Publish a barebones CLI

Richie — Wed, 09 Nov 2022 15:11:19 +0000

You don't have to setup a bunch of tooling to just get started with a simple CLI.

A package with little code is often a better start as an open source package because it is easier for contributors to help initially in a lightweight repository.

To create a CLI make a folder:

mkdir my-cli

In this folder run:

npm init -y
cat <<EOF > cli.js
#!/usr/bin/env node
console.log('my cli');
EOF
chmod +x cli.js

open the created package.json file and add:

"bin": {
  "my-cli": "cli.js"
},

To test the cli in your shell run npm link while in the package folder.

You should now be able to run my-cli in any terminal on your local machine.

To publish to npm update the package.json file with the correct details and run npm publish.

Other people can now run npm install -g my-cli to use your CLI.

DEV Community: Richie

Publish a barebones CLI