CLI Logging - Windows CLI Command Tracking & Logging

A local-first desktop app for command tracking, CLI logging, and PowerShell/CMD history insights on Windows.

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Overview: CLI Tracking, Command Logging, and History Insights

CLI Logging helps developers understand terminal usage patterns without sending data to external services.

It watches local PowerShell history files, categorizes commands automatically, stores everything locally, and gives you a modern UI for search + insights.

Screenshot

Key Features for Command Tracking and CLI Logging

• Live command ingestion from PowerShell history files
• Fast local storage with SQLite (sql.js)
• Automatic command categorization (Git, Docker, npm, Python, filesystem, cloud, and more)
• Instant search and category filters
• Stats dashboard with:
  • total commands
  • today activity
  • unique commands
  • category distribution
  • top repeated commands
  • hourly activity graph
• System tray integration + quick reopen
• Global toggle shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + L
• Clean frameless desktop experience

How It Works: PowerShell/CMD Command Tracking Pipeline

1. The app watches PowerShell history files under %APPDATA%.
2. New command lines are captured in near real time.
3. Each command is categorized using rule-based matching.
4. Commands are stored in a local DB with timestamp, source, category, and frequency.
5. React UI fetches this data via secure Electron IPC and renders command views + analytics.

Architecture: Desktop Command Logger Design

flowchart LR
    A["PowerShell History Files<br/>(%APPDATA%/.../PSReadLine/*_history.txt)"] --> B["Watcher Layer<br/>electron/watcher.cjs<br/>(chokidar + polling fallback)"]
    B --> C["Data Layer<br/>electron/database.cjs<br/>(sql.js local DB)"]
    C --> D["App Core<br/>electron/main.cjs<br/>(IPC handlers + lifecycle)"]
    D --> E["Secure Bridge<br/>electron/preload.cjs<br/>(contextBridge API)"]
    E --> F["Renderer UI<br/>src/App.tsx + components/*<br/>(React + Tailwind)"]
    C --> G["Categorization Engine<br/>electron/categorizer.cjs<br/>(rule-based labels)"]
    D --> H["System Tray + Global Shortcut<br/>electron/tray.cjs + Ctrl+Shift+L"]

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Runtime Flow

1. watcher.cjs detects new terminal history lines.
2. database.cjs stores normalized command records locally.
3. categorizer.cjs assigns category labels (Git, Docker, npm, etc.).
4. main.cjs exposes command/stat APIs through IPC handlers.
5. preload.cjs safely bridges APIs into the renderer.
6. React UI renders command feed, filters, and analytics in real time.

Tech Stack

• Electron
• React 18 + TypeScript
• Vite
• Tailwind CSS
• sql.js
• chokidar

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Windows 10/11
• Node.js 18+
• npm

Install & Run

npm install
npm run dev

This starts Vite + Electron in development mode.

Build Installer

npm run build

Installer output is generated in release/.

Project Structure: Source Layout for CLI Logging

cli-logging/
|-- electron/
|   |-- main.cjs             # Electron app lifecycle, window, IPC, shortcuts
|   |-- preload.cjs          # Secure API surface for renderer (contextBridge)
|   |-- database.cjs         # Local DB init, CRUD, stats, history import
|   |-- watcher.cjs          # File watching for PowerShell history updates
|   |-- categorizer.cjs      # Command-to-category matching rules
|   `-- tray.cjs             # System tray menu + quick app controls
|-- src/
|   |-- App.tsx              # Main shell and view routing (home/stats/settings)
|   |-- components/
|   |   |-- Sidebar.tsx      # Navigation + category filters + quick counters
|   |   |-- SearchBar.tsx    # Search, shortcuts, category chips
|   |   |-- CommandList.tsx  # Grouped command timeline + virtualized loading
|   |   |-- CommandCard.tsx  # Individual command row UI
|   |   |-- StatsPanel.tsx   # Charts and usage analytics
|   |   `-- SettingsPanel.tsx# Import/clear actions + preference UI
|   |-- types/
|   |   `-- index.ts         # Shared command/stats/API TypeScript contracts
|   |-- main.tsx             # React entry point
|   `-- index.css            # Tailwind + theme styling
|-- public/                  # Static assets
|-- assets/                  # README/demo assets
|-- electron-builder.yml     # Windows packaging config
|-- tailwind.config.js       # Tailwind theme + tokens
|-- vite.config.ts           # Vite build/dev config
`-- package.json             # Scripts and dependencies

Module Responsibilities

• electron/* handles ingestion, persistence, and desktop runtime features.
• src/* handles presentation, interaction, and analytics views.
• assets/* powers visual documentation for open-source readers.

Privacy

• Local-first by design.
• No telemetry enabled by default.
• Command history data stays on your machine.

Current Scope

• Primary focus: Windows + PowerShell history workflow.
• Some settings UI controls are currently presentational and can be wired deeper in future releases.

Roadmap

• Persistent settings behavior (auto-start, watcher toggles)
• Better multi-shell source detection
• Export/import workflows
• Optional sensitive-command redaction
• Extended analytics and trend insights

Contributing

Contributions are welcome.

1. Fork the repo
2. Create a feature branch
3. Commit with clear messages
4. Open a pull request

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.