| name | cli-anything-hermes |
| description | Use when the user wants Hermes Agent to build, refine, test, or validate a CLI-Anything harness for a GUI application or source repository. Adapts the CLI-Anything methodology to Hermes without changing the generated Python harness format. |
CLI-Anything for Hermes Agent
Use this skill when the user wants Hermes Agent to act like the CLI-Anything builder.
Before implementation, use the full methodology source of truth when available:
- If this skill is being used from inside the
CLI-Anything repository, read ../cli-anything-plugin/HARNESS.md first.
- If that local file is unavailable, clone or download
cli-anything-plugin from https://github.com/HKUDS/CLI-Anything/tree/main/cli-anything-plugin, then use HARNESS.md and the resources around it from that folder.
- Only if both local and network retrieval fail, follow the condensed rules below.
Inputs
Accept either:
- A local source path such as
./gimp or /path/to/software
- A GitHub repository URL
Derive the software name from the local directory name after cloning if needed.
Hermes Tool Bindings
Hermes agents build harnesses by combining these built-in tools:
| Tool | Role in Harness Workflow |
|---|
terminal | Run shell commands, install packages, execute CLI tools, run tests |
execute_code | Generate and write Python files (Click CLI, backend modules, tests) |
delegate_task | Parallelize analysis or generation subtasks |
read_file / write_file | Read and write harness source files |
patch | Make targeted edits to generated code |
Consult the Hermes Agent documentation for the exact tool invocation syntax.
Modes
Build
Use when the user wants a new harness.
Produce this structure:
<software>/
āāā agent-harness/
āāā <SOFTWARE>.md
āāā setup.py
āāā cli_anything/
āāā <software>/
āāā README.md
āāā __init__.py
āāā __main__.py
āāā <software>_cli.py
āāā core/
āāā utils/
āāā tests/
Implement a stateful Click CLI with:
- one-shot subcommands
- REPL mode as the default when no subcommand is given
--json machine-readable output
- session state with undo/redo where the target software supports it
Refine
Use when the harness already exists.
First inventory current commands and tests, then do gap analysis against the target software. Prefer:
- high-impact missing features
- easy wrappers around existing backend APIs or CLIs
- additions that compose well with existing commands
Do not remove existing commands unless the user explicitly asks for a breaking change.
Test
Plan tests before writing them. Keep both:
test_core.py for unit coverage
test_full_e2e.py for workflow and backend validation
When possible, test the installed command via subprocess using cli-anything-<software> rather than only module imports.
Validate
Check that the harness:
- uses the
cli_anything.<software> namespace package layout
- has an installable
setup.py entry point
- supports JSON output
- has a REPL default path
- documents usage and tests
Backend Rules
Prefer the real software backend over reimplementation. Wrap the actual executable or scripting interface in utils/<software>_backend.py when possible. Use synthetic reimplementation only when the project explicitly requires it or no viable native backend exists.
Packaging Rules
- Use
find_namespace_packages(include=["cli_anything.*"])
- Keep
cli_anything/ as a namespace package without a top-level __init__.py
- Expose
cli-anything-<software> through console_scripts
Workflow
- Acquire the source tree locally (clone or use existing path).
- Analyze architecture, data model, existing CLIs, and GUI-to-API mappings.
- Design command groups and state model.
- Implement the harness.
- Write
TEST.md, then tests, then run them.
- Update README usage docs.
- Verify local installation with
pip install -e .
Existing Harnesses (Reference)
For an up-to-date list of supported harnesses and their backend patterns, see registry.json at the repository root.
Output Expectations
When reporting progress or final results, include:
- target software and source path
- files added or changed
- validation commands run
- open risks or backend limitations