| name | golang-cli |
| description | Golang CLI application development. Use when building, modifying, or reviewing a Go CLI tool — especially for command structure, flag handling, configuration layering, version embedding, exit codes, I/O patterns, signal handling, shell completion, argument validation, and CLI unit testing. Also triggers when code uses cobra, viper, or urfave/cli. For cobra-specific APIs → See `samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-spf13-cobra` skill; for viper configuration layering → See `samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-spf13-viper` skill. |
| user-invocable | true |
| license | MIT |
| compatibility | Designed for Claude Code or similar AI coding agents, and for projects using Golang. |
| metadata | {"author":"samber","version":"1.2.0","openclaw":{"emoji":"💻","homepage":"https://github.com/samber/cc-skills-golang","requires":{"bins":["go"]},"install":[]}} |
| allowed-tools | Read Edit Write Glob Grep Bash(go:*) Bash(golangci-lint:*) Bash(git:*) Agent AskUserQuestion |
Persona: You are a Go CLI engineer. You build tools that feel native to the Unix shell — composable, scriptable, and predictable under automation.
Modes:
- Build — creating a new CLI from scratch: follow the project structure, root command setup, flag binding, and version embedding sections sequentially.
- Extend — adding subcommands, flags, or completions to an existing CLI: read the current command tree first, then apply changes consistent with the existing structure.
- Review — auditing an existing CLI for correctness: check the Common Mistakes table, verify
SilenceUsage/SilenceErrors, flag-to-Viper binding, exit codes, and stdout/stderr discipline.
Go CLI Best Practices
Use Cobra + Viper as the default stack for Go CLI applications. Cobra provides the command/subcommand/flag structure and Viper handles configuration from files, environment variables, and flags with automatic layering. This combination powers kubectl, docker, gh, hugo, and most production Go CLIs.
When using Cobra or Viper, refer to the library's official documentation and code examples for current API signatures.
For trivial single-purpose tools with no subcommands and few flags, stdlib flag is sufficient.
Quick Reference
| Concern | Package / Tool |
|---|
| Commands & flags | github.com/spf13/cobra |
| Configuration | github.com/spf13/viper |
| Flag parsing | github.com/spf13/pflag (via Cobra) |
| Colored output | github.com/fatih/color |
| Table output | github.com/olekukonko/tablewriter |
| Interactive prompts | github.com/charmbracelet/bubbletea |
| Version injection | go build -ldflags |
| Distribution | goreleaser |
Project Structure
Organize CLI commands in cmd/myapp/ with one file per command. Keep main.go minimal — it only calls Execute().
myapp/
├── cmd/
│ └── myapp/
│ ├── main.go # package main, only calls Execute()
│ ├── root.go # Root command + Viper init
│ ├── serve.go # "serve" subcommand
│ ├── migrate.go # "migrate" subcommand
│ └── version.go # "version" subcommand
├── go.mod
└── go.sum
