---
name: cli-tool
description: Create a command-line tool with argument parsing, help text, subcommands, and packaging. Use when the goal asks to create a CLI tool, command-line utility, or terminal application.
version: 1.0.0
---

# cli-tool

Create a command-line tool with argument parsing, help text, subcommands, and packaging. Use when the goal asks to create a CLI tool, command-line utility, or terminal application.

## Goal pattern

CLI command line tool terminal utility terminal app argparse cobra click yargs commander

## Parameters

- language (choice [default: auto]): Programming language (auto-detected from project if not specified)

## Steps

1. [context-gatherer] Analyze the CLI tool requirements:
- What does the tool do? (one-liner description)
- What language? (Node.js, Python, Go, Rust)
- What arguments/flags/options?
- Does it need subcommands?
- Does it need a config file?
- How will it be distributed? (npm, pip, cargo, go install, standalone binary)
Produce: a CLI specification with commands, flags, and distribution plan.

2. [writer] Implement the CLI tool:
- Set up the project structure (package.json / pyproject.toml / go.mod / Cargo.toml)
- Implement argument parsing (commander.js / argparse / cobra / clap)
- Add help text and usage examples
- Implement subcommands if needed
- Add config file support (if needed)
- Add input validation and error handling
Write clean, well-documented code with proper error messages. (after: step-0)

3. [tester] Write and run tests:
- Unit tests for core logic
- Integration tests for argument parsing
- Test help output and error messages
- Test edge cases (missing args, invalid input, --version)
Run the test suite and fix any failures. (after: step-1)

4. [runner] Package and publish:
- npm: set bin field in package.json, run `npm publish`
- Python: create setup.py/pyproject.toml, run `python -m build`
- Go: run `go install` or create a release with `goreleaser`
- Rust: run `cargo publish`
- Add shell completions (if supported)
Verify the tool installs and runs correctly. (after: step-2)