MdtCli is both an executable binary that can be run, and a library that can be used in Rust programs.

Installing the `mdt` executable

Assuming you have Rust/Cargo installed, run this command in a terminal:

cargo install mdt_cli

It will make the mdt command available in your PATH if you've allowed the PATH to be modified when installing Rust. cargo uninstall mdt_cli uninstalls.

Adding `mdt_cli` library as a dependency

Run this command in a terminal, in your project's directory:

cargo add mdt_cli

To add it manually, edit your project's Cargo.toml file and add to the [dependencies] section:

mdt_cli = "0.7.0"

The mdt_cli library will be automatically available globally. Read the mdt_cli library documentation.

Back to the crate overview.

Readme

mdt_cli

the CLI for mdt (manage markdown templates)

mdt is a data-driven template engine for keeping documentation synchronized across your project. It uses comment-based template tags to define content once and distribute it to multiple locations — markdown files, code documentation comments (in any language), READMEs, mdbook docs, and more.

Installation

cargo install mdt_cli@0.7.0

CLI Commands

mdt init [--path <dir>] — Create a sample template.t.md file with getting-started instructions.
mdt check [--path <dir>] [--verbose] — Verify all consumer blocks are up-to-date. Exits non-zero if any are stale.
mdt update [--path <dir>] [--verbose] [--dry-run] — Update all consumer blocks with latest provider content.
mdt info [--path <dir>] — Print project diagnostics and cache observability metrics.
mdt doctor [--path <dir>] [--format text|json] — Run health checks with actionable hints, including cache validity and efficiency.
mdt lsp — Start the mdt language server (LSP) for editor integration. Communicates over stdin/stdout.
mdt mcp — Start the mdt MCP server for AI assistants. Communicates over stdin/stdout.

Diagnostics Workflow

Run mdt info first to inspect project shape, diagnostics totals, and cache reuse telemetry.
Run mdt doctor when you need actionable health checks and remediation hints (config/data/layout/cache).
Use MDT_CACHE_VERIFY_HASH=1 when troubleshooting cache consistency issues and comparing reuse behavior.

Template Syntax

Provider tag (defines a template block in *.t.md definition files):

<!-- {@blockName} -->

Content to inject

<!-- {/blockName} -->

Consumer tag (marks where content should be injected):

<!-- {=blockName} -->

This content gets replaced

<!-- {/blockName} -->

Inline tag (provider-free interpolation using configured data):

Current version: <!-- {~version:"{{ package.version }}"} -->0.0.0<!-- {/version} -->

| Artifact | Version                                                                   |
| -------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| mdt_cli  | <!-- {~cliVersion:"{{ package.version }}"} -->0.0.0<!-- {/cliVersion} --> |

Filters and pipes: Template values support pipe-delimited transformers:

<!-- {=block|prefix:"\n"|indent:"  "} -->

Available transformers: trim, trimStart, trimEnd, indent, prefix, suffix, linePrefix, lineSuffix, wrap, codeBlock, code, replace, if.

Installing the mdt executable

Adding mdt_cli library as a dependency

Installing the `mdt` executable

Adding `mdt_cli` library as a dependency