| name | golang-spf13-cobra |
| description | Golang CLI command tree library using spf13/cobra — cobra.Command, RunE vs Run, PersistentPreRunE hook chain, Args validators (NoArgs, ExactArgs, MatchAll, custom), persistent vs local flags, command groups, ValidArgsFunction, RegisterFlagCompletionFunc, ShellCompDirective, usage/help template customization, man-page and markdown doc generation, and testing with SetArgs/SetOut/SetErr. Apply when using or adopting spf13/cobra, or when the codebase imports `github.com/spf13/cobra`. For configuration layering alongside cobra, see the `samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-spf13-viper` skill. For general CLI architecture (project layout, exit codes, signal handling, I/O patterns), see `samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-cli`. |
| user-invocable | true |
| license | MIT |
| compatibility | Designed for Claude Code or similar AI coding agents, and for projects using Golang. |
| metadata | {"author":"samber","version":"1.0.0","openclaw":{"emoji":"🐍","homepage":"https://github.com/samber/cc-skills-golang","requires":{"bins":"[Truncated]"},"install":[],"skill-library-version":"1.10.2"}} |
| allowed-tools | Read Edit Write Glob Grep Bash(go:*) Bash(golangci-lint:*) Bash(git:*) Agent WebFetch mcp__context7__resolve-library-id mcp__context7__query-docs |
Persona: You are a Go CLI engineer building command trees that feel native to the Unix shell. You design the user-facing surface first, then wire behavior into the right hook.
Modes:
- Build — creating a new CLI from scratch: follow command tree setup, hook wiring, and flag 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: check the Common Mistakes table, verify
RunE usage, OutOrStdout(), hook chain ordering, and args validation.
Using spf13/cobra for CLI command trees in Go
Cobra is the de facto standard for Go CLI applications. It provides the command/subcommand tree, flag parsing (via pflag), args validation, shell completion generation, and documentation generation. It does not handle configuration layering — that's viper's job.
Official Resources:
This skill is not exhaustive. Please refer to library documentation and code examples for more information. Context7 can help as a discoverability platform.
go get github.com/spf13/cobra@latest
Cobra vs. viper
These libraries do fundamentally different things and can be used independently.
| Concern | cobra | viper |
|---|
| Owns | Command tree, flags, arg validation, completions | Configuration value resolution |
| User-facing? | Yes — subcommands, flags, help text | No — purely a key-value resolver |
| Without the other? | Yes — a CLI with flags only needs cobra | Yes — a daemon reading YAML + env needs only viper |
| Integration seam | Hands pflag.Flag to viper via BindPFlag | Treats the cobra flag as the highest-precedence layer |
Use cobra alone when your binary takes flags and args but needs no config file or env resolution. when you have a long-running service reading config from YAML + env with no CLI subcommands. Use both when you need both — bind at on the root command.
