Kaizen #160: Automating ZDK CLI commands using shell scripting

Kaizen #160: Automating ZDK CLI commands using shell scripting


Hello everyone,
Welcome back to Kaizen.  ZDK CLI's command-line nature allows you to easily incorporate it within a shell script, to achieve any custom action that you want to execute.  It allows you to execute multiple ZDK CLI commands seamlessly, enhancing productivity.

In this week's Kaizen post, we will discuss a shell script designed to automate the process of pushing locally modified metadata to our CRM environment. Before executing the push operation, ensure that the local metadata is up-to-date and conflicts (same file has been modified in both the local ZDK environment and the remote UI environment) are resolved. To achieve this, we will perform the following steps for files in conflict where manual intervention is required:
  • Retrieve the latest metadata from Zoho CRM to our local environment using zdk org:pull command
  • Address conflicts that may arise during the pull operation using zdk org:pull:resolve command 
  • Update our local directory with the newly pulled file using zdk org:pull:update command
  • Push changes from your local environment to the CRM using zdk org:push command
  • Update local directory and check status of push command using zdk org:push:result command
This script automates the sequential execution of these commands.

Prerequisites
  • ZDK CLI Version 1.0.2-beta
To update ZDK CLI, execute the following command in your terminal


  npm install -g @zohocrm/zdk-cli


This will initiate the installation process for the latest version.

Crafting the Shell Script

 
1.Create a new shell script file zdk_automation.sh in your ZDK project's root directory.
#!/bin/bash
touch stdout.txt
#This script is used to automate ZDK CLI conflict resolve flow
conflict_flag=false
# Clear stdout.txt at the start
> stdout.txt
#Step 1: Initial Push Command
echo "====Start of the script ====" >> stdout.txt
echo "**Executing the initial zdk org:push -j" >> stdout.txt
json_content=$(zdk org:push -j)
echo "Output  $json_content" >> stdout.txt
next_command=$(echo "$json_content" | jq -r '.next_command_sequence // empty')
echo "next_command after initial push  is $next_command">> stdout.txt
# Check if the JSON is valid
if echo "$json_content" | jq empty 2>/dev/null; then
#Step 2: Conflict Detection
    message=$(echo "$json_content" | jq -r '.message')
    echo "message: $message" >>stdout.txt
    if [[ "$message" == *"Merge Conflicts!"* ]]; then
        #Step 3: Resolving Conflicts
        conflict_flag=true
        # Pull changes to the local repository and store the output in a variable
        echo "**Executing zdk org:pull -j" >> stdout.txt
        json_content=$(zdk org:pull -j)
        echo "Output  $json_content" >> stdout.txt
        if echo "$json_content" | jq empty 2>/dev/null; then
            message=$(echo "$json_content" | jq -r '.result')
            echo "message $message" >>stdout.txt
            IFS=$'\n' read -r -d '' -a filenames <<< "$message"
            # Iterate over each filename and execute the resolve command
            for filename in "${filenames[@]}"; do
                echo "**Executing zdk org:pull:resolve for $filename" >> stdout.txt
                # Executing zdk org:pull:resolve 
                json_content=$(zdk org:pull:resolve -f "$filename" -j)
                echo "Output  $json_content" >> stdout.txt
            done
            echo "***Executing zdk org:pull:update" >> stdout.txt
            json_content=$(zdk org:pull:update -j)
            echo "Output  $json_content" >> stdout.txt
        fi
    fi
fi
#Step 4: Second Push Attempt after conflict
if [ "$conflict_flag" = true ]; then
# Push changes to the org and store the output in a variable again
echo "***Executing: zdk org:push -j after conflict resolution" >> stdout.txt
json_content=$(zdk org:push -j)
echo "Output  $json_content" >> stdout.txt
# Extract the line containing "next_command_sequence" from the push output
next_command=$(echo "$json_content" | jq -r '.next_command_sequence')
echo "Next command $next_command " >> stdout.txt
fi
#Step 5: Push result command
# Execute the next command if it exists
counter=0  # Initialize a counter
if [ -n "$next_command" ]; then
    while true; do
    # Execute the command stored in next_command and capture the output
    echo "***Executing: $next_command -j"  >> stdout.txt
    output=$(eval "$next_command -j")
    echo "Output $output" >>stdout.txt
    # Check if the output contains "Process in progress"
    if echo "$output" | grep -q "Process in progress"; then
        echo "Push process in progress. Waiting for 5 seconds..."  >> stdout.txt
        sleep 5  # Wait for 5 seconds
    else
        # If not found, break the loop and handle the output
        echo "Command executed successfully or completed."  >> stdout.txt
        break
    fi
     # Increment the counter
    counter=$((counter + 1))

    # Break the loop after 10 iterations
    if [ "$counter" -ge 10 ]; then
        echo "Maximum number of attempts(10) reached. Exiting the loop." >> stdout.txt
        echo "Try executing $next_command after some time" >> stdout.txt
        break
    fi
done
fi

Explanation of the script

Step 1: Initial Push Command
  • The script starts by executing the zdk org:push -j command. 
  • The commands executed using -j option ensures that the output is in a machine-readable JSON format, which facilitates easier parsing and processing.
  • The conflict_flag is set to false.
Step 2: Conflict Detection
  • The script checks the output for any merge conflicts. 
  • If conflicts are detected, it executes the zdk org:pull -j  command to retrieve the latest changes from the organization. The conflict_flag is set to true.
  • If conflicts are not present, the script proceeds to Step 5: Executing the push:result command.
Step 3: Resolving Conflicts
  • If conflicts are present, the script extracts a list of filenames associated with these conflicts. 
  • It iterates through this list and executes the zdk org:pull:resolve -j command for each filename, allowing for manual resolution of conflicts as needed. 
  • This opens a three-way editor in the browser where the conflicts can be resolved.
Step 4: Second Push Attempt after conflict
  • Once all conflicts are resolved, the script attempts to push any changes back to Zoho CRM by executing the zdk org:push -j command. 
Step 5: Executing push:result command 
  • This command should be followed by zdk org:push:result --jobid {id} command (indicated by a next_command_sequence) which displays the result of the push process with the mentioned job id and updates the local directory. 
  • During this process, if the result is shown as "Process in progress", a subsequent push:result command is required. In this case, the script waits for five seconds before trying again to ensure that operations complete successfully. 

2.Make the script executable
chmod +x zdk_automation.sh

3.Run your script
./zdk_automation.sh & tail -f stdout.txt

Logging Actions: All actions taken by the script are logged in stdout.txt. This serves as a record for later reference and troubleshooting.







Using ZDK CLI with shell script ensures that your ZDK CLI operations are automated daily, minimizing manual intervention while effectively managing conflicts. 
Notes
For the current beta release, ZDK CLI is exclusively available for Sandbox environment and is not operational in Production environments. 

We hope you found this post useful. We will meet you next week with another interesting topic!
If you have any questions, let us know in the comment section.

Happy Exploring!


    • Recent Topics

    • Communicating with emojis

      On July 17, we celebrate World Emoji Day! We're a bit late 😐 sharing insights about this day. But we just couldn't let it pass without a mention 😊 because emojis have a meaningful connection with customer service 💬 🤝. We do not want to miss out on

    • Agent Collision Missing from Mobile App

      Please add Agent Collision capabilities to the mobile app.

    • Zia Sentiment and Functionality on Mobile

      Please add Zia sentiment and generative responses to the mobile app. It would be nice to see the ticket sentiment and generate a response back to a user using Zia on my iPhone

    • View Account Attachments on iOS

      Please allow us to view account attachments on the mobile iOS app!

    • How do I run a PnL by Sales Person?

      I am trying to run a PnL by sales person but am not seeing the option do so. All I need to know (per salesperson) is revenue, cost of goods, gross profit.

    • View Contracts and Support Plans on Mobile

      We would like to be able to see contracts and support plans from the mobile app on iOS!

    • Why is Zoho Meeting quality so poor?

      I've just moved from Office 365 to Zoho Workplace and have been generally really positive about the new platform -- nicely integrated, nice GUI, good and easy-to-understand control and customisation, and at a reasonable price. However, what is going on

    • App like Miro

      Hi all, is there a way to have a interactive whiteboard like in Miro? We want to visualize our processes and workflows in an easy way.

    • Loan repayment Entry

      While receiving loan, i does following steps in My Zoho books. 1. Create "Loan & Advance " Account as Parent Account under Long Term Liabilities. 2. Create another account For Example "Mr. ABC's Loan as Child account under the parent account. Now: In

    • Quotes module send email reverted back into 2022??

      Our Zoho CRM PLUS quotes, sales orders, invoice modules is showing us an email composer from 2022. We cannot send emails and its been a real pain. I tried clicking the new version over there but it doesnt seem to do anything. Any help is welcome. th

    • Workflow Condition - how do check that a date / time value is in the past?

      Hello, I'm got a workflow that runs a function when records reach their 'Effective Date / Time', but sometimes records are created after the 'Effective Date / Time' so I have another workflow that checks for records which needs to be processed immediately.

    • Pre filling SignForm field values by URL field alias's in Zoho Sign

      Hi, Does anyone know if it's possible to pre fill the field values of the SignForm by using field alias's like you can in Zoho forms? To be more specific, I want to be able to change the SignForm URL to include some information like this: Before : https://sign.zoho.eu/signform?form_link=234b4d535f495623920c288fc8538cb9e6db03bbfd44499b63f3e5c48daf78f44bc47f333e2f5072cc1ee74b7332fe18b25c93fab10cb6243278d49c67eacbf30bbe5b6e1cc8c6b2#/

    • How to Split Payout in Zoho Books (Without Using Journal?)

      Hi, I'm trying to properly record payouts in Zoho Books. The issue is that each payout is a combination of sales and expenses (fees). When I try to categorise the payout transaction from the Banking tab, I can only split the transaction using income-type

    • Payment Schedule

      Please add the ability to create a payment schedule. The other options, like retainer invoices or two invoices, do not work for the customer.  We invoice a client and need to be able to show them everything they owe in one invoice, and when each payment

    • Which pricing system do you think would work best for us?

      Imagine we’re selling strictly wholesale. We’d rather not publish unit prices; instead, we quote customers case-by-case. To spur larger orders, we’re considering a transparent discount ladder—say: $0 – $999: 0 % $1,000 – $1,999: 5 % $2,000 – $4,999: 10

    • Can't Remove Payment Gateway

      I am getting the error "Settings cannot be cleared as some of the transactions are still in progress." when trying to remove the PayGate payment gateway which I was unable to get working. I am now using paystack and I want to remove Paygate.

    • Sync specific Zoho Inventory Warehouses to Zoho Commerce

      As said in the title, we would want to only sync stock from one warehouse of Zoho Inventory to the Zoho Commerce item stock. We have a 2 warehouses in different countries and the way that Zoho Commerce works (It takes stock from ALL WAREHOUSES EVERYWHERE

    • Weekly Tips : Automatically clean clutter with Junk cleanup interval

      If you regularly receive many unwanted or spam emails, your Spam folder can quickly fill up and start taking up valuable storage space in your Zoho Mail account. Instead of manually clearing it every few days, you might find it helpful to enable automatic

    • Any solution for getting portal users list in deluge or in widget

      Hi Team, Has anyone able to find the solution to get portal users list in deluge or in zoho creator widgets? Thanks, Payal

    • The Grid is here!

      Hey Zoho Forms Community! 👋 We’re thrilled to announce the launch of a feature that’s been on your wishlist for a while: Grids What is Grids? Grids let you place form fields side by side in multiple columns to create a more concise and organized form

    • Steuerberater der Zoho benutzt in Deutschland

      I write in English because the issue is related to German regulations. Wir sind ein Unternehmen, welches aktuell keine Pflicht zur doppelten Buchführung hat. Aktuell bucht unser Steuerberater jeden Beleg, auch unsere Auslagen. Wir würden dies gerne selbst

    • GraphQL in new Send Webhooks feature

      Hello, is it possible to use GraphQL apis in the new Send Webhooks feature?

    • # 2 Why do we need a billing system when accounting covers billing?

      In today's evolving financial tech stack, businesses use a mix of tools to manage their day-to-day operations, from invoicing to full-fledged accounting. While accounting platforms typically come with built-in invoicing features, specialized billing systems

    • How to insert an Excel/Zoho Sheet table in a chat?

      Hello, is there a way to paste an excel/zoho sheet table to a conversation without loosing table lines. I tried to paste a piece of a table and all the columns and rows were gone. How to easily paste a table without a need of sending a file? Katarzy

    • Mass Update Application Status

      How to update application statuses of Multiple Applications at once? Is that possible? If not then why please consider adding it It can save hours of manual work Thats the only Option I see

    • Free webinar: Streamlining customer service paperwork with the Zoho Sign extension for Zoho Desk

      Hi there! Wondering how to bridge the gap between digitized customer service and business paperwork? Attend our free webinar to learn how you can do this by connecting Zoho Sign, our digital signature app, with Zoho Desk, our online customer service help

    • Mail Search Not Working

      Hello, Mail search is not working at all. I've tried Chrome and Mozilla. I can try and search for an exact term, or even an email that is 1st in my email list. All search does is sit and spin, or it comes up with no results. I've also tried it on my android

    • Cannot Send Email to a Gmail Account

      Hello, I have a zoho-hosted email account, alex@chirochannelnetwork.com that has trouble sending to gmail accounts.  But not all gmail accounts, only some of them. I've tried to figure this out with clients, and they don't appear to be going into their

    • Unblock ME

      info@pentekykloi.gr Unable to send message;Reason:554 5.1.8 Email Outgoing Blocked. Learn more. I purchase additional storage

    • Cannot Print Landscape with Zoho Sheet

      I am noticing that when using the Zoho Sheet desktop for Mac, that even when selecting landscape as the print option, once you choose "Print", a second system dialog opens that automatically makes the view portrait again, and does not allow printing in

    • Power of Automation : Enhancing custom date field calculations by excluding Weekends and Holidays

      Hello Everyone, A Custom function is a user-written set of code to achieve a specific requirement. Set the required conditions needed as when to trigger using the Workflow rules (be it Tasks / Project) and associate the custom function to it. Requirement:

    • Stock count by bin location

      Is there a configuration to make a stock count by bin or area and not by product. these is useful to manage count by area Regards

    • Temporary Outage in Zoho Cliq Affecting US Users – July 23, 2025

      We experienced a service disruption in Zoho Cliq that impacted core functionality for users in the US region. The issue occurred between Jul 23, 2025, 06:54:00 PM IST and 07:13:13 PM IST, lasting approximately 19 minutes. To restore service stability,

    • portal.assignUserInProfile - Não esta adicionando

      Estou encontrando problema com este comando portal.assignUserInProfile Não esta incluindo o usuário no portal Alguém pode me dizer o que pode ser thisapp.portal.assignUserInProfile("teste@gmail.com","Customer");

    • CRM emails vs Campaigns

      Please help me understand this. I am having a difficult understanding of "Campaigns" sent through CRM (real emails) or Zoho One (blast "potentially junk" emails) This is what I currently think emails sent via CRM are "real" emails sent through linked real personal email accounts and therefore are more likely to get delivered.  We use this for critical updates for our "Approved " accounts and certain other preferred statuses emails via Campaigns are sent through the Zoho server (like MailChimp, Campaign

    • Setting up property management in Zoho Books

      Hi, I run a property management business that manages property complexes. There are multiple owners, some owning more than one property on the same complex. My role is to manage the fees they pay for maintenance of common areas, such as the swimming pool

    • Reverse proxy

      We have a web application in the creator platform. When I launch a particular DNS, I would like that DNS to redirect to the web page of the application in creator app. Has anyone achieved it and if yes, please share how to do it.

    • Still client need to download .exe?

      Hello, the client for use zoho assist need everytime download .exe file and launch it?

    • Splitting a ticket's entire thread

      Hi, When you split a ticket it only splits the individual reply that you clicked "Split as new ticket" on. Is it not possible to split the entire ticket thread from that point into the new ticket (every reply from the split point forward)? Or is there

    • Editing the text on the Help Center home page

      Is it possible to edit the "Welcome to Help Center" message anywhere? This one: We'd like to be able to tailor it a little more ourselves.

    • Next Page