Spawn

Features

1. Create your own cli
2. Auto generates guide for cli and individual commands
3. Interactive mode (using -i flag)
4. Argument defaults

Install

npm i @kvnlnt/spawn

Usage

mycli.js

// the lib
const cli = require("@kvnlnt/spawn");

// add a command, add an argument, a callback and an example
cli
  .command("hello", "Prints hello")
  .argument("output", "o", "Hello to")
  .callback(resp => console.log("Hello,", resp.output))
  .example("hello -o=World", "Prints; Hello World");

// add another
cli
  .command("goodbye", "Prints goodbye")
  .argument("output", "o", "Goodbye to")
  .callback(resp => console.log("Goodbye,", resp.output))
  .example("goodbye -o=World", "Prints: Goodbye World");

// set the default command
cli.defaultCommand("help");

// run the cli
cli.run();

Now set up your tool to be a cli with npm link and you'll get something like this

mycli hello -o=You
# result => Hello You

Methods

All methods are meant to be chained. This is to support a clean api. To keep things organized it's recommended that you keep your callbacks as external scripts. It keep my in a tasks folder.

command(name, desc)

Adds a command

Arg	Type	Desc
name	string	name of command
desc	string	description of command

argument(name, abbr, desc, def)

Adds an argument to last added command

Arg	Type	Desc
name	string	name of argument
abbr	string	abbreviated argument name
desc	string	description of argument
def	anything	default value

callback(f)

Adds callback to last added command

Arg	Type	Desc
f	function	function called when command is executed

example(cmd, desc)

Adds example to last added command

Arg	Type	Desc
cmd	string	example command
desc	string	description

defaultCommand(cmd)

Sets default command

Arg	Type	Desc
cmd	string	name of command

run()

Runs the cli

printGuide()

This is the auto generated guide. To use it, assign it as a callback. Something like this:

cli.command("guide", "Prints guide").callback(cli.printGuide);

printCommandGuide()

This is the autogenerated guide for a command. Commands are bound to the cli instance and therefore are available inside the callback as this.printCommandGuide. Just pass in the string name of the command. Here's an example:

// your callback
function myCallback(resp) {
  if (resp.help === true) return this.printCommandGuide("myCallback");
  console.log(resp.output);
}

// your cli
cli
  .command("myCallback", "does stuff")
  .argument("help", "h", "Output help", false)
  .callback(myCallback);

The following will output the command's guide:

mycli myCallback -h

Flags

-i, Interactive Mode

You can pass the -i flag without a command and use your tool interactively, like this:

mycli -i

Examples

All examples are in the Examples folder.