build TARGET       || Build TARGET (e.g. tool, doc, clean)                                   ||
|| -client             || Start in client mode (no server is started)                            ||
|| -db [mnesia|nif]    || The database engine to use (default: mnesia)                           ||
|| -dir DIR            || Sets the !RefactorErl data directory                                   ||
|| -emacs              || Start as an Emacs client                                               ||
|| -erl PATH           || Path to the Erlang executable to use                                   ||
|| -g++ PATH           || Path of the g++ compiler to use                                        ||
|| -help               || Print this help text                                                   ||
|| -images_dir         || Set root directory where generated Nitrogen images will be written     ||
|| -name NAME          || Full name of the Erlang node                                           ||
|| -nitrogen           || Start with Nitrogen                                                    ||
|| -no_cpp             || CPP code will not be compiled (use with ''-build tool'')               ||
|| -server             || Start in server mode (no shell is started)                             ||
|| -sname NAME         || Short name of the Erlang node                                          ||
|| -srvname NAME       || Name of the Erlang server node to connect                              ||
|| -yaws               || Start with yaws web server                                             ||
|| -yaws_listen IP     || Set yaws IP                                                            ||
|| -yaws_name NAME     || Set yaws server name                                                   ||
|| -yaws_path PATH     || Path to the Yaws ebin directory (need /ebin at the end)                ||
|| -yaws_port PORT     || Set yaws port                                                          ||

==== 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] and [EclipseInterface Eclipse] are capable of starting their embedded instance of !RefactorErl. For further information visit the pages of various interfaces.