How does this skill improve CLI error messages?

It implements a three-part pattern: a clear description of the error, context on why it matters, and specific, actionable suggestions for the user to fix it.

Can it handle machine-readable output for automation?

Absolutely. It provides specific patterns for implementing --json flags and progressive disclosure to ensure tools work well for both humans and scripts.

Does it support accessible CLI design?

Yes, it includes patterns for screen-reader-friendly text prefixes and provides guidance on avoiding color-only indicators for color-blindness accessibility.

Which Rust libraries are featured in these patterns?

The skill includes implementation examples for popular crates such as miette for diagnostics, owo-colors for styling, indicatif for progress, and dialoguer for prompts.

CLI UX Patterns & Best Practices

Name: CLI UX Patterns & Best Practices
Author: geoffjay

bygeoffjay

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Herramientas para Desarrolladores

Implements high-quality command-line user interfaces following established UX patterns for error handling, progress indication, and output formatting.

Acerca de

This skill provides comprehensive guidance for building user-centric CLI applications, focusing on intuitive error messages, semantic color usage, interactive prompts, and professional output formatting. It leverages popular Rust ecosystem patterns and crates like miette, indicatif, and dialoguer to implement 12-factor CLI principles, ensuring your tools are accessible, machine-readable when needed, and delight users with clear progress indicators and smart defaults.

Características Principales

Interactive prompt patterns for confirmations and destructive actions
2 GitHub stars
Flexible output formatting for both human readability and machine parsing
Visual progress indicators and spinners for long-running tasks
Actionable three-part error message formatting (What, Why, How)
Semantic color management with automatic NO_COLOR environment support

Casos de Uso

Refactoring internal developer tools to improve usability and reduce support tickets
Standardizing the visual experience and accessibility across a suite of CLI utilities
Designing robust error handling systems for complex command-line data pipelines