# Open a file using command line into a running ParaView instance .

**URL:** https://discourse.paraview.org/t/open-a-file-using-command-line-into-a-running-paraview-instance/13232
**Category:** Feature Requests
**Created:** [November 10, 2023, 4:50pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/open-a-file-using-command-line-into-a-running-paraview-instance/13232 "2023-11-10T16:50:59Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Felipe\_Bordeu](https://discourse.paraview.org/user_avatar/discourse.paraview.org/felipe_bordeu/32/6143_2.png) [@Felipe\_Bordeu](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/Felipe_Bordeu)
#### Post date: [November 10, 2023, 4:51pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/open-a-file-using-command-line-into-a-running-paraview-instance/13232/1 "2023-11-10T16:51:00Z")

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Hello,

Often a have an already running paraview, and I want to open a new file in it.  
And a want to open a second file using the command line but on the running instance of paraview.

I don’t know if this is difficult to do.

Thanks.  
Felipe

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### Author: ![mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/user_avatar/discourse.paraview.org/mwestphal/32/17_2.png) [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [November 10, 2023, 5:05pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/open-a-file-using-command-line-into-a-running-paraview-instance/13232/2 "2023-11-10T17:05:32Z")

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You can use the old multi client pvpython trick: [Controlling Paraview GUI from Python IDLE - Stack Overflow](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/45236721/controlling-paraview-gui-from-python-idle/46407769#46407769)