Choosing Between Shopify CLI and ThemeKit

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Understanding Command Line Tools
3. Themekit
4. Shopify CLI
5. Creating Shopify Themes with Themekit
6. Creating Shopify Themes with Shopify CLI
7. Which is the Best CLI for Theme Development?
8. Pros and Cons of Themekit and Shopify CLI
9. Conclusion
10. FAQs

Shopify CLI vs Themekit: Which One Should You Use?

If you're a Shopify developer, you've probably heard of Themekit and Shopify CLI. These are two popular command line tools (CLIs) used for building Shopify themes and apps. But which one should you use? In this article, we'll take a closer look at both tools and help you decide which one is right for you.

Understanding Command Line Tools

Before we dive into Themekit and Shopify CLI, let's first understand what command line tools are. A command line tool is a program that allows you to interact with your computer using text commands. It's a powerful tool that can help you automate tasks and perform complex operations quickly and efficiently.

Themekit

Themekit is a command line tool that is used for building Shopify themes. With Themekit, you can deploy and watch for changes in your local development and upload these changes directly to your Shopify store. However, in order to use Themekit with a Shopify store, you will have to generate an API key and a password or use the Themekit access app and get the password there directly.

Shopify CLI

Shopify CLI is a command line tool that is used for building not just Shopify themes but also Shopify apps. One of the main differences between Themekit and Shopify CLI is that you can connect your Shopify CLI to your Shopify store without having to install any apps or generate API keys or passwords. With just the "shopify login" command, you can connect Shopify CLI to your Shopify development store or Shopify store. Once Shopify CLI is connected, it will use all of the necessary data from that store, including the products, orders, customers, settings, and so on.

Creating Shopify Themes with Themekit

To create a new Shopify theme with Themekit, all you need to do is to use the following command: "theme new" followed by the flags "password", "store", and "name". By running this command, Themekit will generate a basic theme template and it will create and upload the theme to your Shopify store. It will also create a configuration file for your new Shopify theme.

Creating Shopify Themes with Shopify CLI

To create a theme project with Shopify CLI, you can use the command "shopify theme". However, this will not create a basic theme template. Instead, it will clone a copy of the Shopify theme called "Dawn". If you want Shopify CLI to create a basic theme template, you will have to use the flag called "clone-url" with the value of the URL of your Git repository. This means you will have to make this repository yourself.

Which is the Best CLI for Theme Development?

As of this moment, there is no best CLI for theme development. It all just depends on your workflow. At the end of the day, you're still creating Shopify themes, whether you're using Themekit or Shopify CLI. However, some people might think that Shopify CLI is superior to Themekit because of a feature called "themecheck". Themecheck is a linter for Liquid and JSON. It detects any syntax errors like missing templates and used objects or snippets. It also detects if you're using a duplicated tag and so on. If you want this feature, just install Shopify CLI and you're good to go.

Pros and Cons of Themekit and Shopify CLI

Pros of Themekit:

• Easy to use
• Can deploy and watch for changes in your local development
• Can create a basic theme template

Cons of Themekit:

• Need to generate an API key and password or use the Themekit access app
• No "themecheck" feature

Pros of Shopify CLI:

• Can connect to your Shopify store without installing any apps or generating API keys or passwords
• Has a "themecheck" feature
• Can be used for building Shopify apps

Cons of Shopify CLI:

• Minor bugs
• Need to create a Git repository for a basic theme template

Conclusion

In conclusion, both Themekit and Shopify CLI are great command line tools for building Shopify themes. It all just depends on your workflow and what features you need. If you're not familiar with the two CLIs, we suggest you learn them both. It's always best to have a backup tool that you can use.

FAQs

Q: Can I use Themekit and Shopify CLI together? A: Yes, you can use Themekit and Shopify CLI together. However, it's best to use one tool at a time to avoid conflicts.

Q: Do I need to install any apps to use Shopify CLI? A: No, you don't need to install any apps to use Shopify CLI. You just need to use the "shopify login" command to connect to your Shopify store.

Q: Can I use Themekit or Shopify CLI for building Shopify apps? A: You can use Shopify CLI for building Shopify apps, but not Themekit. Themekit is only used for building Shopify themes.