| name | Pretty Output Pattern |
| description | Developer reference for implementing commands with TaskCreate/TaskUpdate spinners. Not user-facing — used when building marauder commands.
|
| disable-model-invocation | true |
| version | 1.0.0 |
Pretty Output Pattern
All marauder commands should provide clean visual feedback using Claude Code's native Task system.
Why Pretty Output
- Users see a spinner with descriptive text instead of verbose command output
- Clean, consistent experience across all commands
- Verbose details only shown on error or in final summary
- Native Claude Code UI integration
The Pattern
1. Create Task at Start
TaskCreate(
subject: "Brief action description",
description: "Detailed context for task tracking",
activeForm: "Doing the thing..." // Shown with spinner
)
2. Do Work Silently
Run the actual operations. Output is captured, not streamed.
3. Update Status on Completion
TaskUpdate(taskId: "...", status: "completed")
4. Show Clean Summary
After completing, display a concise summary:
- Success indicator
- Key metrics (files processed, time taken, etc.)
- Any warnings
activeForm Guidelines
The activeForm text appears next to a spinner. Keep it:
- Short: Under 40 characters
- Active voice: "Indexing code...", not "Code is being indexed"
- No periods: "Fetching zone info" not "Fetching zone info."
Good Examples
| Operation | activeForm |
|---|
| Store memory | "Storing memory..." |
| Recall memories | "Searching memories..." |
| Index code | "Indexing 247 files..." |
| Save session | "Saving session state..." |
| TTS speak | "Synthesizing speech..." |
Bad Examples
- "Working..." (too vague)
- "The system is currently processing your request." (too long)
- "Running the index_code command" (too technical)
Command Template
---
name: action:name
description: Brief description
allowed-tools:
- TaskCreate
- TaskUpdate
- relevant_tool
argument-hint: "[args]"
---
# Action Name
Brief description.
## Execution Flow
1. **Create task with spinner**:
- TaskCreate with descriptive activeForm
2. **Execute operation**:
- Call relevant tools
- Capture results
3. **Complete task**:
- TaskUpdate to mark completed
4. **Show summary**:
- Clean output with key info
- Errors/warnings if any
## Example
User: `/action:name arg`
Claude creates task: "Doing action..." (spinner)
Claude executes operation
Claude completes task
Claude shows:
Done: processed 42 items
Details:
- 40 successful
- 2 skipped (already exists)
Error Handling
On error:
- Still complete the task (don't leave it hanging)
- Show clear error message
- Include actionable next steps
Error: Could not connect to database
- Check network connectivity: `ping <host>`
- Verify the service is running
Multiple Operations
For commands with multiple steps, update the activeForm:
TaskCreate(subject: "Full operation", activeForm: "Step 1 of 3...")
// do step 1
TaskUpdate(taskId: "...", activeForm: "Step 2 of 3...")
// do step 2
TaskUpdate(taskId: "...", activeForm: "Step 3 of 3...")
// do step 3
TaskUpdate(taskId: "...", status: "completed")
When NOT to Use
- Quick queries that return instantly (< 500ms)
- Interactive prompts requiring user input
- Streaming output that user needs to see in real-time
Related Tools
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|
TaskCreate | Create task with spinner |
TaskUpdate | Update progress or complete |
TaskList | Check existing tasks |
TaskGet | Get task details |
