Browser and CLI
rom-weaver ships two front ends over one engine. This page explains what they share, where they genuinely differ, and how to pick.
One engine, two front ends
The patch formats, container handlers, checksum algorithms, and validation rules live in Rust. The CLI links that code natively. The webapp runs the same code compiled to WebAssembly, inside your browser's workers.
So a patch created in the browser and a patch created by the CLI are the same patch. A bundle written by one is read by the other. Moving between them costs you nothing and changes no file you have already made.
What differs is the interface, and that difference is deliberate.
What the browser is good at
The browser is the better tool when the answer matters more than the repetition:
- It explains what it found. Cards show checksums, expected names, header state, and archive contents before you commit to anything.
- It needs no install. Open a URL and work.
- It has guided samples. You can learn the workflow on homebrew files before touching a real ROM.
- It works on phones and tablets, within their memory limits.
Use it when you are learning, patching a handful of files, or want the warnings to tell you why something is wrong.
What the CLI is good at
The CLI is the better tool when the work repeats or the files are large:
- It scripts. Batch jobs, CI, and release automation need commands, not clicks.
- It is not inside a browser sandbox. Large disc images are limited by your machine, not by a tab's storage and memory rules.
- Its flags are quotable. A release note can carry the exact command readers should run.
- It emits JSON. Other tools can consume its output.
Use it for scripts, batches, CI, repeatable release commands, and heavy jobs.
Why the documentation does not mix them
Browser guides do not put terminal commands in the middle of a visual workflow, and CLI guides do not describe cards and drag handles. A reader following one interface should never have to translate steps written for the other.
That is why installation, terminal examples, and flags live in the CLI pages and the CLI reference, while the browser guides stay on visible controls.
If you are unsure
Start in the browser. It is the fastest way to understand what a patch job involves, and nothing you produce there has to be redone if you later move to the CLI.
Move to the CLI when you notice yourself doing the same thing a third time, or when a browser tab runs out of room on a large disc image.