Installation

CAT CLI is a self-contained executable — it ships with every runtime it needs.

CAT CLI has no dependency on PowerShell and no dependency on a separately installed .NET runtime. That makes it the tool to reach for on machines where PowerShell 7 cannot be installed, or where a runtime cannot be managed.

Where to get it #

There are two equal routes; pick the one that fits the machine.

Download the installer from the Releases page of this site. The page always carries the latest cat-cli-<version>-setup.exe with its SHA256 hash; the installer is digitally signed and is a plain next-next-next wizard with nothing to configure. This is the route for machines without WinGet, without access to the WinGet source, for a download you want to keep and redistribute internally, or simply when you prefer a file you can inspect and hash before running it.

Or install from WinGet:

winget install DataTools.CATCLI

Both routes install the same program to the same place and register it the same way; winget upgrade and the installer can be used interchangeably on one machine.

Prerequisites #

Windows 10 or later, or Windows Server 2016 or later. Linux is not supported.

The Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable (x64) must be present — it is a common component, so it usually already is. Microsoft publishes it at https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/windows/latest-supported-vc-redist.

Some data source providers need additional software installed on the machine. The requirement belongs to the provider, not to CAT CLI — each provider page states what it needs, and the Providers overview marks which providers need a driver.

Verify the installation #

catcli --version

The command prints the installed version. catcli resolves from any directory once the installation has put it on PATH; a terminal opened before the installation has to be restarted to see it.

Update #

Download the newer installer from the Releases page and run it over the existing installation, or, with WinGet:

winget upgrade DataTools.CATCLI

Pin the version in automated processes: install one specific version and keep pipelines on it, rather than picking up whatever is current. Keeping the downloaded installer is the simplest way to reinstall exactly that version elsewhere.

Uninstall #

Remove CAT CLI as any other Windows application — Settings → Apps → Installed apps → CAT CLI → Uninstall — or with WinGet:

winget uninstall DataTools.CATCLI

Uninstalling removes the tool only. Project files, test definitions and results stay where they are.