| 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
- Run
<tool> --help or <tool> -h for overview
- For subcommands:
<tool> <subcommand> --help
- If help is insufficient:
man <tool>
- 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:
- Answer: Direct response to what was asked
- Syntax: Exact command with required flags
- 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
