[plan] Migrate all commands from Run to RunE for idiomatic error handling

[github-actions]

Objective

Migrate all command implementations from using Run to RunE for more idiomatic error handling across the entire CLI codebase.

Context

Current State: 107 commands use Run with manual error handling, only 4 use RunE

This migration will eliminate repetitive error handling code and adopt Go best practices for error propagation in CLI applications.

Current Pattern (Anti-pattern)

Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
    if err := cli.NewWorkflow(...); err != nil {
        fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, console.FormatErrorMessage(err.Error()))
        os.Exit(1)
    }
}

Target Pattern (Idiomatic)

RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
    return cli.NewWorkflow(...)
}

Approach

1. Create error formatter wrapper in cmd/gh-aw/main.go:

   rootCmd.SetFlagErrorFunc(func(cmd *cobra.Command, err error) error {
       fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, console.FormatErrorMessage(err.Error()))
       return err
   })

2. Migrate commands in batches to make review manageable:

   • Batch 1: Root command and compile commands
   • Batch 2: Workflow commands (run, status, logs, audit)
   • Batch 3: MCP commands
   • Batch 4: Development utilities
   • Batch 5: Remaining commands

3. Update each command:

   • Change Run: to RunE:
   • Remove os.Exit(1) calls
   • Return errors directly
   • Keep console formatting for now (can standardize later)

4. Test each batch to ensure error handling still works correctly

Files to Modify

Core files (16+ files):

• cmd/gh-aw/main.go - Root command and inline commands
• pkg/cli/compile_command.go
• pkg/cli/run_command.go
• pkg/cli/status_command.go
• pkg/cli/logs.go
• pkg/cli/audit_command.go
• pkg/cli/mcp_command.go
• pkg/cli/mcp_inspect_command.go
• pkg/cli/mcp_list_tools_command.go
• pkg/cli/pr_command.go
• pkg/cli/trial_command.go
• pkg/cli/workflow_dispatch_command.go
• All other command files in pkg/cli/

Acceptance Criteria

• All commands use RunE instead of Run
• No os.Exit(1) calls in command functions
• Errors are returned directly to Cobra
• Error formatting still uses console.FormatErrorMessage
• All existing tests pass
• Error messages remain user-friendly
• Exit codes are correct (non-zero on errors)

Benefits

• ✅ More idiomatic Go error handling
• ✅ Eliminates 107 instances of repetitive error handling
• ✅ Cleaner, more maintainable code
• ✅ Consistent error propagation pattern
• ✅ Easier to add error context in future

Notes

• This is the highest impact improvement identified in the Go Fan analysis
• Changes affect the entire CLI codebase
• Breaking this into batches will make code review manageable
• Can be done without changing external behavior

AI generated by Plan Command for discussion #5271

[pelikhan]

/plan

[github-actions]

🎉 Yo ho ho! Plan Command found the treasure and completed successfully! ⚓💰