The r2x CLI is the orchestrator for the
r2x ecosystem. It
discovers installed Python plugins, chains them into pipelines,
and manages Python environments, all from a single Rust binary.
Plugins handle every step of a power systems translation workflow: parsing source models, applying transforms, translating between formats, and exporting to targets like PLEXOS or Sienna. The CLI finds them via static analysis (no Python import side effects), resolves their dependencies, and pipes each step's output into the next.
Installation
Download the latest binary from the releases page, or use the one-liner installers below.
macOS / Linux
|
Windows
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -c "irm https://github.com/NatLabRockies/r2x-cli/releases/latest/download/r2x-installer.ps1 | iex"
Verify it works:
[!NOTE] Pre-built binaries require Python shared libraries at runtime. If
r2x --versionfails with a missinglibpythonerror, runuv python install 3.12to make the shared library available.
Quick Start
# 1. Scaffold a pipeline config
# 2. Install a plugin from PyPI
# 3. See what got installed
# 4. Run a pipeline
r2x init creates a pipeline.yaml with example variables,
pipeline definitions, and per-plugin configuration. Edit it to
match your data and you are running translations in under a
minute.
Plugin Management
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
r2x install <package> |
Install from PyPI |
r2x install NatLabRockies/r2x-reeds |
Install from a GitHub repo |
r2x install --branch dev NatLabRockies/r2x-reeds |
Install a specific branch (--tag, --commit) |
r2x install -e /path/to/plugin |
Install in editable mode for local dev |
r2x remove <package> |
Uninstall a plugin |
r2x list |
List all installed plugins |
r2x list r2x-reeds |
Filter by package name |
r2x list r2x-reeds break-gens |
Filter by package and module |
r2x sync |
Re-run plugin discovery |
r2x clean -y |
Wipe the plugin manifest |
[!TIP] Plugin discovery uses static analysis (ast-grep) instead of importing Python modules. This makes
r2x syncandr2x installfast and safe, with no side effects from plugin code.
Running Pipelines
Pipelines chain plugins together in a named sequence defined in a YAML file. See Pipeline File Format for the full spec.
# List available pipelines
# Dry run (preview without executing)
# Execute
# Execute and save output
Running Plugins Directly
Skip the pipeline and run a single plugin with inline arguments:
# Run a plugin directly
# Show a plugin's help
# List all runnable plugins
Pipeline File Format
Pipeline configs are YAML with three sections: variables for
substitution values, pipelines for named plugin sequences, and
config for per-plugin settings.
variables:
output_dir: "output"
reeds_run: /path/to/reeds/run
solve_year: 2032
pipelines:
reeds-test:
- r2x-reeds.reeds-parser
- r2x-reeds.break-gens
reeds-to-plexos:
- r2x-reeds.reeds-parser
- r2x-reeds-to-plexos.reeds-to-plexos
- r2x-plexos.plexos-exporter
config:
r2x-reeds.reeds-parser:
weather_year: 2012
solve_year: ${solve_year}
path: ${reeds_run}
r2x-reeds.break-gens:
drop_capacity_threshold: 5
r2x-plexos.exporter:
output: ${output_dir}
output_folder: ${output_dir}
Variables use ${var} syntax and are substituted at runtime
across all config values and output_folder.
Interactive System Shell
Load a system JSON and drop into an IPython session for exploration:
The session exposes sys (the loaded system), plugins
(installed plugins), and lazy-loaded pd, np, plt for
pandas, numpy, and matplotlib. Type %r2x_help for the full
list of magic commands.
# From stdin
|
# Run a script against the system
# Run a script then stay interactive
Configuration
# Show current config
# Set values
# Reset everything
The r2x python command provides shortcuts for Python runtime management:
# Install a Python version
# Show installed Python versions
# Get the Python executable path
# Create or recreate the managed venv
# Install packages into the managed venv
[!TIP] The
r2x pythoncommands are shortcuts forr2x config python <action>. Both work identically.
# Show current logging settings
# Keep Python/plugin stdout out of the log file by default
# Cap log file size (bytes)
# Show Python log messages on console by default
# Override log file location
# Print the resolved log file path
# Command help
[!NOTE] Configuration is stored in
~/.config/r2x/config.tomlon Unix-like systems or%APPDATA%\r2x\config.tomlon Windows. Override with theR2X_CONFIGenvironment variable.
Verbosity
| Flag | Effect |
|---|---|
-q |
Suppress informational logs |
-qq |
Suppress logs and plugin stdout |
-v |
Debug logging |
-vv |
Trace logging |
--log-python |
Show Python logs on console |
--no-stdout |
Do not capture plugin stdout in logs |
Persisted logging defaults can be set with r2x log set ....
Architecture
flowchart LR
CLI[r2x CLI] --> Config[r2x-config]
CLI --> Manifest[r2x-manifest]
CLI --> AST[r2x-ast]
CLI --> Python[r2x-python]
CLI --> Logger[r2x-logger]
AST -->|ast-grep| Discovery[Plugin Discovery]
Python -->|PyO3| Runtime[Python Runtime]
Manifest --> Plugins[(Plugin Registry)]
The workspace is split into six crates:
| Crate | Role |
|---|---|
r2x-cli |
CLI entry point, command routing, pipeline execution |
r2x-config |
Configuration management, paths, Python/venv settings |
r2x-manifest |
Plugin manifest read/write, package metadata |
r2x-ast |
AST-based plugin discovery via ast-grep |
r2x-python |
PyO3 bridge for running Python plugins |
r2x-logger |
Structured logging with tracing |
Ecosystem
The r2x ecosystem is a set of independently published packages.
The CLI orchestrates them; r2x-core provides the shared plugin
framework; model packages supply parsers, exporters, and data
models; and translation packages convert between formats.
| Package | Description |
|---|---|
| r2x-cli (this repo) | Rust CLI that discovers, installs, and runs any r2x plugin. Chains plugins into pipelines and manages Python environments |
| r2x-core | Shared plugin framework: PluginContext, Rule, System, @getter registry |
| R2X | Translation plugins: ReEDS to PLEXOS, Sienna to PLEXOS, and more |
| r2x-reeds | ReEDS parser, transform plugins, and component models |
| r2x-plexos | PLEXOS parser/exporter and component models |
| r2x-sienna | Sienna parser/exporter and PowerSystems.jl-compatible models |
| infrasys | Foundational System container, time series management, and component storage |
| plexosdb | Standalone PLEXOS XML database reader/writer |
Building from Source
Prerequisites
|
|
[!IMPORTANT] Restart your shell after installing rustup and uv so both are available in your PATH.
Build and install
&&
PYO3_PYTHON=
This places the r2x binary in ~/.cargo/bin/.
PYO3_PYTHON=
The binary lands at target/release/r2x. Copy it wherever you
like.
The project uses a justfile for common tasks:
- If the build fails with a Python error, verify
uv python find 3.12returns a valid path. You may needuv python install 3.12first. - If
r2xis not found after install, check that~/.cargo/binis in your$PATH. - On HPC systems with older glibc, building from source is usually required since pre-built binaries target glibc 2.28+.
License
BSD-3-Clause. See LICENSE.txt for the full text.
Copyright (c) 2025, Alliance for Sustainable Energy LLC.