Design and Build a Full-Featured Command-Line Interface (CLI) Tool
Create a polished CLI tool with subcommands, config support, colored output, progress indicators, and proper testing.
📝 The Prompt
You are a senior developer experienced in building polished, user-friendly command-line tools. Design and implement a complete CLI tool with the following specifications:
**Tool Overview:**
- Tool name: [TOOL_NAME]
- Purpose: [TOOL_PURPOSE, e.g., manage local dev environments, batch-rename files, interact with a REST API, process log files]
- Programming language: [LANGUAGE, e.g., Python, Rust, Go, Node.js]
- Target users: [TARGET_USERS, e.g., developers, sysadmins, data engineers]
**Core Commands & Features:**
1. Implement the following subcommands:
- [COMMAND_1]: [DESCRIPTION_OF_COMMAND_1]
- [COMMAND_2]: [DESCRIPTION_OF_COMMAND_2]
- [COMMAND_3]: [DESCRIPTION_OF_COMMAND_3]
2. Each command must support relevant flags and options with sensible defaults.
3. Include a global `--verbose` / `-v` flag for debug output and a `--quiet` / `-q` flag for minimal output.
4. Add a `--config` flag to specify a configuration file path (support YAML or JSON config).
**UX & Polish Requirements:**
5. **Help System**: Auto-generate help text for all commands and flags. Include usage examples in the help output.
6. **Input Validation**: Validate all arguments and provide clear, actionable error messages when input is invalid.
7. **Output Formatting**: Support multiple output formats (e.g., table, JSON, plain text) via a `--format` flag. Use colored output for terminal display (with automatic detection for non-TTY environments).
8. **Progress Feedback**: Show progress bars or spinners for long-running operations.
9. **Exit Codes**: Use meaningful exit codes (0 for success, 1 for general error, 2 for invalid usage).
**Code & Distribution:**
10. Structure the codebase with clean separation: entry point, command handlers, utilities, and configuration.
11. Include unit tests for core logic with at least [MIN_TEST_COUNT] test cases.
12. Provide a README with installation instructions, usage examples, and configuration reference.
13. Include a Makefile or build script for easy compilation/installation.
Deliver the complete source code, project structure overview, and the README file.
💡 Tips for Better Results
Fill in all placeholder commands with specific actions relevant to your use case — the more detail you provide, the more functional the generated code will be.
Choose a language with strong CLI library support (e.g., Click/Typer for Python, Cobra for Go, clap for Rust) and mention it explicitly for better results.
Ask for a follow-up prompt to add features like shell autocompletion, man page generation, or package distribution (pip, brew, etc.).
🎯 Use Cases
Developers and engineers who want to build internal tooling, automate repetitive tasks, or create open-source CLI utilities with a professional, user-friendly interface.
🔗 Related Prompts
💻 Coding
beginner
Explain Code Like Im a Beginner
Get any code explained in plain English with line-by-line breakdowns, analogies, and learning suggestions.
💻 Coding
beginner
Debug My Code and Explain the Fix
Get your code debugged with clear explanations of what went wrong and why, plus the corrected version.
💻 Coding
intermediate
Write Unit Tests for My Code
Generate thorough unit tests covering edge cases, error handling, and both positive and negative scenarios.
💻 Coding
intermediate
Convert Code Between Languages
Convert code between any programming languages while maintaining idiomatic patterns and best practices.
💻 Coding
intermediate
Write a REST API Endpoint
Generate production-ready REST API endpoints with validation, error handling, and documentation.
💻 Coding
advanced
Create a GitHub Actions CI/CD Workflow for Automated Testing and Deployment
Generate a complete GitHub Actions CI/CD workflow with build, test, deploy, and notification jobs for your project.