command-line-basics

Wraps the basic command-line functionality to your package.

It is probably easiest to see it in an example:

1. Binary file
2. The option definitions (this file defines the schema and format for the CLI arguments; note: it is not necessary to export the chalk templates assuming you even need to use them at all).
3. The main app which receives the command line arguments ready for use.

Performs the following:

1. Utilizes update-notifier to notify the user of any updates of your package.
2. By default, will automatically add --version/-v and --help/-h flags to the options defined in your targeted file's definitions (processed by command-line-args) and sections[1].optionList (processed by command-line-usage). When your users call --help, these two flags will be shown there. When your users call --version, it will output the current version of your package.json).
3. By default, will automatically add header to sections[0] if not present (based on the name in package.json).
4. All of sections will be passed to command-line-usage.

Install

npm i -P command-line-basics

Simple usage

After adding your binary file to package.json, e.g.,

{
  "bin": {
    "myCliApp": "./bin/index.js"
  }
}

...and optionally making the script executable, as with chmod 0755 ./bin/index.js, then add the following to that file:

#!/usr/bin/env node
import {cliBasics} from 'command-line-basics';

// Your main programmatic code
import mainScript from '../src/index.js';

// Point to a file with a `definitions` and `sections` export (or
//   JSON properties)
const optionDefinitions = await cliBasics(
  './src/optionDefinitions.js'
);
if (!optionDefinitions) { // cliBasics handled
  process.exit(0);
}
// Use `optionDefinitions` (which is just the result of running
//  `command-line-args` on the `definitions` from your
//  `optionDefinitions.js` file
mainScript(optionDefinitions);

Advanced usage

Except for optionsPath, the example indicates the defaults:

import {dirname} from 'path'; // For `__dirname`
import {fileURLToPath} from 'url'; // For `__dirname`
import {cliBasics} from 'command-line-basics';

// For `__dirname`
const __dirname = dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));

const options = await cliBasics({
  // Point to a file with a `definitions` and `sections` export (or
  //   JSON properties)
  optionsPath: path.join(process.cwd(), './src/optionDefinitions.js'),
  // `cwd` is an alternative to joining (for `optionsPath` and for an
  //  explicit `packageJsonPath`; has no effect on `package.json` if
  //  relying on the default)
  cwd: __dirname,
  async notifierCallback (notifier) {
    // Do something with `notifier` instance: https://github.com/yeoman/update-notifier
    const {
      latest, current,
      name,
      type // `latest`, `major`, `minor`, `patch`, `prerelease`, `build`
    } = await notifier.fetchInfo();

    console.log('Versions', latest, current);
    console.log('Package name', name);
    console.log('Current update type', type);
  },
  options: {
    packageJsonPath: path.join(process.cwd(), 'package.json'),
    autoAddVersion: true,
    autoAddHelp: true,
    autoAddHeader: true,
    autoAddOptionsHeader: true,
    autoAddContent: true,
    commandLineArgsOptions: {
      // See https://github.com/75lb/command-line-args/blob/master/doc/API.md
    },
    updateNotifierOptions: {
      // Options besides `pkg`
      updateCheckInterval: 1000 * 60 * 60 * 24,
      shouldNotifyInNpmScript: false,
      distTag: 'latest' // https://docs.npmjs.com/adding-dist-tags-to-packages
    },
    // May also set this to `false` to avoid calling `notify` of
    //  `update-notifier`
    updateNotifierNotifyOptions: {
      defer: false, // Our default differs from that of `update-notifier` here
      message: '',
      isGlobal: defaultsToAutoDetectBoolean,
      boxenOptions: {
        // Also `dimBorder`, `float`, and `backgroundColor`
        // See https://github.com/sindresorhus/boxen
        padding: 1, margin: 1, align: 'center',
        borderColor: 'yellow', borderStyle: 'round'
      }
    }
  }
});
if (!options) { // cliBasics handled
  process.exit(0);
}
// Use `definitions` (which is just the result of running `command-line-args`
//  on the `definitions` from your `optionDefinitions.js` file)

There is also exported an autoAdd method which takes the same arguments and returns the (potentially help/version and header enhanced) definitions and sections. It is also used internally by cliBasics.

See also

• command-line-args
• command-line-usage
• command-line-publish

To-dos

1. Utility for main files to create a file retrieval/writing function (for conversions)
2. Auto-convert JSON Schema into option defintion structures with jsdoc (and the converted JSON Schema) enhanced to add CLI properties, e.g., any alias (@cli-alias {file} f) and possibly its typeLabel. Default should be deducible.