cobra-scaffolder

Development

Generate Cobra/Viper-based Go CLI applications with persistent flags, subcommands, and configuration management. Creates production-ready Go CLI with modern patterns.

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Cobra Scaffolder

Generate a complete Cobra CLI application with Viper configuration, proper Go module structure, and best practices.

Capabilities

Generate Go-based Cobra CLI projects
Create command hierarchy with persistent and local flags
Integrate Viper for configuration management
Set up automatic environment variable binding
Implement shell completion generation
Configure go.mod and build workflows

Usage

Invoke this skill when you need to:

Bootstrap a new CLI application using Cobra
Create a Go CLI with hierarchical commands
Integrate Viper for multi-source configuration
Build cross-platform native binaries

Inputs

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
projectName	string	Yes	Name of the CLI project (kebab-case)
modulePath	string	Yes	Go module path (e.g., github.com/user/project)
description	string	Yes	Short description of the CLI
commands	array	No	List of commands to scaffold
useViper	boolean	No	Integrate Viper config (default: true)
useCobra	boolean	No	Use cobra-cli generator patterns (default: true)

Command Structure

{
  "commands": [
    {
      "name": "serve",
      "description": "Start the server",
      "persistentFlags": [
        { "name": "config", "shorthand": "c", "type": "string", "usage": "config file path" }
      ],
      "flags": [
        { "name": "port", "shorthand": "p", "type": "int", "default": 8080, "usage": "port to listen on" }
      ],
      "subcommands": ["start", "stop", "status"]
    }
  ]
}

Output Structure

<projectName>/
├── go.mod
├── go.sum
├── main.go
├── README.md
├── .goreleaser.yaml
├── cmd/
│   ├── root.go              # Root command with Viper
│   ├── serve.go             # Serve command
│   ├── version.go           # Version command
│   └── completion.go        # Completion command
├── internal/
│   ├── config/
│   │   └── config.go        # Configuration structures
│   ├── server/
│   │   └── server.go        # Server implementation
│   └── logger/
│       └── logger.go        # Logging setup
├── pkg/
│   └── utils/
│       └── helpers.go       # Public utilities
└── tests/
    └── cmd/
        └── root_test.go

Generated Code Patterns

Root Command (cmd/root.go)

package cmd

import (
    "fmt"
    "os"

    "github.com/spf13/cobra"
    "github.com/spf13/viper"
)

var cfgFile string

var rootCmd = &cobra.Command{
    Use:   "<projectName>",
    Short: "<description>",
    Long:  `<long description>`,
    PersistentPreRunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
        return initConfig()
    },
}

func Execute() {
    if err := rootCmd.Execute(); err != nil {
        fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, err)
        os.Exit(1)
    }
}

func init() {
    rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&cfgFile, "config", "",
        "config file (default is $HOME/.<projectName>.yaml)")
    rootCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolP("verbose", "v", false, "verbose output")

    viper.BindPFlag("verbose", rootCmd.PersistentFlags().Lookup("verbose"))
}

func initConfig() error {
    if cfgFile != "" {
        viper.SetConfigFile(cfgFile)
    } else {
        home, err := os.UserHomeDir()
        cobra.CheckErr(err)

        viper.AddConfigPath(home)
        viper.SetConfigType("yaml")
        viper.SetConfigName(".<projectName>")
    }

    viper.AutomaticEnv()
    viper.SetEnvPrefix("<PROJECT_NAME>")

    if err := viper.ReadInConfig(); err == nil {
        fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "Using config file:", viper.ConfigFileUsed())
    }
    return nil
}

Command Template (cmd/serve.go)

package cmd

import (
    "fmt"

    "github.com/spf13/cobra"
    "github.com/spf13/viper"
)

var serveCmd = &cobra.Command{
    Use:   "serve",
    Short: "Start the server",
    Long:  `Start the server with the specified configuration.`,
    RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
        port := viper.GetInt("port")
        host := viper.GetString("host")

        fmt.Printf("Starting server on %s:%d\n", host, port)
        return nil
    },
}

func init() {
    rootCmd.AddCommand(serveCmd)

    serveCmd.Flags().IntP("port", "p", 8080, "port to listen on")
    serveCmd.Flags().String("host", "localhost", "host to bind to")

    viper.BindPFlag("port", serveCmd.Flags().Lookup("port"))
    viper.BindPFlag("host", serveCmd.Flags().Lookup("host"))
}

Dependencies

module github.com/user/<projectName>

go 1.21

require (
    github.com/spf13/cobra v1.8.0
    github.com/spf13/viper v1.18.0
)

Workflow

Validate inputs - Check project name, module path
Create directory structure - Set up Go project layout
Generate go.mod - Configure module and dependencies
Create root command - Viper integration and global flags
Generate commands - Individual command files
Create internal packages - Config, logger, etc.
Set up goreleaser - Cross-platform build config
Create tests - Command tests with cobra testing

Best Practices Applied

Standard Go project layout
Viper for configuration management
Persistent flags for shared options
Environment variable binding
Built-in completion generation
Goreleaser for distribution

References

Cobra Documentation: https://cobra.dev/
Cobra GitHub: https://github.com/spf13/cobra
Viper GitHub: https://github.com/spf13/viper
Go Project Layout: https://github.com/golang-standards/project-layout

Target Processes

cli-application-bootstrap
cli-command-structure-design
configuration-management-system