---
title: Compass Command Line Documentation
layout: documentation
classnames:
  - documentation
---
Compass Command Line Documentation
==================================

This page lists the compass commands you can use to set up and manage your project.

You may also find one of these walk throughs useful:

* HOWTO: [Compile your stylesheets for production](/help/tutorials/production-css/)

<!--
Extensions Commands
-------------------

### install a global extension. probably requires sudo.

    compass extension install extension_name 

### install an extension into a project
    compass extension unpack extension_name [path/to/project]

### uninstall a local or global extension. global extensions will require sudo.

    compass extension uninstall extension_name [path/to/project]

### list the extensions in the project

    compass extensions list

### list the extensions available for install

    compass extensions available
-->

Project Commands
----------------
<a name="create"/>
### Create a new compass project

    compass create path/to/project [--using blueprint] [--sass-dir=sass ...] [--project-type=rails]

<a name="init"/>
### Initialize an existing project to work with compass

    compass init rails path/to/project [--using blueprint]

<a name="install"/>
### Install a pattern from an extension into a project

    compass install blueprint/buttons [path/to/project]

<a name="compile"/>
### Compile the project's sass files into css

    compass compile [path/to/project]

<a name="watch"/>
### Watch the project for changes and compile whenever it does

    compass watch [path/to/project]

<a name="config"/>
### Emit a configuration file at the location specified.

    compass config [path/to/config] [--sass-dir=sass --css-dir=css ...]

<a name="validate"/>
### Validate the generated CSS.

    compass validate [path/to/project]

Misc commands
-------------

<a name="grid-img"/>
### Generate a background image that can be used to verify grid alignment

    compass grid-img W+GxH [path/to/grid.png]

Where:
<dl class="table">
  <dg><dt><code>W</code> = </dt><dd>Width of 1 column in pixels.</dd></dg>
  <dg><dt><code>G</code> = </dt><dd>Width of 1 gutter in pixels.</dd></dg>
  <dg><dt><code>H</code> = </dt><dd>Height of the typographic baseline in pixels.</dd></dg>
</dl>
Examples:

    # 40px column, 10px gutter, 20px height at <images_dir>/grid.png
    compass grid-img 40+10
    # 40px column, 20px gutter, 28px height at <images_dir>/grid.png
    compass grid-img 40+20x28
    # 60px column, 20px gutter, 28px height at images/wide_grid.png
    compass grid-img 60+20x28 images/wide_grid.png

<a name="interactive"/>
### Enter into a console for testing SassScript in a compass environment.

    compass interactive

<a name="stats"/>
### Print out statistics about your stylesheets

    compass stats

<a name="version"/>
### Emit the version of compass

    compass version

<a name="unpack"/>
### Unpack a framework or extension into your project

    compass unpack <extension>

Get Help on the Command Line
----------------------------

<a name="help"/>
### Get help on compass

    compass help

<a name="help-extension"/>
### Get help on an extension

    compass help extension_name

<a name="help-pattern"/>
### Get help about an extension pattern

    compass help extension_name/pattern_name

<a name="help-command"/>
### Get help about a particular sub command

    compass help command_name

