building-clis

Name: building-clis
Author: ancoleman

51installs59forks

How to install building-clis?

ancoleman/ai-design-components/building-clis

$npx -y skills add ancoleman/ai-design-components --skill building-clis

Installs into the current project.

Summary

Build professional command-line interfaces in Python, Go, and Rust using modern frameworks like Typer, Cobra, and clap. Use when creating developer tools, automation scripts, or infrastructure management CLIs with robust argument parsing, interactive features, and multi-platform

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SKILL.md

1	# Building CLIs
2
3	Build professional command-line interfaces across Python, Go, and Rust using modern frameworks with robust argument parsing, configuration management, and shell integration.
4
5	## When to Use This Skill
6
7	Use this skill when:
8	- Building developer tooling or automation CLIs
9	- Creating infrastructure management tools (deployment, monitoring)
10	- Implementing API client command-line tools
11	- Adding CLI capabilities to existing projects
12	- Packaging utilities for distribution (PyPI, Homebrew, binary releases)
13
14	Common triggers: "create a CLI tool", "build a command-line interface", "add CLI arguments", "parse command-line options", "generate shell completions"
15
16	## Framework Selection
17
18	### Quick Decision Guide
19
20	Python Projects:
21	- Typer (recommended): Modern type-safe CLIs with minimal boilerplate
22	- Click: Mature, flexible CLIs for complex command hierarchies
23
24	Go Projects:
25	- Cobra (recommended): Industry standard for enterprise tools (Kubernetes, Docker, GitHub CLI)
26	- urfave/cli: Lightweight alternative for simple CLIs
27
28	Rust Projects:
29	- clap v4 (recommended): Type-safe with derive API or builder API for runtime flexibility
30
31	For detailed framework comparison and selection criteria, see [references/framework-selection.md](references/framework-selection.md).
32
33	## Core Patterns
34
35	### Arguments vs. Options vs. Flags
36
37	Positional Arguments:
38	- Primary input, identified by position
39	- Use for required inputs (max 2-3 arguments)
40	- Example: `convert input.jpg output.png`
41
42	Options:
43	- Named parameters with values
44	- Use for configuration and optional inputs
45	- Example: `--output file.txt`, `--config app.yaml`
46
47	Flags:
48	- Boolean options (presence = true)
49	- Use for switches and toggles
50	- Example: `--verbose`, `--dry-run`, `--force`
51
52	Decision Matrix:
53
54	\| Use Case \| Type \| Example \|
55	\|----------\|------\|---------\|
56	\| Primary required input \| Positional Argument \| `git commit -m "message"` \|
57	\| Optional configuration \| Option \| `--config app.yaml` \|
58	\| Boolean setting \| Flag \| `--verbose`, `--force` \|
59	\| Multiple values \| Variadic Argument \| `files...` \|
60
61	See [references/argument-patterns.md](references/argument-patterns.md) for comprehensive parsing patterns.
62
63	### Subcommand Organization
64
65	Flat Structure (1 Level):
66	```
67	app command1 [args]
68	app command2 [args]
69	```
70	Use for: Small CLIs with 5-10 operations
71
72	Grouped Structure (2 Levels):
73	```
74	app group subcommand [args]
75	```
76	Use for: Medium CLIs with logical groupings (10-30 commands)
77	Example: `kubectl get pods`, `kubectl create deployment`
78
79	Nested Structure (3+ Levels):
80	```
81	app group subgroup command [args]
82	```
83	Use for: Large CLIs with deep hierarchies (30+ commands)
84	Example: `gcloud compute instances create`
85
86	See [references/subcommand-design.md](references/subcommand-design.md) for structuring strategies.
87
88	### Configuration Management
89
90	Standard Precedence (Highest to Lowest):
91
92	1. CLI Arguments/Flags (explicit user input)
93	2. Environment Variables (session overrides)
94	3. Config File - Local (`./config.yaml`)
95	4. Config File - User (`~/.config/app/config.yaml`)
96	5. Config File - System (`/etc/app/config.yaml`)
97	6. Built-in Defaults (hardcoded)
98
99	Best Practices:
100	- Document precedence in `--help`
101	- Validate config files before execution
102	- Provide `--print-config` to show effective configuration
103	- Use XDG Base Directory (`~/.config/app/`) for config files
104
105	See [references/configuration-management.md](references/configuration-management.md) for implementation patterns across languages.
106
107	### Output Formatting
108
109	Format Selection:
110
111	\| Use Case \| Format \| When \|
112	\|----------\|--------\|------\|
113	\| Human consumption \| Colored text, tables \| Default interactive mode \|
114	\| Machine consumption \| JSON, YAML \| `--output json`, piping \|
115	\| Logging/debugging \| Plain text \| `--verbose`, stderr \|
116	\| Progress tracking \| Progress bars, spinners \| Long operations \|
117
118	Best Practices:
119	- Default to human-readable output
120	- Provide `--output` flag (json, yaml, table)
121	- Use stderr for logs, stdout for data
122	- Auto-detect TTY (disable colors if not interactive)
123	- Use exit codes: 0 = success, 1 = error, 2 = usage error
124
125	See [references/output-formatting.md](references/output-formatting.md) for formatting strategies.
126
127	## Language-Specific Quick Starts
128
129	### Python with Typer
130
131	Installation:
132	```bash
133	pip install "typer[all]" # Includes rich for colored output
134	```
135
136	Basic Example:
137	```python
138	import typer
139	from typing import Annotated
140
141	app = typer.Typer()
142
143	@app.command()
144	def greet(
145	name: Annotated[str, typer.Argument(help="Name to greet")],
146	formal: Annotated[bool, typer.Option(help="Use formal greeting")] = False
147	):
148	"""Gre

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Type

building-clis

51installs59forks

View on GitHub

How to install building-clis?

ancoleman/ai-design-components/building-clis

$npx -y skills add ancoleman/ai-design-components --skill building-clis

Installs into the current project.

Summary

Files · 1

View on GitHub

SKILL.md

1	# Building CLIs
2
3	Build professional command-line interfaces across Python, Go, and Rust using modern frameworks with robust argument parsing, configuration management, and shell integration.
4
5	## When to Use This Skill
6
7	Use this skill when:
8	- Building developer tooling or automation CLIs
9	- Creating infrastructure management tools (deployment, monitoring)
10	- Implementing API client command-line tools
11	- Adding CLI capabilities to existing projects
12	- Packaging utilities for distribution (PyPI, Homebrew, binary releases)
13
14	Common triggers: "create a CLI tool", "build a command-line interface", "add CLI arguments", "parse command-line options", "generate shell completions"
15
16	## Framework Selection
17
18	### Quick Decision Guide
19
20	Python Projects:
21	- Typer (recommended): Modern type-safe CLIs with minimal boilerplate
22	- Click: Mature, flexible CLIs for complex command hierarchies
23
24	Go Projects:
25	- Cobra (recommended): Industry standard for enterprise tools (Kubernetes, Docker, GitHub CLI)
26	- urfave/cli: Lightweight alternative for simple CLIs
27
28	Rust Projects:
29	- clap v4 (recommended): Type-safe with derive API or builder API for runtime flexibility
30
31	For detailed framework comparison and selection criteria, see [references/framework-selection.md](references/framework-selection.md).
32
33	## Core Patterns
34
35	### Arguments vs. Options vs. Flags
36
37	Positional Arguments:
38	- Primary input, identified by position
39	- Use for required inputs (max 2-3 arguments)
40	- Example: `convert input.jpg output.png`
41
42	Options:
43	- Named parameters with values
44	- Use for configuration and optional inputs
45	- Example: `--output file.txt`, `--config app.yaml`
46
47	Flags:
48	- Boolean options (presence = true)
49	- Use for switches and toggles
50	- Example: `--verbose`, `--dry-run`, `--force`
51
52	Decision Matrix:
53
54	\| Use Case \| Type \| Example \|
55	\|----------\|------\|---------\|
56	\| Primary required input \| Positional Argument \| `git commit -m "message"` \|
57	\| Optional configuration \| Option \| `--config app.yaml` \|
58	\| Boolean setting \| Flag \| `--verbose`, `--force` \|
59	\| Multiple values \| Variadic Argument \| `files...` \|
60
61	See [references/argument-patterns.md](references/argument-patterns.md) for comprehensive parsing patterns.
62
63	### Subcommand Organization
64
65	Flat Structure (1 Level):
66	```
67	app command1 [args]
68	app command2 [args]
69	```
70	Use for: Small CLIs with 5-10 operations
71
72	Grouped Structure (2 Levels):
73	```
74	app group subcommand [args]
75	```
76	Use for: Medium CLIs with logical groupings (10-30 commands)
77	Example: `kubectl get pods`, `kubectl create deployment`
78
79	Nested Structure (3+ Levels):
80	```
81	app group subgroup command [args]
82	```
83	Use for: Large CLIs with deep hierarchies (30+ commands)
84	Example: `gcloud compute instances create`
85
86	See [references/subcommand-design.md](references/subcommand-design.md) for structuring strategies.
87
88	### Configuration Management
89
90	Standard Precedence (Highest to Lowest):
91
92	1. CLI Arguments/Flags (explicit user input)
93	2. Environment Variables (session overrides)
94	3. Config File - Local (`./config.yaml`)
95	4. Config File - User (`~/.config/app/config.yaml`)
96	5. Config File - System (`/etc/app/config.yaml`)
97	6. Built-in Defaults (hardcoded)
98
99	Best Practices:
100	- Document precedence in `--help`
101	- Validate config files before execution
102	- Provide `--print-config` to show effective configuration
103	- Use XDG Base Directory (`~/.config/app/`) for config files
104
105	See [references/configuration-management.md](references/configuration-management.md) for implementation patterns across languages.
106
107	### Output Formatting
108
109	Format Selection:
110
111	\| Use Case \| Format \| When \|
112	\|----------\|--------\|------\|
113	\| Human consumption \| Colored text, tables \| Default interactive mode \|
114	\| Machine consumption \| JSON, YAML \| `--output json`, piping \|
115	\| Logging/debugging \| Plain text \| `--verbose`, stderr \|
116	\| Progress tracking \| Progress bars, spinners \| Long operations \|
117
118	Best Practices:
119	- Default to human-readable output
120	- Provide `--output` flag (json, yaml, table)
121	- Use stderr for logs, stdout for data
122	- Auto-detect TTY (disable colors if not interactive)
123	- Use exit codes: 0 = success, 1 = error, 2 = usage error
124
125	See [references/output-formatting.md](references/output-formatting.md) for formatting strategies.
126
127	## Language-Specific Quick Starts
128
129	### Python with Typer
130
131	Installation:
132	```bash
133	pip install "typer[all]" # Includes rich for colored output
134	```
135
136	Basic Example:
137	```python
138	import typer
139	from typing import Annotated
140
141	app = typer.Typer()
142
143	@app.command()
144	def greet(
145	name: Annotated[str, typer.Argument(help="Name to greet")],
146	formal: Annotated[bool, typer.Option(help="Use formal greeting")] = False
147	):
148	"""Gre

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6 picks

Type