CLI design checklist

Help and version

• Provide --help/-h with clear usage, options, and examples; include required parameters in examples.
• Provide --version (use -V); reserve -v for --verbose.

Input and output

• Support stdin/stdout piping; allow output redirection (e.g., --output for file creation).
• Offer machine-readable output (e.g., --json) when emitting structured data.

Safety and control

• For modifying/deleting actions, provide --dry-run and an explicit bypass (--yes/--force).
• Provide controllable logging (--quiet, --verbose, or --trace).
• Use deterministic exit codes (0 success, non-zero failure) and avoid silent fallbacks.
• Implement strictly non-interactive modes for CI/CD environments.

Configuration

• For JSON configuration, define/update a JSON Schema and validate config on load.
• Support configuration via environment variables for sensitive or environment-specific data.

Interactive prompts

• Provide required context before asking; for yes/no prompts, Enter means "Yes" and "n" means "No".