building-agentic-cli-tools

name	building-agentic-cli-tools
description	Read this skill whenever you need to build a cli where the primary consumer is the agent.

CRITICAL: Add the following steps to your Todo list using TodoWrite.

• Announce "I am using the building-agentic-cli-tools skill.".
• Read the design principles on how to build agentic cli tools (below).
• In any future implementation step, follow the design principles.
• In any future review step, review the design principles.

Design Principles.

• Do not include any colors, animations, or spinners.
• Do not include any interactivity -- all commands should be single shot, and all parameters should be accessible using flags.
• Use a third party library to manage the UX layer (e.g. commander for typescript)
• Calling the cli tool with no parameters should output a 'help' message that shows:
  • What the tool can be used for ("Use this CLI tool to...")
  • A list of subcommands and their uses
  • The source location where the cli tool is installed on the machine
• Calling the cli tool with --help should show the same help message.
• Calling the cli tool with a subcommand and --help should show a more detailed help message for that subcommand, including:
  • what you would use the subcommand for
  • all parameters
  • the source location for that particular subcommand
• Calling the cli tool with a mistaken input should show:
  • the help message for that particular input
  • an extremely detailed error message
  • the source location and instructions to look at the source if anything is confusing
  • A Levenshtein distance match for other possible inputs, ("Did you mean foos instead of foo?")

A coding agent is using the CLI, NOT a human. Implement the UX according to what would be easiest for a coding agent to use.