> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/tree-sitter/tree-sitter/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Installation

> How to install the Tree-sitter CLI

The Tree-sitter CLI is required to create and develop Tree-sitter parsers. There are several ways to install it.

## Prerequisites

Before installing the Tree-sitter CLI, ensure you have:

* **A JavaScript runtime** - Tree-sitter grammars are written in JavaScript. The CLI requires Node.js (or another JavaScript runtime) to interpret grammar files. The runtime command (default: `node`) must be in your `PATH`.

* **A C Compiler** - Tree-sitter creates parsers written in C. To compile and test parsers, you need a C/C++ compiler installed. The CLI will look for compilers in the standard platform locations.

## Installation Methods

### Cargo (Recommended)

Install from [crates.io](https://crates.io/crates/tree-sitter-cli) using Rust's package manager:

```bash theme={null}
cargo install tree-sitter-cli --locked
```

This method works on all platforms and provides the latest version.

### Build from Source

Build the CLI from source using Cargo:

```bash theme={null}
git clone https://github.com/tree-sitter/tree-sitter.git
cd tree-sitter/crates/cli
cargo install --path . --locked
```

See [the contributing docs](https://tree-sitter.github.io/tree-sitter/contributing) for more information.

### NPM

Install the [Node.js module](https://www.npmjs.com/package/tree-sitter-cli) using npm:

```bash theme={null}
npm install -g tree-sitter-cli
```

<Warning>
  This approach is fast but only works on certain platforms as it relies on pre-built binaries.
</Warning>

### Pre-built Binaries

Download a binary for your platform from [GitHub releases](https://github.com/tree-sitter/tree-sitter/releases) and add it to your `PATH`.

## Verifying Installation

After installation, verify the CLI is available:

```bash theme={null}
tree-sitter --version
```

You should see output showing the version number.

## Next Steps

Once installed, you can:

1. Initialize a new parser project with [`tree-sitter init`](/cli/init)
2. Create a config file with [`tree-sitter init-config`](/cli/init-config)
3. Start developing your grammar

## Platform-Specific Notes

### macOS/iOS

You can set `MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET` or `IPHONEOS_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET` to define the minimum supported version when building parsers.

### Windows

The CLI works on Windows but some safety checks (like symbol validation with `nm`) are not performed.