Command line interface#

PyAEDT provides a command line interface (CLI) to help you manage AEDT processes and test configurations from your terminal. The CLI offers simple commands to start, stop, and monitor AEDT sessions without writing any Python code.

Get started#

To use the CLI, open your terminal and type:

pyaedt --help

This displays all available commands and options.

Main Commands#

The PyAEDT CLI provides four main commands:

  • version - Display the installed PyAEDT version

  • processes - List all running AEDT processes

  • start - Start a new AEDT session

  • stop - Stop running AEDT processes

  • config - Manage test configuration settings

Display version#

Check which version of PyAEDT you have installed:

pyaedt version

This shows the current PyAEDT version number.

List running processes#

View all AEDT processes currently running on your system:

pyaedt processes

This command displays useful information for each process:

  • Process ID (PID)

  • Process name

  • Command line arguments

  • Port number (if available)

Start AEDT#

Launch a new AEDT session directly from the command line:

pyaedt start

This starts AEDT with default settings (latest AEDT version released, graphical mode).

You can customize the startup with these options:

Set AEDT Version

pyaedt start --version 2025.2
pyaedt start -v 2025.2

Non-Graphical Mode

Run AEDT without the user interface (useful for automation):

pyaedt start --non-graphical
pyaedt start -ng

Specify Port

Set a specific port for the AEDT connection:

pyaedt start --port 50051
pyaedt start -p 50051

Student Version

Start the AEDT Student edition:

pyaedt start --student

Combine Options

You can use multiple options together:

pyaedt start -v 2025.2 -ng -p 50051

Stop AEDT#

Stop running AEDT processes using different methods:

Stop by Process ID

pyaedt stop --pid 12345

Stop multiple processes:

pyaedt stop --pid 12345 --pid 67890

Stop by Port

pyaedt stop --port 50051

Stop All AEDT Processes

pyaedt stop --all
pyaedt stop -a

Test configuration management#

The config test command helps you create and modify the test configuration file used when running PyAEDT tests. This is useful for developers and contributors.

Launch the interactive configuration tool:

pyaedt config test

This starts a guided setup that walks you through all configuration options and saves the configuration to tests/local_config.json.

To see your configuration without making changes:

pyaedt config test --show
pyaedt config test -s

You can also set individual values directly. For example:

pyaedt config test desktop-version 2025.2
pyaedt config test non-graphical true
pyaedt config test use-grpc true

For a complete description of all configuration parameters and their usage, see the Local testing parameters section in the Contributing guide.

Practical examples#

Here are some common workflows using the CLI:

Start AEDT and Check Status

# Start AEDT
pyaedt start -v 2025.2

# Check it's running
pyaedt processes

# Stop when done
pyaedt stop --all

Automation Script

# Start AEDT in non-graphical mode on a specific port
pyaedt start -ng -p 50051

# Your automation code runs here
python my_script.py

# Clean up
pyaedt stop --port 50051

Configure Tests

# Use interactive mode
pyaedt config test

# Or set values directly
pyaedt config test desktop-version 2025.2

Emergency Cleanup

If AEDT processes are stuck:

# See what's running
pyaedt processes

# Stop everything
pyaedt stop --all

Troubleshooting#

Command Not Found

If pyaedt command is not recognized, ensure PyAEDT is installed with CLI support:

pip install pyaedt[all]

Cannot Stop Process

If you get “Access denied” errors:

  • You can only stop processes owned by your user

  • Some processes may require administrator privileges

  • Try closing AEDT normally from the application first

AEDT Won’t Start

Common issues when starting AEDT:

  • Verify AEDT is installed and in your system PATH

  • Check the version number is correct (for example, 2025.1, 2025.2)

  • Ensure license server is available

Configuration Not Found

The test configuration is created in the tests folder relative to the PyAEDT installation. If you’re not in a development environment, you may need to navigate to the correct directory first.

Get help#

For detailed help on any command:

pyaedt --help
pyaedt start --help
pyaedt stop --help
pyaedt config test --help

For more information, visit the PyAEDT documentation or GitHub repository.