create-cli

What This Skill Does

The create-cli skill is a specialized architectural tool for OpenClaw agents, designed to formalize the design and documentation of command-line interfaces before a single line of implementation code is written. Following the rigorous standards set by the CLI Guidelines (clig.dev), this skill ensures that your tools are intuitive, predictable, and maintainable. By forcing a structured approach to UX, it addresses common pitfalls in developer tooling such as inconsistent flag naming, poorly handled error states, and clunky pipe-ability.

When invoked, the skill acts as a technical architect, gathering requirements for your CLI's target audience—whether they are power users chaining commands in bash scripts or casual developers needing a guided experience. It generates a comprehensive interface contract, covering complex requirements like configuration precedence (CLI flags vs. environment variables vs. config files), exit code strategies, and robust safety mechanisms like dry-run modes and non-interactive execution requirements.

Installation

• Install Command: clawhub install openclaw/skills/skills/steipete/create-cli
• Source Repo: openclaw/skills
• Author: steipete

Use Cases

• Prototyping New Tools: Before developing a new utility, use this skill to define the command tree and argument structures, ensuring your UX follows established industry patterns.
• Refactoring Legacy CLIs: If an existing tool is inconsistent or difficult to script, input its current surface area into the skill to receive a refactoring plan that aligns it with modern standards like JSON output, TTY detection, and predictable error handling.
• Cross-Platform Compatibility: Ensure your CLI design respects OS-specific conventions (e.g., config file paths, signal handling) across Linux, macOS, and Windows.

Example Prompts

1. "I am building a cloud deployment tool. Design a CLI spec that supports subcommands like 'deploy' and 'list', requires authentication via env vars, and outputs machine-readable JSON by default when --json is passed."
2. "Refactor this tool's CLI surface: current command 'mytool -f file' is ambiguous. Propose a better syntax that supports piping input via stdin, provides a dry-run flag for destructive actions, and follows the XDG base directory spec for config files."
3. "Create a CLI spec for a local file watcher. Include requirements for a --no-input flag, proper handling of Ctrl-C for clean shutdown, and specific exit codes for permission errors vs. missing files."

Tips & Limitations

• Stay Human-Centric: While the skill defaults to high-performance machine-friendly output (JSON/plain), prioritize descriptive help text for human users.
• Safety First: Always explicitly define how the tool handles destructive operations. Use the 'Safety rules' section of the output to mandate interactive confirmation for critical actions.
• Limitations: This skill designs the interface and behavior; it does not generate the functional backend logic. It focuses on the communication layer between your code and the user's shell.