golang-spf13-cobra

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":"1.0.4","openclaw":{"emoji":"🐍","homepage":"https://github.com/samber/cc-skills-golang","requires":{"bins":["go"]},"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 Bash(godig:*) Bash(gopls:*) LSP mcp__gopls__*

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:

• pkg.go.dev/github.com/spf13/cobra
• github.com/spf13/cobra
• cobra.dev

This skill is not exhaustive. Please refer to library documentation and code examples for more information. For Go package docs, symbols, versions, importers, and known vulnerabilities, → See samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-pkg-go-dev skill (godig) — prefer it over Context7 for Go package facts. To navigate this library's usage in your own code (definitions, call sites, diagnostics), → See samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-gopls skill (gopls). Context7 remains a fallback for docs not indexed on pkg.go.dev.

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