Is it possible to use 'generic' value as the default command?

[djalmaaraujo]

Let me try to explain.

I have this CLI:

my-cli something-else

my-cli -h

I want to be able to use what I want as the first argument. Something like this:

// Instead of:
.command('build <entry>')
// just:
.command('<entry>')

is that clear?

A more real example:

prog
    .command('<entry>')
    .describe('List your entries')
    .option('a, --add')
    .action((entry, opts) => {
      console.log('You said:')
      console.log(entry)
     })

I need to be able to run my-cli hello and not only using my-cli a hello

[lukeed]

Hey~!

For now, I think your safest bet is to just define a default command.

Another, more hacky (and less reliable solution) is to edit the prog instance directly to do what you want. I don't recommend this, as things will mostly likely change going forward.

const prog = sade('foo');
const KEY = '__default__';

// mutate internals, without method calls
prog.default = prog.curr = KEY; // set default & current cmd for methods' state
prog.tree[KEY].usage = '<entry>' ; // override usage pattern

prog // still referencing KEY
  .option('-a, --add', 'Description for flag')
  .action((entry, opts) => {
    // ...
  });

prog.parse(process.argv.concat('')); //=> important!

I'll have to think about whether or not I want to support this pattern. IMO you don't really have a CLI until you have multiple commands.

Hope that helps~!

[djalmaaraujo]

@lukeed The thing here is not that I don't have multiple commands. It's more like a shortcut. I am building a cli that the most used shortcut would be something like cli x texttt..., but for faster usage, would be nice to just cli texttt.

I will try your suggestion, thanks :)

[lukeed]

Okay, thanks for the feedback 😄

Try the above & lemme know how it goes. I did a quick test script & it allows your cli texttt example, with flags.

[djalmaaraujo]

@lukeed This is the repo in question. https://github.com/djalmaaraujo/WrK. I will add your solution ASAP and let you know. :)

[tunnckoCore]

Hey @lukeed! :)

It's not related to that issues, but it is close to the suggested solution.
How can make that instead of Insufficient arguments! to output the help when there is no commands.

Forgot above. Just figured it out. It's again hacky, but I definitely will propose change for that case.

So the trick for when you want single command to be default

const cli = Sade()

// use another key, different than the `__default__`
const KEY = '__DEF__';
cli.default = cli.curr = KEY;

// shallow copy, intentionally
cli.tree[KEY] = Object.assign({}, cli.tree.__default__);

cli.tree[KEY].usage = '';
cli.tree[KEY].handler = async () => cli.help();

But that is still specific for my case in which want to show help directly when no commands are specified. Because I find it usless to show message that says you to call --help, just time wasting.

[tunnckoCore]

That's how i called it for third party users :D

So later the user will use it and pass a function that will be called, for example prog.help()

const prog = sade()

prog.commandless(() => prog.help())

// ... another commands

[lukeed]

Yo~!

This has been on my internal TODOs recently. Going to extract a run() proto and then add some option hooks that effectively act as event listeners. The current behavior(s) will be maintained as the defaults, but the hooks will allow for easy customizations.

They'll solve @djalmaaraujo's request for single-command-mode here (and #16) and @olstenlarck's desire for help-by-default, which is the complete opposite behavior.

I can't get to it quite yet, but I will soon. I'll need to test thoroughly across the various business-facing apps I have before publishing a 1.5.0 👍

[tunnckoCore]

I was going to suggest easy fix for cases like my scenario, around those lines

https://github.com/lukeed/sade/blob/master/lib/index.js#L128-L130

So if opts.noCommand is passed to the .parse options and it is a function, call it, otherwise output the current error message. So, no need for minor upgrade?

Here now came one more thing: allow passing options throught the sade() as second argument, and object.assign them with those passed to the .parse method.

[lukeed]

Yes, for your case, those lines are relevant. It's just going to be a matter of segmenting the current parse() while preserving logic.

Yes, hooks will be a second argument to sade(). No extending with/from parse though; completely separate. "Global" options change the behavior of the application as a whole. Parse options are instance-specific, and must hve the ability to change between calls. This is why parse is callable method.

[tunnckoCore]

Cool for the hooks.

Huh, there is use cases when you call .parse more than once? Why? I don't believe. 😆

Btw, are you saying that you will add .run method? Because i use that name (because i'm building on top of Sade), so to change it earlier.

edit: Btw, EventEmmiter sounds good way to go.

[tunnckoCore]

Ahh yea.. my cases are endless 🤣 Actually, i always just think for edge cases, users are pretty wild some time. So while developing i'm testing anything that i can think of.

So one more case from me: Because i'm depending on that that parse returns an object (because of the lazy: true option) i end with errors that the result of it is undefined. And the cases when it returns undefined is few:

• when lazy is false and handler given on .action returns nothing
• when there is no specified command AND --help or --version flags are given

For example

$ mycli not-existing --help

It should not end with some weird errors, but with the more friendlier No specified command. The reason that this output isn't shown is because the ifs for argv.version and argv.help are before the cmd === void 0.

So the fix is to move them after that and upgrade that "if cmd void".

if ((argv.help || argv.version) && cmd === void 0) {
  // argv._[0] is the only way to get the real command at that phase?
  return $.error(bin, `No "${argv._[0]}" command specified.`);
}

if (argv.version) {
  return console.log(`${bin}, ${this.ver}`);
}

if (argv.help) {
  return this.help(!isVoid && name);
}

so now it outputs good error

❯ node -r esm ./cli lint --help

  ERROR
    No "lint" command specified.

  Run `$ hela --help` for more info.

[galvez]

My solution to this problem:

const makeDefault = (argv, defaultCommand) => {
  argv = [ ...argv ]
  argv.splice(2, 0, 'defaultCommand')
  return argv
}

prog.parse(injectArgv(process.argv, 'myDefaultCommand'))

[galvez]

Heh, ended up migrating to https://github.com/tj/commander.js/

It has variadic arguments. Didn't mess up with my CLI help text. Nice.