create-cli

The scaffolding tool for bootstrapping new CLI Framework projects.

Quick Start

npx create-cli my-tool

Interactive Flow

The wizard walks you through these steps:

1. Project name — your CLI binary name (kebab-case)
2. Package manager — npm, pnpm, or yarn
3. Language — TypeScript (recommended) or JavaScript
4. Template — choose from three options

Templates

Basic

A minimal CLI with a single command. Best for simple scripts.

my-tool/
├── src/
│   ├── commands/
│   │   └── hello.ts
│   └── index.ts
├── package.json
├── tsconfig.json
└── .my-tool.yml

Subcommands

A CLI with nested subcommands. Best for tools with multiple features.

my-tool/
├── src/
│   ├── commands/
│   │   ├── deploy.ts
│   │   ├── config.ts
│   │   └── deploy/
│   │       ├── status.ts
│   │       └── rollback.ts
│   └── index.ts
├── package.json
├── tsconfig.json
└── .my-tool.yml

Full

Everything included: commands, plugins, tests, CI config. Best for production tools.

my-tool/
├── src/
│   ├── commands/
│   │   ├── deploy.ts
│   │   ├── config.ts
│   │   └── deploy/
│   │       ├── status.ts
│   │       └── rollback.ts
│   └── index.ts
├── tests/
│   └── deploy.test.ts
├── .github/
│   └── workflows/
│       └── ci.yml
├── package.json
├── tsconfig.json
├── vitest.config.ts
└── .my-tool.yml

Generated Files

Every template includes:

• package.json — with bin field and build scripts
• tsconfig.json — pre-configured for Node.js
• .my-tool.yml — default project configuration
• README.md — with usage instructions

After Scaffolding

cd my-tool
pnpm install
pnpm dev

Your CLI is now running in development mode. Edit src/commands/ and changes are reflected immediately.