A command-line tool that helps developers track daily work and generate AI summaries from git commits - built with GitHub Copilot CLI for the challenge
🚀 DevLog CLI - AI-Powered Development Journal
Built for the GitHub Copilot CLI Challenge
GitHub Repository: devlog-cli
💡 The Problem I Solved
As a developer, I constantly face this challenge: "What did I work on today?"
Whether it's for daily standups, weekly reports, or personal tracking, I often forget the details of my work. I'd scroll through git commits, check terminal history, and try to piece together what I accomplished. It was frustrating and time-consuming.
I needed a solution that:
- Lives in the terminal where I already work
- Takes seconds to log my progress
- Automatically understands my git activity
- Generates summaries for meetings
That's why I built DevLog CLI.
✨ What is DevLog CLI?
DevLog CLI is a command-line development journal that helps you:
📝 Log work instantly - Quick entries without leaving the terminal
👀 View your progress - See today's or this week's accomplishments
🤖 Generate AI summaries - Automatically analyze git commits
📄 Export to markdown - Ready for standups and reports
🎯 Key Features
1. Quick Logging
devlog add "Fixed authentication bug"
devlog add "Implemented user dashboard"
Simple, fast, and doesn't interrupt your flow.
2. Smart Viewing
# See today's work
devlog view
# Review the whole week
devlog view --week
Beautifully formatted output with timestamps and colors.
3. AI-Powered Summaries
devlog summary
This is the star feature! It:
- Analyzes your git commits from today
- Extracts what you accomplished
- Generates a human-readable summary
- Saves it to your devlog automatically
4. One-Click Export
devlog export
Exports everything to a markdown file, perfect for:
- Daily standup notes
- Weekly status reports
- Project documentation
- Performance reviews
🤖 How GitHub Copilot CLI Transformed My Development
GitHub Copilot CLI wasn't just helpful—it was game-changing. Here's exactly how I used it:
Phase 1: Architecture Design
My Question to Copilot CLI:
"I'm building a CLI tool in Node.js for logging development work. What packages should I use for commands, storage, git integration, and terminal colors?"
Copilot's Response:
It recommended the perfect stack:
-
commanderfor CLI framework -
conffor local storage -
simple-gitfor git operations -
chalkfor beautiful terminal output
This saved me hours of research and package comparison!
Phase 2: Storage Implementation
My Prompt:
"Help me implement a log storage system using the conf package that saves entries with timestamps, dates, and messages"
Copilot CLI provided:
- Complete implementation code
- Best practices for data structure
- Error handling suggestions
Result: The storage system worked perfectly on the first try.
Phase 3: Git Integration (The Complex Part)
My Prompt:
"I need to use simple-git to get today's commits, analyze them, and generate a summary. Include error handling for when there are no commits."
This was the most challenging feature, but Copilot CLI:
- Explained how to filter commits by date
- Showed me async/await patterns
- Suggested error handling for edge cases
- Provided complete working code
Phase 4: Code Quality & Polish
Throughout development, I used Copilot CLI to:
- Refactor repetitive code
- Add proper error messages
- Improve user experience
- Optimize performance
Time Saved: Approximately 4-5 hours that would have been spent reading documentation, debugging, and trial-and-error.
🛠️ Technical Implementation
Tech Stack
- Node.js - Runtime environment
- Commander.js - CLI framework
- Chalk - Terminal styling
- Conf - Local data persistence
- Simple-git - Git repository integration
- GitHub Copilot CLI - Development assistant
Architecture
devlog-cli/
├── commands/
│ ├── add.js # Log entry creation
│ ├── view.js # Log viewing & filtering
│ ├── summary.js # Git analysis & summary
│ └── export.js # Markdown export
├── index.js # Main CLI entry point
└── package.json # Dependencies
Key Technical Decisions
1. Local-First Storage
I chose conf for storage because:
- No database setup required
- Fast read/write operations
- Data stays on user's machine (privacy)
- Cross-platform compatibility
2. Git Integration
Using simple-git allowed:
- Native git repository detection
- Efficient commit filtering by date
- No external dependencies
3. Markdown Export
Markdown was perfect because:
- Universal format for documentation
- Easy to read and share
- Compatible with all platforms
🎓 What I Learned
1. The Power of AI-Assisted Development
GitHub Copilot CLI accelerated my development by:
- Reducing context-switching (stayed in terminal)
- Providing instant expert guidance
- Suggesting best practices I wasn't aware of
2. CLI Design Principles
Building a good CLI tool requires:
- Clear, predictable commands
- Beautiful, colored output
- Helpful error messages
- Comprehensive help text
3. Developer Experience Matters
The best tools are the ones you actually use. DevLog CLI succeeds because:
- It's fast - no UI overhead
- It's simple - four intuitive commands
- It's integrated - works with your existing workflow
🚀 Try It Yourself!
Installation
git clone https://github.com/jahera-shaik/devlog-cli.git
cd devlog-cli
npm install
npm link
Quick Start
# Add your first log
devlog add "Started using DevLog CLI"
# View it
devlog view
# Get help
devlog --help
🎯 Use Cases
For Daily Standups:
devlog view
devlog export
# Share devlog-export.md with your team
For Weekly Reports:
devlog view --week
devlog export
# Perfect summary for your manager
For Personal Tracking:
# Log as you work throughout the day
devlog add "Fixed bug in payment processing"
devlog add "Reviewed pull requests"
devlog add "Updated API documentation"
# Generate AI summary at end of day
devlog summary
🔮 Future Enhancements
If this project continues, I'd love to add:
- [ ] Search functionality - Find specific logs by keyword
- [ ] Tags & categories - Organize logs by project or type
- [ ] Statistics dashboard - Visualize productivity trends
- [ ] GitHub Issues integration - Link logs to issues automatically
- [ ] Team features - Share logs with collaborators
- [ ] Cloud sync - Optional backup to cloud storage
🏆 Why DevLog CLI Stands Out
1. Solves a Real Problem
Every developer struggles with tracking their work. DevLog CLI makes it effortless.
2. Excellent GitHub Copilot CLI Integration
I didn't just use Copilot CLI—I leveraged it strategically throughout development, saving hours and improving code quality.
3. Production-Ready Quality
- Clean, maintainable code
- Comprehensive documentation
- Professional polish
- Ready to use daily
4. Practical Daily Value
This isn't a demo—it's a tool I (and others) will actually use every day.
🙏 Acknowledgments
Huge thanks to:
- GitHub for Copilot CLI—it truly transformed how I develop
- DEV Community for hosting this incredible challenge
- Open Source Community for the amazing libraries used
👨💻 About Me
Shaik Bibi Jahera
I'm a passionate developer who loves building tools that make developers' lives easier. This project combines my interest in CLI tools, productivity, and AI-assisted development.
- GitHub: @jahera-shaik
- DEV.to: @jaherashaik
📝 Conclusion
Building DevLog CLI was an incredible learning experience. GitHub Copilot CLI proved to be more than just a code completion tool—it was a collaborative partner that accelerated development, suggested best practices, and helped me build something I'm truly proud of.
Whether you're preparing for standup, writing status reports, or just want to remember what you accomplished today, DevLog CLI has you covered.
⭐ Try it out and let me know what you think!
git clone https://github.com/jahera-shaik/devlog-cli.git
cd devlog-cli
npm install && npm link
devlog add "Discovered an amazing new CLI tool!"
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