Output Formats¶

Canvas CLI supports multiple output formats to suit different use cases.

Available Formats¶

Table (Default)¶

Human-readable table format, ideal for terminal viewing.

canvas courses list

ID     NAME                    CODE       TERM
123    Introduction to CS      CS101      Fall 2024
456    Data Structures         CS201      Fall 2024
789    Algorithms              CS301      Fall 2024

JSON¶

Structured JSON output, ideal for scripting and automation.

canvas courses list --output json

[
  {
    "id": 123,
    "name": "Introduction to CS",
    "course_code": "CS101",
    "enrollment_term_id": 1
  }
]

YAML¶

YAML format for configuration files and human-readable structured data.

canvas courses list --output yaml

- id: 123
  name: Introduction to CS
  course_code: CS101
  enrollment_term_id: 1

CSV¶

Comma-separated values for spreadsheet import.

canvas courses list --output csv

id,name,course_code,enrollment_term_id
123,Introduction to CS,CS101,1
456,Data Structures,CS201,1

Using Output in Scripts¶

Bash with jq¶

# Get course IDs
canvas courses list -o json | jq '.[].id'

# Filter by name
canvas courses list -o json | jq '.[] | select(.name | contains("CS"))'

Piping to Files¶

# Export to CSV file
canvas users list --course-id 123 -o csv > users.csv

# Export to JSON file
canvas assignments list --course-id 123 -o json > assignments.json

Processing with Other Tools¶

# Count users
canvas users list --course-id 123 -o json | jq length

# Get specific fields
canvas users list --course-id 123 -o json | jq '.[].email'

Output Filtering¶

Canvas CLI includes built-in filtering, column selection, and sorting capabilities.

Filter Results¶

Use --filter to search across all fields:

# Find courses containing "CS"
canvas courses list --filter "CS"

# Find assignments with "exam" in the name
canvas assignments list --course-id 123 --filter "exam"

The filter is case-insensitive and searches all fields.

Select Columns¶

Use --columns to display only specific fields:

# Show only id and name
canvas courses list --columns id,name

# Show specific assignment fields
canvas assignments list --course-id 123 --columns id,name,due_at,points_possible

Sort Results¶

Use --sort to order results by a field:

# Sort by name (ascending)
canvas courses list --sort name

# Sort by due date (descending with - prefix)
canvas assignments list --course-id 123 --sort -due_at

# Sort by points
canvas assignments list --course-id 123 --sort points_possible

Combining Options¶

All filtering options can be combined:

# Find exams, show key fields, sort by due date
canvas assignments list --course-id 123 \
  --filter "exam" \
  --columns id,name,due_at,points_possible \
  --sort -due_at

Works with All Formats¶

Filtering works with any output format:

# Filter JSON output
canvas courses list --filter "CS" --output json

# Filter and export to CSV
canvas users list --course-id 123 --filter "student" --output csv > students.csv

Tips¶

Use JSON for Scripts

Always use -o json when parsing output in scripts. Table format may change between versions.

CSV for Spreadsheets

Use -o csv when you need to import data into Excel, Google Sheets, or other spreadsheet applications.

Built-in Filtering vs jq

For simple filtering, use built-in --filter. For complex queries, use JSON output with jq:

# Simple - use built-in
canvas courses list --filter "Fall 2024"

# Complex - use jq
canvas courses list -o json | jq '.[] | select(.enrollment_term_id == 5)'