command-architecture

name	command-architecture
description	Design CLI commands that work independently and compose well for automation. Orchestrator pattern coordinates, subcommands execute discrete tasks.

Command Architecture

When to Use This Skill

A well-designed CLI has commands that work both independently and as part of larger workflows. This section covers:

• Orchestrator Pattern - Coordinate multi-step workflows
• Subcommand Design - Build independently useful commands
• Input/Output Contracts - Design for pipelines and automation

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Implementation

See the full implementation guide in the source documentation.

Key Principles

Practice	Description
Flat hierarchy	Avoid deeply nested subcommands (max 2 levels)
Verb-noun ordering	myctl restart deployment not myctl deployment restart
Consistent flags	Use same flag names across commands
Hidden internal commands	Mark debugging commands as hidden
Exit codes	Use consistent exit codes (0=success, 1=failure, 2=usage error)

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Design commands for both humans and scripts.

Examples

See examples.md for code examples.

References

• Source Documentation
• AEL Build