| name | bootstrap-go-cli |
| description | Bootstrap a Go CLI application with Cobra, Viper config, slog structured logging, justfile, and goreleaser. Use when the user says "bootstrap go cli", "new go cli", "create a cli app in go", "go cobra app", "scaffold go command line", or wants to start a new Go CLI project from scratch.
|
Bootstrap Go CLI
Scaffold a production-ready Go CLI application using Cobra + Viper + slog.
Gather Input
Ask the user for:
- App name — binary/project name (lowercase, hyphen-separated, e.g.
my-tool)
- Module path — Go module path (e.g.
github.com/user/my-tool)
- Subcommands — initial subcommands to scaffold (e.g.
serve, init, sync)
Derive ENV_PREFIX from app name: uppercase, hyphens replaced with underscores (e.g. my-tool → MY_TOOL).
Generate Project
Read references/templates.md for all file templates.
Create files in this order:
1. Initialize Go module
mkdir -p <app-name>/cmd
cd <app-name>
go mod init <module-path>
2. Create files from templates
Apply placeholder substitution ({{APP_NAME}}, {{MODULE_PATH}}, {{ENV_PREFIX}}) to each template:
| File | Template |
|---|
main.go | main.go template |
cmd/root.go | cmd/root.go template |
cmd/<subcmd>.go | subcommand template (one per requested subcommand) |
.gitignore | .gitignore template |
.goreleaser.yaml | .goreleaser.yaml template |
justfile | justfile template |
3. Install dependencies
go get github.com/spf13/cobra@latest
go get github.com/spf13/viper@latest
go mod tidy
4. Initialize git and verify
git init
go build ./...
Output
After generation, print a summary:
Created <app-name>/ with:
main.go — entry point with version/commit/date ldflags
cmd/root.go — root command with Viper config + slog logging
cmd/<subcmd>.go — subcommand stubs (one per requested command)
.goreleaser.yaml — cross-platform release config
justfile — build/test/lint/release recipes
.gitignore — Go + editor + OS ignores
Run it:
cd <app-name> && just run --help
Next steps:
- Implement subcommand logic in cmd/*.go
- Add config options via Viper (flags, env vars, or .yaml file)
- Run `just test` to verify, `just snapshot` to test releases
