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Command line tools automate boring tasks. They save hours and stop human errors.
Follow these steps to build tools your team loves:
Find a real problem. Look for tasks your team does by hand. Solve a pain point.
Use a language your team knows. Python and Node.js work well. This makes maintenance easy.
Follow Unix rules. Read from stdin. Write to stdout. Use exit codes. This lets you use pipes and CI scripts.
Make the common case easy. Use zero configuration. Use flags for rare cases. Do not force users to make a config file.
Write clear help text. Put examples first. Give users a command they copy and run.
Use progress bars for slow tasks. Tell the user the tool is working. Silent tools feel broken.
Test in CI. Check stdout and exit codes. Test the happy path and errors. Reliable tools win.