---
name: "hfst-xfst"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "hfst"
version: "3.16.2-1+b1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/hfst-xfst"
---

# hfst-xfst(1)

\=Compile XFST scripts or execute XFST commands interactively

## NAME

hfst-xfst - =Compile XFST scripts or execute XFST commands interactively

## SYNOPSIS

**hfst-xfst** \[*OPTIONS*...\]

## DESCRIPTION

Compile XFST scripts or execute XFST commands interactively

### Common options:

- **-h**, **--help**

  Print help message

- **-V**, **--version**

  Print version info

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

  Print verbosely while processing

- **-q**, **--quiet**

  Only print fatal erros and requested output

- **-s**, **--silent**

  Alias of **--quiet**

### Xfst-specific options:

- **-e**, **--execute**=*CMD*

  Execute command CMD on startup

**-E**, **--execute-and-quit**=*CMD* Execute command CMD, and quit

- **-f**, **--format**=*FMT*

  Write result using FMT as backend format

- **-F**, **--scriptfile**=*FILE*

  Read commands from FILE, and quit

- **-l**, **--startupfile**=*FILE*

  Read commands from FILE on startup

- **-p**, **--pipe-mode**\[=*STREAM*\]

  Control input and output streams

- **-r**, **--no-readline**

  Do not use readline library for input

- **-w**, **--print-weight**

  Print weights for each operation

- **-R**, **--restricted-mode**

  Allow read and write operations only in current directory, do not allow system calls

Option **--execute** can be invoked many times. If FMT is not given, OpenFst's tropical format will be used. The possible values for FMT are { foma, openfst-tropical, openfst-log, sfst }. Readline library, if enabled when configuring, is used for input by default. Input files are always treated as UTF-8.

STREAM can be { input, output, both }. If not given, defaults to {both}. If input file is not specified with **-F**, input is read interactively line by line from the user. If you redirect input from a file, use **--pipe-mode**=*input*. **--pipe-mode**=*output* is ignored on non-windows platforms.

## REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs to \<hfst-bugs@helsinki.fi\> or directly to our bug tracker at: \<https://github.com/hfst/hfst/issues\>

hfst-xfst home page: \<https://github.com/hfst/hfst/wiki/HfstXfst2Fst\>\
 General help using HFST software: \<https://github.com/hfst/hfst/wiki\>

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2017 University of Helsinki, License GPLv3: GNU GPL version 3 \<http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html\>\
 This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.