Create CLI Lite

Design small CLI surface areas quickly while preserving safety and scriptability.

Do This First

• Read references/cli-guidelines.md and apply it as the default rubric.
• Ask only the minimum clarifying questions needed to lock the interface.
• If the scope becomes non-trivial, switch to create-cli.

Clarify (fast)

Ask, then proceed with best-guess defaults if user is unsure:

• Command name + one-sentence purpose.
• Primary user: humans, scripts, or both.
• Input source: args, stdin, file, URL; secrets must use stdin/file/secret-store.
• Output mode: human text, --json, --plain, exit codes.
• Interactivity: prompts allowed? need --no-input? any destructive operations?

Definition of Done (Self-Check)

Before finalizing, verify all checks pass:

• Uses all sections from Required Output Template (minimal) in order.
• Defines at least one usage line and one example for normal success flow.
• Defines stdout vs stderr and at least one machine output mode (--json or --plain).
• Defines minimum exit codes: 0 success, 1 failure, 2 usage/validation error.
• For destructive operations, defines --dry-run, confirmation behavior, and --force.
• For secrets, explicitly forbids passing them via CLI flags.
• Includes at least 4 examples, including one failure case with non-zero exit.

Required Output Template (minimal)

Use this exact section order. Keep it compact.

1. Name & purpose
   • mycmd:
   • Purpose:
2. USAGE + commands
   • mycmd [flags] [args]
   • Subcommands (if any):
3. Flags/args summary table
   • Columns: Option, Type, Default, Required, Notes
4. I/O + safety contract
   • stdout vs stderr
   • --json / --plain
   • Prompting and --no-input
   • --dry-run, confirmation, --force
   • Secrets policy (stdin/file/secret-store only)
5. Exit codes
   • 0, 1, 2 (+ optional command-specific codes)
6. Examples (minimum 4)
   • Normal run
   • Machine-readable run
   • Dry-run or destructive-safe run
   • Failure run with expected non-zero exit

Notes

• Keep this skill language-agnostic.
• If the user asks for a full contract (many subcommands, rich config model, completion story), switch to create-cli.