| name | cli-generation |
| description | Domain knowledge for generating typed Go CLIs + MCP servers + Claude skills from any external API using cli-printing-press. Covers when to use it, what it produces, install prerequisites, and CKS lifecycle fit. Step-by-step flows live in workflows/. |
| allowed-tools | ["Bash","Read","Write","AskUserQuestion"] |
CLI Generation Skill
What This Is
cli-printing-press (github.com/mvanhorn/cli-printing-press) turns any external API —
REST, GraphQL, or browser-sniffed — into three artifacts:
- Typed Go CLI — an
api-name binary with subcommands, flags, typed exit codes,
and a --compact flag optimized for agent consumption
- MCP server — a matching Model Context Protocol server Claude Code can register
- Claude skill — a
SKILL.md the generating agent files into the project
CKS wraps this tool via /cks:print-cli. The binary does the work; CKS files the output.
When to Use
- CONTEXT.md identifies a third-party API the sprint must call
- An agent needs to call an external service and no MCP exists yet
prd-discoverer surfaced a 💡 SUGGESTION for a detected API
What It Does NOT Do
- It does not handle authentication for you — the generated CLI has its own auth flow
- It does not guarantee the generated CLI matches undocumented API behavior
- It does not replace hand-authored MCP servers when precision is required
Lifecycle Fit
| Phase | Use |
|---|
| Phase 1 — Discover | prd-discoverer surfaces suggestion when API detected in CONTEXT.md |
| Phase 2 — Design | Generated CLI/MCP becomes a named design component, not a TODO |
| Phase 3 — Sprint | Agents call the CLI binary directly; no integration sprint required |
Output Structure (upstream)
After printing-press print --api <name>, artifacts live under:
~/printing-press/
library/<api-name>/
cmd/ ← Go CLI source
mcp/ ← MCP server source
SKILL.md ← Claude skill
manuscripts/<api-name>/ ← API schema snapshot
.runstate/ ← Binary state (never read by CKS)
CKS Filing Convention
When inside a sprint: copy the generated SKILL.md summary to
.prd/phases/{NN}/integrations/<api-name>.md.
When standalone: note the artifact paths in the agent summary; do not copy files.
Prerequisites
See workflows/install-printing-press.md for the full install flow.
Summary:
- Go 1.21+ (
brew install go)
- One-shot installer:
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mvanhorn/cli-printing-press/main/scripts/install.sh | bash
- Installs both binary (
cli-printing-press) and Claude Code skills in one step
- Restart Claude Code after install
Common Rationalizations
| Rationalization | Reality |
|---|
| "I'll write the integration agent by hand, it's faster" | Printing-press generates a typed CLI + MCP in one command. Hand-writing takes an hour and misses compact-mode. |
| "The API isn't in the printing-press catalog, so I'll skip it" | Use --url sniff mode for any API not in the catalog. |
| "Go isn't installed, I'll skip this step" | Surface the ACTION REQUIRED block. Don't silently skip. |
| "I'll echo the raw binary output to the user" | Parse and summarize only. Raw stdout is not user-facing output. |
Verification
