commander-js-scaffolder

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)