exploring-cli-tools

name	exploring-cli-tools
description	Explores CLI tools using --help flags and man pages to understand capabilities, discover subcommands, and find specific options. Use when investigating how a command-line tool works, checking if a tool supports a feature, or finding the correct syntax for a command.

Exploring CLI Tools

Workflow

1. Run <tool> --help or <tool> -h for overview
2. For subcommands: <tool> <subcommand> --help
3. If help is insufficient: man <tool>
4. For extensive help output: pipe through grep to find specific flags

Help flag conventions

Tools vary in conventions:

• --help or -h (most common)
• help as subcommand: git help commit
• -? (Windows-originated tools)
• No flags (some tools show help when run without arguments)

Constraints

• Only use read-only exploration: --help, -h, man, --version
• Do NOT execute commands that modify state
• If help requires authentication/setup, report this limitation

Response format

Provide:

1. Answer: Direct response to what was asked
2. Syntax: Exact command with required flags
3. Caveats: Version-specific or platform-specific notes (if any)

Examples

Task: Find how to create a git branch

git branch --help

Result: git branch <name> or git checkout -b <name>

Task: Check if curl follows redirects

curl --help all | grep -i redirect

Result: -L, --location follows redirects

Task: Explore nested subcommands (kubectl)

kubectl --help
kubectl get --help