Commander.js Scaffolder Skill

Commander.js Scaffolder

Generate a complete Commander.js CLI application with TypeScript, proper project structure, and best practices.

Capabilities

Generate TypeScript-based Commander.js CLI projects
Create command structure with subcommands and options
Set up proper argument parsing with type coercion
Configure help text generation
Implement version management
Set up build and development workflows

Usage

Invoke this skill when you need to:

Bootstrap a new CLI application using Commander.js
Create a TypeScript CLI with proper structure
Set up command hierarchies with subcommands
Configure CLI options and arguments

Inputs

| Parameter | Type | Required | Description | |-----------|------|----------|-------------| | projectName | string | Yes | Name of the CLI project (kebab-case) | | description | string | Yes | Short description of the CLI | | commands | array | No | List of commands to scaffold | | typescript | boolean | No | Use TypeScript (default: true) | | packageManager | string | No | npm, yarn, or pnpm (default: npm) |

Command Structure

{
  "commands": [
    {
      "name": "init",
      "description": "Initialize a new project",
      "options": [
        { "flags": "-t, --template <name>", "description": "Template to use" },
        { "flags": "-f, --force", "description": "Overwrite existing files" }
      ],
      "arguments": [
        { "name": "<directory>", "description": "Target directory" }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Output Structure

<projectName>/
├── package.json
├── tsconfig.json
├── .gitignore
├── README.md
├── src/
│   ├── index.ts              # Entry point with shebang
│   ├── cli.ts                # Main CLI setup
│   ├── commands/
│   │   ├── index.ts          # Command exports
│   │   └── <command>.ts      # Individual commands
│   ├── utils/
│   │   ├── logger.ts         # Logging utilities
│   │   └── config.ts         # Configuration helpers
│   └── types/
│       └── index.ts          # Type definitions
├── bin/
│   └── <projectName>         # Compiled binary entry
└── tests/
    └── commands/
        └── <command>.test.ts

Generated Code Patterns

Main CLI Entry (src/cli.ts)

import { Command } from 'commander';
import { version } from '../package.json';

const program = new Command();

program
  .name('<projectName>')
  .description('<description>')
  .version(version, '-v, --version', 'Display version number');

// Register commands
program.addCommand(initCommand);
program.addCommand(buildCommand);

// Global options
program
  .option('-d, --debug', 'Enable debug mode')
  .option('-q, --quiet', 'Suppress output');

// Error handling
program.exitOverride();

try {
  program.parse();
} catch (err) {
  // Handle gracefully
}

Command Template (src/commands/<name>.ts)

import { Command } from 'commander';

export const <name>Command = new Command('<name>')
  .description('<description>')
  .argument('<required>', 'Required argument description')
  .argument('[optional]', 'Optional argument description')
  .option('-o, --option <value>', 'Option description', 'default')
  .action(async (required, optional, options) => {
    // Command implementation
  });

Dependencies

{
  "dependencies": {
    "commander": "^12.0.0"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "@types/node": "^20.0.0",
    "typescript": "^5.0.0",
    "tsx": "^4.0.0",
    "vitest": "^1.0.0"
  }
}

Workflow

Validate inputs - Check project name, commands structure
Create directory structure - Set up folders and base files
Generate package.json - Configure project metadata and scripts
Generate tsconfig.json - TypeScript configuration
Create CLI entry point - Main program setup
Generate commands - Individual command files
Create utilities - Logger, config helpers
Set up tests - Test structure for commands
Initialize git - Optional git initialization

Best Practices Applied

TypeScript strict mode enabled
Proper error handling with exitOverride
Consistent command naming conventions
Help text formatting standards
Version flag configuration
Debug/verbose mode support
Graceful error messages

References

Commander.js Documentation: https://github.com/tj/commander.js
Commander.js Examples: https://github.com/tj/commander.js/tree/master/examples
Node.js CLI Best Practices: https://clig.dev/

Target Processes

cli-application-bootstrap
cli-command-structure-design
argument-parser-setup

Agent Skills: Commander.js Scaffolder

Install this agent skill to your local

Skill Files