Version: 8.3

Install Clio

Level: advanced

Clio is one of the infrastructural components required for composable app development in Creatio. Clio streamlines and automates development, deployment, and maintenance tasks, applying Creatio best practices to building modular and composable apps. By using Clio, system administrators and developers can streamline common operations such as package management, environment configuration, deployment automation, and integration using development tools. This provides the foundation for scalable, reusable, and easily maintainable apps. Learn more about organizing special infrastructure to develop composable apps: Best infrastructure practices for composable app development (user documentation). Learn more about Clio capabilities: official vendor documentation (GitHub).

Clio installation is a one-time procedure.

1. Install Clio CLI

Run the command-line interface as administrator. For example, Windows PowerShell.
Make sure that you have .NET 8 installed.
1. Run the dotnet --list-sdks command.
2. Check the .NET version. Install .NET 8 if needed. Instructions: Install .NET on Windows, Linux, and macOS (official vendor documentation).
Run the dotnet tool update clio -g command. The installation might take some time.
Run the clio ver command to make sure that you have Clio installed.
Register Clio (for Windows only).
1. Run the clio register command to add Clio options to the File Explorer context menu.
2. Run the clio apps command to create the C:\Users\SomeWindowsUser\AppData\Local\creatio\clio directory. The directory includes appsettings.json and schema.json files that store Clio configuration settings.

As a result, Clio CLI will be installed.

View Clio configuration settings in one of the following ways:

Open the appsettings.json file manually.
Run the clio cfg open command at command-line interface as administrator. This opens the appsettings.json file in Visual Studio Code.

To uninstall Clio CLI, run the dotnet tool uninstall clio -g command at the terminal of Visual Studio Code or command-line interface that is run as administrator.

2. Install Clio explorer extension for Visual Studio Code

The Clio explorer extension for Visual Studio Code is designed to simplify working with Clio by providing GUI to execute some Clio commands directly from extension menu without using the terminal.

To install Clio explorer extension for Visual Studio Code, follow the instructions: official vendor website.

View primary features of Clio explorer extension that can be used directly from Visual Studio Code in the table below.

Feature	Description
Explore Creatio objects	Browse the Creatio configuration structure, such as schemas, packages, processes, etc. View the content of objects (source code, XML, JSON, etc.) without leaving the Visual Studio Code. Search for needed objects by name or type quickly.
Download and extend configuration elements	Transfer configuration elements from Creatio environment into local workspace. Make changes to Creatio configuration using built-in tools of Visual Studio Code. Push changes back to Creatio using Clio commands.
Manage packages	Install, update, and delete packages in Creatio. View the list of all packages and their dependencies. Download package content for offline review or backup.
Implement integration with Clio CLI	Run on top of the Clio CLI, so you can perform deployments, pull objects, and manage environments using the same credentials and settings. Lets you avoid repetitive manual steps in the Creatio UI.
Improve productivity for Creatio developers	Eliminate the need to reload the Creatio UI constantly. Provide a consistent workspace for both coding and configuration work. Make version control easier by tracking local files in Git.

Now you can connect Clio to an already deployed Creatio instance or deploy a Creatio instance from scratch using Clio. Instructions: Set up Creatio instance for working with Clio.