cli-tool-generator

name

cli-tool-generator

description

Scaffolds command-line interface (CLI) tools with subcommands, flags, help text, input validation, and colored output. Use this skill whenever a user says "build a CLI for...", "create a command-line tool that...", "write a CLI with subcommands", "scaffold a Node CLI", "make a Python CLI with argparse or Click", "write a Go CLI tool", or "create a dev tool I can run from the terminal". Also activate when someone describes a workflow they run manually and wants it wrapped in a nice CLI. Supports Node.js (Commander.js / Yargs), Python (Click / argparse), and Go (cobra). Do NOT use for shell scripts (use python-script-generator instead) or full TUI (terminal UI) applications.

CLI Tool Generator

Scaffold polished, production-ready CLI tools with subcommands, flags, validation, help text, and colored output — ready to install globally or distribute.

When to Use

• Building a developer tool that needs a CLI interface
• Wrapping a script in a discoverable, documented CLI
• Creating a project management or automation tool for a team
• Building a CLI companion for a service or API

When NOT to Use

• Simple one-off scripts (use python-script-generator)
• Full terminal UI applications (ncurses/Ink — different scope)
• Shell scripts / bash one-liners

---

Workflow

Step 1 — Understand the CLI Requirements

Collect:

1. Tool name and one-sentence description
2. Commands: What actions does it perform? (e.g., create, list, delete, deploy)
3. Flags/options: Required and optional flags for each command
4. Output format: Plain text, JSON, colored status output
5. Language: Node.js, Python, or Go
6. Distribution: npx-runnable, pip-installable, go-installable binary

Step 2 — Design the Command Structure

Produce a CLI design overview:

mytool <command> [options]

Commands:
  create <name>      Create a new resource
  list               List all resources
  delete <id>        Delete a resource by ID
  config set <key>   Set a config value

Global options:
  --verbose, -v      Show verbose output
  --json             Output results as JSON
  --help, -h         Show help

Step 3 — Scaffold the CLI

Node.js with Commander.js

#!/usr/bin/env node
// bin/mytool.ts

import { Command } from 'commander';
import chalk from 'chalk';
import { createResource } from './commands/create';
import { listResources } from './commands/list';

const program = new Command();

program
  .name('mytool')
  .description('My automation CLI tool')
  .version('1.0.0');

program
  .command('create <name>')
  .description('Create a new resource')
  .option('-t, --type <type>', 'Resource type', 'default')
  .option('--dry-run', 'Preview without making changes')
  .action(async (name, options) => {
    try {
      await createResource(name, options);
      console.log(chalk.green(`✓ Created resource: ${name}`));
    } catch (err) {
      console.error(chalk.red(`✗ Error: ${(err as Error).message}`));
      process.exit(1);
    }
  });

program
  .command('list')
  .description('List all resources')
  .option('--json', 'Output as JSON')
  .action(async (options) => {
    const items = await listResources();
    if (options.json) {
      console.log(JSON.stringify(items, null, 2));
    } else {
      items.forEach(item => console.log(`  ${chalk.cyan(item.id)}  ${item.name}`));
    }
  });

program.parseAsync(process.argv);

Python with Click

#!/usr/bin/env python3
# mytool/cli.py

import click
import json
import sys

@click.group()
@click.version_option()
@click.option('--verbose', '-v', is_flag=True, help='Show verbose output')
@click.pass_context
def cli(ctx, verbose):
    """My automation CLI tool."""
    ctx.ensure_object(dict)
    ctx.obj['verbose'] = verbose

@cli.command()
@click.argument('name')
@click.option('--type', '-t', 'resource_type', default='default', help='Resource type')
@click.option('--dry-run', is_flag=True, help='Preview without making changes')
@click.pass_context
def create(ctx, name, resource_type, dry_run):
    """Create a new resource."""
    if dry_run:
        click.echo(f'[dry-run] Would create: {name} (type={resource_type})')
        return
    try:
        # call your business logic here
        click.echo(click.style(f'✓ Created: {name}', fg='green'))
    except Exception as e:
        click.echo(click.style(f'✗ Error: {e}', fg='red'), err=True)
        sys.exit(1)

@cli.command('list')
@click.option('--output-json', 'as_json', is_flag=True, help='Output as JSON')
def list_resources(as_json):
    """List all resources."""
    items = []  # fetch your data here
    if as_json:
        click.echo(json.dumps(items, indent=2))
    else:
        for item in items:
            click.echo(f'  {item["id"]}  {item["name"]}')

if __name__ == '__main__':
    cli()

package.json / setup.py / go.mod configuration

Node.js — package.json:

{
  "name": "mytool",
  "bin": { "mytool": "./dist/bin/mytool.js" },
  "scripts": {
    "build": "tsc",
    "start": "ts-node src/bin/mytool.ts"
  },
  "dependencies": { "commander": "^12.0.0", "chalk": "^5.3.0" }
}

Python — pyproject.toml:

[project.scripts]
mytool = "mytool.cli:cli"

Step 4 — Add Error Handling and Exit Codes

Standard exit codes:

• 0 — success
• 1 — general error
• 2 — usage error (wrong args)
• 130 — interrupted (Ctrl+C)

Always catch errors at the top level and exit with the correct code.

Step 5 — Write the README usage section

## Usage

\`\`\`bash
mytool create my-resource --type premium
mytool list --json
mytool delete abc-123
\`\`\`

---

Output Format

1. CLI design overview — command tree with flags
2. Scaffolded source files — main entry point + at least one command module
3. Package config — package.json, pyproject.toml, or go.mod snippet
4. README usage section — copy-pasteable examples

---

Safety & Confirmation

• Always include --dry-run for commands that write, delete, or deploy.
• Exit with non-zero code on errors — never silently succeed after a failure.
• Never hardcode credentials — use environment variables and --config flags.
• Add --yes / -y confirmation flags for destructive commands instead of prompting interactively in CI.