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Merged
tannerlinsley merged 1 commit into from
Apr 20, 2026
+126 −29
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fix(cli): default to interactive mode and add missing prompts #435

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12 changes: 12 additions & 0 deletions .changeset/fix-interactive-prompts.md
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
---
'@tanstack/cli': patch
---

Fix interactive mode not prompting for all options.

- Default to interactive mode. Previously, `tanstack create my-app` silently applied defaults for framework, deployment, and install. Opt out with `--yes` / `--non-interactive`.
- Add framework selection prompt when the CLI supports multiple frameworks and no `--framework` flag is passed.
- Add "install dependencies now?" prompt when `--no-install` is not passed.
- Show deployment adapter prompt by default (previously required `showDeploymentOptions: true`).
- Honor `forcedDeployment` as the default selection in the deployment prompt, so deprecated aliases keep a sensible default.
- Preserve explicit `--add-ons` arrays instead of overwriting them with the interactive sentinel.
42 changes: 26 additions & 16 deletions packages/cli/src/cli.ts
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ export function cli({
forcedDeployment,
defaultFramework,
frameworkDefinitionInitializers,
showDeploymentOptions = false,
showDeploymentOptions = true,
legacyAutoCreate = false,
defaultRouterOnly = false,
}: {
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -649,9 +649,11 @@ export function cli({
cliOptions.routerOnly = true
}

cliOptions.framework = getFrameworkByName(
options.framework || defaultFramework || 'React',
)!.id
if (options.framework) {
cliOptions.framework = getFrameworkByName(options.framework)!.id
} else if (defaultFramework) {
cliOptions.framework = getFrameworkByName(defaultFramework)!.id
}

const nonInteractive = !!cliOptions.nonInteractive || !!cliOptions.yes
if (cliOptions.interactive && nonInteractive) {
Expand All @@ -660,43 +662,52 @@ export function cli({
)
}

const addOnsFlagPassed = process.argv.includes('--add-ons')
const hasInteractiveTerminal =
!!process.stdin.isTTY && !!process.stdout.isTTY && !process.env.CI
const wantsInteractiveMode =
!nonInteractive &&
(cliOptions.interactive ||
(cliOptions.addOns === true && addOnsFlagPassed))
(cliOptions.interactive || hasInteractiveTerminal)

let finalOptions: Options | undefined
if (wantsInteractiveMode) {
cliOptions.addOns = true
if (cliOptions.addOns === undefined) {
cliOptions.addOns = true
}
Comment on lines +673 to +675
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⚠️ Potential issue | 🟠 Major

Preserving --add-ons arrays here also suppresses later add-on config/env-var prompts.

After this change, Array.isArray(cliOptions.addOns) no longer means “non-interactive”. packages/cli/src/options.ts still uses that check to skip promptForAddOnOptions() and promptForEnvVars(), so an interactive run like tanstack create my-app --add-ons auth will silently take defaults and can miss required env vars.

🤖 Prompt for AI Agents 
Verify each finding against the current code and only fix it if needed.

In `@packages/cli/src/cli.ts` around lines 673 - 675, The current logic is
coercing/normalizing --add-ons in a way that causes
Array.isArray(cliOptions.addOns) to no longer reliably indicate a user-supplied
list, which suppresses promptForAddOnOptions() and promptForEnvVars(); update
the normalization so arrays are preserved: in cli.ts keep cliOptions.addOns
untouched if Array.isArray(cliOptions.addOns), only set cliOptions.addOns = true
when cliOptions.addOns === undefined (and if your parser can produce an empty
string for a bare flag, normalize that to true as well), and remove any later
code that converts arrays into booleans so promptForAddOnOptions() and
promptForEnvVars() (from packages/cli/src/options.ts) still see arrays and run
interactively when appropriate.

} else {
if (!cliOptions.framework) {
cliOptions.framework = getFrameworkByName(
defaultFramework || 'React',
)!.id
}
finalOptions = await normalizeOptions(
cliOptions,
forcedAddOns,
{ forcedDeployment },
)
}

if (nonInteractive) {
if (cliOptions.addOns === true) {
throw new Error(
'When using --non-interactive/--yes, pass explicit add-ons via --add-ons <ids>.',
)
}
if (!wantsInteractiveMode && cliOptions.addOns === true) {
throw new Error(
'When running non-interactively, pass explicit add-ons via --add-ons <ids>.',
)
}

if (finalOptions) {
intro(`Creating a new ${appName} app in ${projectName}...`)
} else {
if (nonInteractive) {
if (!wantsInteractiveMode) {
throw new Error(
'Project name is required in non-interactive mode. Pass [project-name] or --target-dir.',
)
}
intro(`Let's configure your ${appName} application`)
finalOptions = await promptForCreateOptions(cliOptions, {
forcedAddOns,
forcedDeployment,
showDeploymentOptions,
defaultFrameworkId: defaultFramework
? getFrameworkByName(defaultFramework)?.id
: undefined,
})
}

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -756,7 +767,6 @@ export function cli({
}
return value
},
defaultFramework || 'React',
)
}

Expand Down
46 changes: 36 additions & 10 deletions packages/cli/src/options.ts
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { intro } from '@clack/prompts'
import {
finalizeAddOns,
getFrameworkById,
getFrameworks,
getPackageManager,
loadStarter,
populateAddOnOptionsDefaults,
Expand All @@ -16,7 +17,9 @@ import {
selectAddOns,
selectDeployment,
selectExamples,
selectFramework,
selectGit,
selectInstall,
selectPackageManager,
selectTemplate,
selectToolchain,
Expand All @@ -39,15 +42,31 @@ export async function promptForCreateOptions(
cliOptions: CliOptions,
{
forcedAddOns = [],
showDeploymentOptions = false,
forcedDeployment,
showDeploymentOptions = true,
defaultFrameworkId,
}: {
forcedAddOns?: Array<string>
forcedDeployment?: string
showDeploymentOptions?: boolean
defaultFrameworkId?: string
},
): Promise<Required<Options> | undefined> {
const options = {} as Required<Options>

options.framework = getFrameworkById(cliOptions.framework || 'react')!
if (cliOptions.framework) {
options.framework = getFrameworkById(cliOptions.framework)!
} else {
const availableFrameworks = getFrameworks()
if (defaultFrameworkId || availableFrameworks.length <= 1) {
options.framework = getFrameworkById(defaultFrameworkId || 'react')!
} else {
Comment on lines +61 to +63
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⚠️ Potential issue | 🟠 Major

Auto-pick the lone available framework instead of hard-coding react.

When there is exactly one available framework and defaultFrameworkId is unset, Line 62 still resolves react. A single-framework CLI variant backed by some other framework will pick the wrong framework or crash here.

Suggested fix 
-    if (defaultFrameworkId || availableFrameworks.length <= 1) {
-      options.framework = getFrameworkById(defaultFrameworkId || 'react')!
-    } else {
+    if (defaultFrameworkId) {
+      options.framework = getFrameworkById(defaultFrameworkId)!
+    } else if (availableFrameworks.length === 1) {
+      options.framework = availableFrameworks[0]!
+    } else {
       options.framework = await selectFramework(
         availableFrameworks,
         defaultFrameworkId,
       )
     }
📝 Committable suggestion

‼️ IMPORTANT
Carefully review the code before committing. Ensure that it accurately replaces the highlighted code, contains no missing lines, and has no issues with indentation. Thoroughly test & benchmark the code to ensure it meets the requirements.

Suggested change
if (defaultFrameworkId || availableFrameworks.length <= 1) {
options.framework = getFrameworkById(defaultFrameworkId || 'react')!
} else {
if (defaultFrameworkId) {
options.framework = getFrameworkById(defaultFrameworkId)!
} else if (availableFrameworks.length === 1) {
options.framework = availableFrameworks[0]!
} else {
options.framework = await selectFramework(
availableFrameworks,
defaultFrameworkId,
)
}
🤖 Prompt for AI Agents 
Verify each finding against the current code and only fix it if needed.

In `@packages/cli/src/options.ts` around lines 61 - 63, The code currently forces
'react' when defaultFrameworkId is falsy and availableFrameworks.length <= 1;
change the logic in the block that sets options.framework so it uses the lone
available framework's id if present: use defaultFrameworkId if set, otherwise if
availableFrameworks.length === 1 use availableFrameworks[0].id, and only fall
back to a hard-coded default (or undefined) when no frameworks exist; update the
assignment that calls getFrameworkById(...) (the code that sets
options.framework) to derive the id from defaultFrameworkId ||
availableFrameworks[0]?.id instead of defaulting to 'react'.

options.framework = await selectFramework(
availableFrameworks,
defaultFrameworkId,
)
}
}

// Validate project name
if (cliOptions.projectName) {
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -130,11 +149,20 @@ export async function promptForCreateOptions(
)

// Deployment selection
const deployment = showDeploymentOptions
? routerOnly
? undefined
: await selectDeployment(options.framework, cliOptions.deployment)
: undefined
let deployment: string | undefined
if (routerOnly) {
deployment = undefined
} else if (cliOptions.deployment) {
deployment = cliOptions.deployment
} else if (showDeploymentOptions) {
deployment = await selectDeployment(
options.framework,
cliOptions.deployment,
forcedDeployment,
)
} else {
deployment = forcedDeployment
}

// Add-ons selection
const addOns: Set<string> = new Set()
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -226,9 +254,7 @@ export async function promptForCreateOptions(
envVarValues

options.git = cliOptions.git ?? (await selectGit())
if (cliOptions.install === false) {
options.install = false
}
options.install = cliOptions.install ?? (await selectInstall())
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⚠️ Potential issue | 🔴 Critical

🧩 Analysis chain

🌐 Web query:

In Commander.js, what value does an option defined only as --no-install have when the user does not pass the flag?

💡 Result:

In Commander.js, an option defined only as --no-install (a negatable boolean option defined alone) has the value true when the user does not pass the flag. This is the documented behavior for negatable boolean options: "You can define a boolean option long name with a leading no- to set the option value to false when used. Defined alone, this also makes the option true by default." The option name is install, so without --no-install the value is true (install), and with --no-install it is false (no install). This behavior has been consistent since at least v4 and remains in the latest documentation (v14+). If both --install and --no-install were defined, the default would be undefined unless explicitly set.

Citations:

🏁 Script executed:

#!/bin/bash
# Check the install option definition in cli.ts
echo "=== Checking cli.ts for install flag definition ==="
if [ -f "packages/cli/src/cli.ts" ]; then
  grep -n "install" packages/cli/src/cli.ts | head -20
else
  echo "File not found: packages/cli/src/cli.ts"
fi

Repository: TanStack/cli

Length of output: 580

🏁 Script executed:

#!/bin/bash
# Check options.ts around line 257
echo "=== Checking options.ts around line 257 ==="
if [ -f "packages/cli/src/options.ts" ]; then
  wc -l packages/cli/src/options.ts
  echo ""
  sed -n '250,265p' packages/cli/src/options.ts
else
  echo "File not found: packages/cli/src/options.ts"
fi

Repository: TanStack/cli

Length of output: 552

selectInstall() will never run with only --no-install defined.

The Commander.js option at packages/cli/src/cli.ts:784 defines only --no-install. According to Commander's documented behavior, a negatable option defined alone defaults to true when omitted. This means cliOptions.install is true when the user skips the flag, so line 257's nullish coalesce (true ?? (await selectInstall())) short-circuits and never calls the prompt.

You need either:

  1. Define both --install and --no-install (default becomes undefined), or
  2. Use a different signal to detect whether the flag was explicitly provided.
🤖 Prompt for AI Agents 
Verify each finding against the current code and only fix it if needed.

In `@packages/cli/src/options.ts` at line 257, The prompt never runs because
cliOptions.install is always true when only a negatable --no-install is defined;
update the CLI option definition so the flag is not default-true (e.g., define
both --install and --no-install in the Command declaration in the CLI module) so
cliOptions.install will be undefined when the user omits the flag and the
existing assignment options.install = cliOptions.install ?? (await
selectInstall()) will correctly invoke selectInstall(); alternatively, if you
prefer not to change the CLI API, change the detection logic around
options.install to check a distinct presence signal from Commander (the explicit
option presence) rather than relying on the boolean value so selectInstall()
runs only when the flag was not provided.


if (starter) {
options.starter = starter
Expand Down
55 changes: 52 additions & 3 deletions packages/cli/src/ui-prompts.ts
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -20,6 +20,47 @@ import type { AddOn, PackageManager } from '@tanstack/create'

import type { Framework } from '@tanstack/create/dist/types/types.js'

export async function selectFramework(
frameworks: Array<Framework>,
defaultFrameworkId?: string,
): Promise<Framework> {
const initialValue =
(defaultFrameworkId &&
frameworks.find(
(f) => f.id.toLowerCase() === defaultFrameworkId.toLowerCase(),
)?.id) ||
frameworks[0]!.id

const selected = await select({
message: 'Select framework:',
options: frameworks.map((f) => ({ value: f.id, label: f.name })),
initialValue,
})

if (isCancel(selected)) {
cancel('Operation cancelled.')
process.exit(0)
}

const framework = frameworks.find((f) => f.id === selected)
if (!framework) {
throw new Error(`Unknown framework: ${selected}`)
}
return framework
}

export async function selectInstall(): Promise<boolean> {
const install = await confirm({
message: 'Would you like to install dependencies now?',
initialValue: true,
})
if (isCancel(install)) {
cancel('Operation cancelled.')
process.exit(0)
}
return install
}

export async function getProjectName(): Promise<string> {
const value = await text({
message: 'What would you like to name your project?',
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -350,6 +391,7 @@ export async function promptForEnvVars(
export async function selectDeployment(
framework: Framework,
deployment?: string,
forcedDeployment?: string,
): Promise<string | undefined> {
const deployments = new Set<AddOn>()
let initialValue: string | undefined = undefined
Expand All @@ -361,21 +403,28 @@ export async function selectDeployment(
if (deployment && addOn.id === deployment) {
return deployment
}
if (addOn.default) {
if (forcedDeployment && addOn.id === forcedDeployment) {
initialValue = addOn.id
} else if (!initialValue && addOn.default) {
initialValue = addOn.id
}
}
}

if (deployments.size === 0) {
return undefined
}

const dp = await select({
message: 'Select deployment adapter',
message: 'Select deployment adapter:',
options: [
{ value: undefined, label: 'None' },
...Array.from(deployments).map((d) => ({
value: d.id,
label: d.name,
})),
],
initialValue: initialValue,
initialValue,
})

if (isCancel(dp)) {
Expand Down
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