Tray Documentation
Tray is a CLI-first inventory management tool for makers, hobbyists, and small teams. It runs as a single binary with a local SQLite database — no servers, no Docker, no browser required.
Quick Start
# Add some parts
tray add "NE555" --category "ICs/Timers" --stock 25 --manufacturer "TI" --mpn "NE555P"
tray add "10k Resistor" --category "Passives/Resistors" --stock 100 --footprint "0805"
tray add "100nF Cap" --category "Passives/Capacitors" --stock 50
# Find them
tray list
tray search "555"
tray list --category "Passives"
tray list --low
# Track where things are
tray stock add NE555 --qty 10 --location "Lab/Shelf 1/Drawer 3"
tray stock list NE555
# Build a project
tray project add "Synth VCO"
tray project bom-add 1 NE555 --qty 2 --refs "U1,U2"
tray project bom-add 1 "10k Resistor" --qty 8 --refs "R1-R8"
tray project check 1 --qty 5
tray project build 1 --qty 5 --completeDocumentation
| Page | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Installation | Binary download, building from source, Deno install |
| Parts | Adding, editing, searching, categories, tags, parameters |
| Stock | Stock lots, storage locations, adjustments, moves, low stock |
| Suppliers | Supplier management, price breaks, finding the best price |
| Projects | Projects, BOMs, build orders, purchase orders |
| KiCad | Using Tray as a KiCad symbol library |
| Import & Export | CSV/JSON import and export, KiCad BOM import |
| Backup | Database backup and restore |
| Plugins | TypeScript plugin system, hooks, custom commands |
| Architecture | How Tray works, API reference, development guide |
Design Principles
CLI is the primary interface. Every operation is a command. Pipe-friendly JSON output for scripting. Table output for humans.
Single source of truth. SQLite database, no sync conflicts, no cloud dependency. Your data lives on your machine.
One code path. The CLI, the HTTP server, and the web UI all use the same Hono API. Local mode boots the server in-process (~2ms). Remote mode points at a URL. The code is identical.
Zero configuration. tray add "NE555" works immediately. No init command, no config file, no setup wizard. The database is created automatically at ~/.tray/data.db.