IDL to Anchor conversion error: Unrecognized subcommand

The Anchor CLI IDL convert command has been reported to fail when attempting to convert IDL code in an existing Anchor project. This issue is caused by the idl convert command being executed in a new, isolated workspace or library.

Why the issue occurs

When running the IDL convert command in a new, isolated workspace or library, there is a possibility that the anchor CLI will not be able to detect the existing Anchor project and its associated configurations. This is due to the way anchors manage their internal state and dependencies.

Solutions and workarounds

To resolve this issue, consider the following workarounds:

1.
Use --idl-in-project option

Instead of running the IDL conversion command directly from a new workspace or library, try specifying -idl-in-project option followed by the path to an existing Anchor project.

Example:

anchor --idl-in-project /path/to/your/project --idl-out /path/to/output

This will convert the IDL code in the specified project without creating a separate workspace or library.

2.
Create an anchor project with --idl-in-project

If you need to do multiple IDL conversions within the same existing project, consider creating an anchor project with anchor init and then running the IDL conversion commands within that project.

Example:

Create an anchor project
anchor init /path/to/your/project

Change to the project directory
cd /path/to/your/project

Convert IDL code
idl convert -o /path/to/output.idl --idl-in-project /path/to/your/project

This approach creates a new, isolated workspace within the existing Anchor project.

3.
Use anchor deps to automate dependency management

Another potential solution is to use anchor deps to automate dependency management between projects and their IDL code. This way you can ensure that the correct dependencies are included when converting your IDL code.

To enable anchor dependencies, run:

anchor dependencies init --all --idl-in-project /path/to/your/project

This will automatically create a new anchor project with the necessary dependencies managed automatically.

Conclusion

Converting IDL code to an existing Anchor project can be difficult, and the idl convert command may not work as expected. By using one of these workarounds or solutions, you should be able to resolve the issue and successfully convert your IDL code in the context of your existing Anchor project.

Example Use Cases

• Creating a new anchor project with multiple IDL conversions

• Automating dependency management between projects and their IDL code

By exploring these options, you can overcome common difficulties encountered when working with anchors and IDL conversions.