---
name: "cif-validate"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "cif-tools"
version: "1.0.12-4"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/cif-validate"
---

# cif-validate(1)

Validate the content of a mmCIF file

## NAME

cif-validate - Validate the content of a mmCIF file

## SYNOPSIS

cif-validate \[OPTION\] file \[output-file\]

## DESCRIPTION

The mmCIF format is not really new, but the implementation of this format has been taken up slowly. Unfornately, the knowledge of the ins and outs of the format are still poorly understood and many files written contain errors.

*cif-validate* can be used to help debug the creation of mmCIF files. By default it uses the dictionary provided by *libcifpp* (which may be updated automatically, depending on your installion). But you can also specify your own dictionary file using the **--dict** option.

## OPTIONS

- **--dict**=\<file\>

  The mmCIF dictionary file to use. The default is *mmcif\_pdbx.dic*.

- **--validate-links**

  Validate all links. Will output information about missing parent category items.

- **--verbose**,**-v**

  Be more verbose, useful to diagnose validation errors. Can be specified multiple times to increase verbosity level.

- **--print**

  Print a formatted version of the input file to *stdout* or to *output-file* if specified.

## AUTHOR

Written by Maarten L. Hekkelman \<maarten@hekkelman.com\>

## REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs at https://github.com/PDB-REDO/cif-tools/issues

## SEE ALSO

**cif-diff**, **cif-grep**, **cif-merge**,  **cif2pdb**, **mmCQL**, **pdb2cif**.