@guoyunhe/create-cli

Initialize a Node.js command line tool project

Get Started

Create a new project

npm create @guoyunhe/cli my-cli

Initialize an existing project

cd my-cli
npm init @guoyunhe/cli

Project structure

├── dist                    # Build output
│   ├── cjs                 # CJS format
│   │   ├── bin             # CJS CLI scripts
│   │   │   └── my-cli.js
│   │   └── index.js        # CJS API entry
│   ├── esm                 # ESM module format
│   │   ├── bin             # ESM CLI scripts
│   │   │   └── my-cli.js
│   │   └── index.js        # ESM API entry
│   └── dts                 # TypeScript types
│       └── index.d.ts
├── src                     # Source code
│   ├── bin                 # CLI scripts
│   │   └── my-cli.ts       # CLI script
│   ├── index.test.ts       # API unit test
│   └── index.ts            # API entry (add all exports here)
├── .editorconfig
├── .gitignore
├── CHANGELOG.md
├── package.json
├── README.md
└── tsconfig.json

Package scripts

# Build output
npm run build
# Build output in watch mode
npm run watch
# Format source code
npm run format
# Check lint issues
npm run lint
# Run unit tests (support all jest command options)
npm test
# Run unit tests in watch mode
npm test -- --watch
# Update unit test snapshots
npm test -- -u

Advanced Options

Initial package version

1.0.0 by default.

npm create @guoyunhe/cli my-cli --package-version 0.1.0

Minimum supported Node.js version

Options: 12, 14, 16(default), 18.

npm create @guoyunhe/cli my-cli --node-version 14

Use strict TypeScript configuration

npm create @guoyunhe/cli my-cli --strict

Add multiple bin

Let's say, you want to add a new bin called perform_health_check.

First, create src/bin/perform_health_check.ts, with shebang #!/usr/bin/env node:

#!/usr/bin/env node

console.log('Doing health check...');

// Add your code...

Then, add bin entry to your package.json:

{
  "bin": {
    "perform_health_check": "dist/cjs/bin/perform_health_check.js"
  }
}

Pure ESM package

If you want your package to be pure ESM, you should modify the following attributes in package.json:

{
  "type": "module",
  "bin": {
    "my-cli": "dist/esm/bin/my-cli.js"
  },
  "main": "dist/esm/index.js"
}