# `shelldocs dev`

> Start the dev server with hot-reload for .md, .razor, and .cs changes.

Source: https://shelldocs.shellui.dev/docs/cli/dev

`shelldocs dev` is the daily-driver runner : `dotnet watch run` under the hood, with the watch set extended to include markdown so editing a `.md` file re-triggers the navigation-graph rebuild without a manual restart.

## Synopsis

```bash
shelldocs dev [--dir <dir>] [--port <n>]
```

## Default use

Run from your docs project root:

```bash
shelldocs dev
```

Serves at `http://localhost:5000` and watches:

- `.cs` (C# source)
- `.razor` (component source)
- `.css` and `.js` (styling / interop)
- `content/**/*.md` (docs pages)

Editing any watched file triggers a hot-reload : Blazor's rebuild-and-refresh for source files, ShellDocs' nav-graph rebuild for markdown.

## Changing the port

```bash
shelldocs dev --port 5200
```

Binds to `http://localhost:5200` instead. Useful when 5000 is taken by another Blazor project.

## Running from a different directory

```bash
shelldocs dev --dir docs/MyDocs.Docs --port 5200
```

Points at a specific project directory instead of the working dir. Handy in monorepos where you're normally in `../src/` but want to spin up the docs site.

## Under the hood

`dev` shells out to:

```bash
dotnet watch --project <csproj> --non-interactive run --urls http://localhost:<port>
```

`--non-interactive` disables `dotnet watch`'s prompt for "restart on non-hot-reloadable changes" : ShellDocs sites usually just want the file-watcher to rebuild without asking.

`Ctrl+C` in the CLI forwards to the child process's entire process tree, so `dotnet watch` shuts down cleanly.

## Options

| Name | Type | Default | Description |
|------|------|---------|-------------|
| `--dir` | `string` | `cwd` | Project directory. dev looks for a .csproj here. |
| `--port` | `int` | `5000` | Port to bind on. |

## Exit codes

| Name | Type | Default | Description |
|------|------|---------|-------------|
| `0` | `ok` |  | Server shut down cleanly (e.g. Ctrl+C). |
| `1` | `usage` |  | No .csproj found in the target directory. |
| `other` | `pass-through` |  | dotnet watch run exit code propagated. |

## Skipping the CLI

`shelldocs dev` is a thin convenience over `dotnet watch run`. If you'd rather run watch yourself : `cd docs/MyDocs.Docs && dotnet watch run` does the same thing (minus the `--non-interactive` flag and the markdown-in-watch-set optimization).

## See also

- [shelldocs build](https://shelldocs.shellui.dev/docs/cli/build.md): Publish a static site once you're ready to deploy.
- [Quick start](https://shelldocs.shellui.dev/docs/getting-started/quick-start.md): Full walkthrough from init to dev.