Shell Script Installer Skill

This skill helps you create and install shell scripts to the user's PATH.

When to Use This Skill

Activate this skill when the user:

•Asks to create a shell script (fish, bash, zsh, sh)
•Wants to install a script to their PATH
•Needs a command-line utility or tool
•Mentions writing executable scripts

Shell Preference

Default to Fish shell for all new scripts unless:

•User explicitly requests bash/zsh/sh
•Building on or extending an existing bash script
•The script requires bash-specific features not available in Fish
•There's a compelling compatibility reason (e.g., sharing with non-Fish users)

Installation Directory

Install all scripts to: ~/bin/scripts

IMPORTANT: ~/bin/scripts is a git repository. All script creation and editing must use proper git workflow.

Workflow

Follow these steps in order:

1. Understand Requirements

•Ask what the script should do
•Determine the script name (without extension)
•Determine shell interpreter (default: fish, fallback to bash only if necessary)

2. Set Up Git Workspace

•Navigate to the scripts repository: cd ~/bin/scripts
•Check current git status to ensure clean state
•Create a new branch for this script: git checkout -b add-<script-name>
•The branch name should be descriptive (e.g., add-backup-tool, add-git-helper)

3. Write the Script

•Create the script in the repository: ~/bin/scripts/<script-name>
•
Include proper shebang line:
- •For Fish: #!/usr/bin/env fish
- •For Bash: #!/usr/bin/env bash
•Add helpful comments
•Include error handling where appropriate
•Follow shell scripting best practices for the chosen shell

4. Review with User

•Show the complete script to the user
•Explain what it does
•Ask if they'd like to make any changes

5. Iterate (if needed)

•If user requests changes, edit the script in place
•Each iteration happens on the same git branch
•Repeat review until user is satisfied

6. Test (Interactive)

•Ask the user if they want to test the script before committing
•Make the script executable: chmod +x ~/bin/scripts/<script-name>
•Offer a test command or let them test manually
•Review test results with the user
•If tests fail, go back to iteration (step 5)

7. Commit and Merge

•Ask for confirmation: "Ready to commit and install <script-name>?"
•
If confirmed:
- •Stage the script: git add <script-name>
- •
  Commit with detailed structured message (see "Git Commit Message Standards" section below)
  - •Include Features section listing all capabilities
  - •Include Technical details section with implementation notes
  - •Include Co-Authored-By attribution for AI assistance
- •Switch back to main branch: git checkout main
- •Merge the feature branch: git merge add-<script-name>
- •
  REQUIRED: Delete the feature branch: git branch -d add-<script-name>
  - •CRITICAL: Always delete merged feature branches to keep the repository clean
  - •Never leave merged branches lingering in the repository
  - •This is mandatory, not optional

8. Verify PATH

•Check if ~/bin/scripts is in the user's PATH

•If not, inform the user and provide instructions to add it:

fish

# For Fish: add to ~/.config/fish/config.fish
fish_add_path $HOME/bin/scripts

bash

# For bash: add to ~/.bashrc or ~/.bash_profile
# For zsh: add to ~/.zshrc
export PATH="$HOME/bin/scripts:$PATH"

9. Final Verification

•Test that the script is accessible: which <script-name>
•Provide usage instructions
•Suggest restarting the shell or sourcing the config if PATH was just updated

Structured Logging Standards

CRITICAL: All scripts must implement structured logging using the logger command.

Logging Format

•Use logger command with structured key=value format
•Tag format: scriptname[PID] (use $$ for PID in bash, $fish_pid in fish)
•IMPORTANT: In Fish, always use $fish_pid to get the process ID, NOT $$ or %self
•Preserve user-facing output (echo/printf) while adding diagnostic logging to syslog

Log Level Mapping

Map script events to appropriate log levels:

•
user.info: Process status, file operations, success events
- •Example: "Processing file", "Operation completed successfully"
•
user.warning: Unsupported formats, non-critical issues, recoverable errors
- •Example: "Unsupported file format", "Feature not available"
•
user.error: Missing dependencies, failures, exit conditions
- •Example: "Required tool not found", "Failed to write file"
•
user.debug: File creation, skipped files, detailed operations
- •Example: "Created directory", "Skipping cached file"

Logging Examples

Fish:

fish

logger -t (basename (status filename))"[$fish_pid]" -p user.info "action=start status=processing"
logger -t (basename (status filename))"[$fish_pid]" -p user.error "action=fail error=\"missing dependency\""

Bash:

bash

logger -t "$(basename "$0")[$$]" -p user.info "action=start status=processing"
logger -t "$(basename "$0")[$$]" -p user.error "action=fail error=\"missing dependency\""

Input/Output Standards (REQUIRED FOR DATA-PROCESSING SCRIPTS)

CRITICAL: Scripts that process data (read input, transform, write output) MUST follow these I/O standards.

Input Handling

Default to stdin when no file argument is provided:

fish

set input_file "-"
if test (count $argv) -gt 0
    set input_file $argv[1]
end

# Validate file exists (if not stdin)
if test "$input_file" != "-" -a ! -f "$input_file"
    echo "Error: Input file not found: $input_file" >&2
    log_error "action=read_input status=not_found file=\"$input_file\""
    exit 2
end

Output Handling

Default to stdout, but provide -o/--output flag for file output:

fish

set output_file "-"
set append_mode 0

argparse 'o/output=' 'a/append' -- $argv
if set -q _flag_output
    set output_file $_flag_output
end
if set -q _flag_append
    set append_mode 1
end

# Validate: append requires output file
if test $append_mode -eq 1 -a "$output_file" = "-"
    echo "Error: --append requires --output to specify a file" >&2
    exit 2
end

Stream Separation (CRITICAL)

stdout = data, stderr = messages

fish

# WRONG - mixes data and messages
echo "Processing 100 items..."
echo "$result_data"

# CORRECT - separates streams
echo "Processing 100 items..." >&2  # Progress to stderr
echo "$result_data"                  # Data to stdout

Why: Pipes capture stdout only. Messages on stderr appear to user but don't pollute the data stream.

Structured Data Output

For structured data, prefer TSV (tab-separated values):

fish

# TSV format (no header, easy to pipe)
echo -e "$url\t$title\t$format\t$notes"

Benefits:

•Easy to process with cut, awk, sort
•No quoting issues like CSV
•Append-friendly (no header row to skip)
•Pipe-friendly for tool chaining

Progress Output Pattern (REQUIRED FOR MULTI-ITEM PROCESSING)

For scripts that iterate over multiple items or perform long-running operations:

fish

# Auto-detect interactive vs batch mode
set progress_mode 0
if isatty stderr
    set progress_mode 1  # Interactive - show progress by default
end

# Parse flags (in argparse)
argparse 'progress' 'no-progress' -- $argv

# Explicit flags override auto-detection
if set -q _flag_progress
    set progress_mode 1
end
if set -q _flag_no_progress
    set progress_mode 0
end

# In processing loop:
set current 0
set total (count $items)

for item in $items
    set current (math $current + 1)

    if test $progress_mode -eq 1
        # Non-scrolling in-place update (\r returns to start of line)
        printf "\r[%d/%d] %s" $current $total "$item" >&2
    end

    # ... do work ...
end

# Final newline to complete the progress line
if test $progress_mode -eq 1
    printf "\n" >&2
end

# Summary stats to stderr (always show, even in no-progress mode)
echo "Results: $valid valid, $invalid invalid" >&2

Key Points:

•Use printf "\r..." for non-scrolling in-place updates
•Progress goes to stderr, not stdout
•Auto-detect TTY, but allow explicit override
•Always show final summary statistics

Pipe Support Standards (REQUIRED FOR DATA-PROCESSING SCRIPTS)

Design Principles

•Composable: Output should be valid input for similar tools
•Silent on success: Only output data, not progress (unless --progress)
•No prompts: Never ask for interactive input in pipe mode
•Handle broken pipes: Gracefully handle downstream commands exiting early

Making Scripts Pipe-Friendly

fish

# Example: Enable piping between related tools
cat urls.txt | extract-urls | validate-urls | download-videos

# Each script in the chain:
# - Reads from stdin OR file
# - Writes data to stdout
# - Writes progress/errors to stderr
# - Uses consistent format (one-per-line or TSV)

Example Usage Patterns

Add these to your usage() function:

fish

echo "Examples:"
echo "  $SCRIPT_NAME input.txt -o output.txt"
echo "  cat input.txt | $SCRIPT_NAME"
echo "  $SCRIPT_NAME < input.txt > output.txt"
echo "  $SCRIPT_NAME input.txt | other-tool"

Best Practices

CLI Standards (REQUIRED)

Core Flags (All Scripts)

•Always include --help / -h argument with usage information
•Always include --version / -v argument showing script version
•Always include --test argument that runs unit and regression tests of the code
•
Always include --fish-completions argument that installs fish shell tab completions to ~/.config/fish/completions/<script-name>.fish
- •Completions must include all flags (--help, --version, --test, --fish-completions, and any script-specific flags)
- •Completions should include context-aware argument completion where applicable
- •Must error if completion file already exists (prevents accidental overwrite)

Data-Processing Script Flags (REQUIRED for scripts that process input→output)

Scripts that process input data and produce output MUST also include:

•-o / --output FILE - Write output to FILE instead of stdout (default: stdout)
•-a / --append - Append to output file instead of overwriting (requires -o)

Multi-Item Processing Flags (REQUIRED for scripts that iterate over items)

Scripts that process multiple items or perform long-running operations MUST include:

•--progress - Force in-place progress updates (even in batch mode)
•--no-progress - Suppress progress updates (even in interactive mode)
•Default behavior: Auto-detect based on isatty stderr (interactive = progress on, batch = progress off)

General Guidelines

•Document all command-line options clearly
•Follow standard Unix conventions for flags and arguments

Installation Documentation (REQUIRED)

•Include installation instructions in a comment at the top of every script
•Scripts should be self-documenting about where they belong in the filesystem
•
Examples:
- •Standalone command-line tool: # Installation: Copy to ~/bin/scripts
- •Fish function that needs to be sourced: # Installation: Copy to ~/.config/fish/functions
- •Shell configuration addon: # Installation: Source from ~/.config/fish/config.fish or ~/.bashrc
•Make it clear if there are any post-installation setup steps required

For Fish Scripts (Preferred)

CRITICAL: Fish shell has specific behaviors that differ from bash/zsh. See the comprehensive guide at ~/fish-shell-rules.md for detailed rules, examples, and bug history from this project.

Most Critical Fish-Specific Rules

•

Variable Scoping: Use set -g (not set -l) for variables accessed across functions

fish

# WRONG: set -l urls "..."  # Will be empty in called functions
# CORRECT: set -g urls "..."  # Visible everywhere

•

Directory Changes: Fish (cd dir && cmd) does NOT create subshell - always save/restore $PWD

fish

# WRONG: (cd "$temp" && process)  # Changes parent directory!
# CORRECT: set orig $PWD; cd "$temp"; process; cd "$orig"

•

Multi-line Output: Use | string collect to preserve newlines in command substitution

fish

# WRONG: set output (command)  # Collapses newlines to spaces
# CORRECT: set output (command | string collect)

•

stdin Detection: Always check for empty args before reading stdin

fish

# WRONG: if not isatty stdin  # False positive with redirects
# CORRECT: if test (count $argv) -eq 0; and not isatty stdin

•

Array Iteration: Use direct iteration (never echo/split)

fish

# WRONG: for x in (echo "$array" | string split \n)
# CORRECT: for x in $array

•

String Operations: Use Fish's string built-in instead of grep/sed/awk

fish

# WRONG: echo "$text" | grep "pattern"
# CORRECT: string match "*pattern*" $text

See ~/fish-shell-rules.md for complete rules and the commit history showing why these rules exist.

General Fish Best Practices

•Use #!/usr/bin/env fish for portability
•Include usage/help information with --help and --version flags
•Use Fish's built-in error handling and status checks
•Leverage Fish's modern syntax and features (argparse, functions)
•Make scripts user-friendly with clear error messages
•Avoid hardcoded paths when possible
•Implement structured logging as described above

For Bash Scripts (When Necessary)

•Use #!/usr/bin/env bash for portability
•Include usage/help information with --help and --version flags
•Add error handling with set -e or appropriate error checks
•Follow bash best practices
•Implement structured logging as described above

Path Handling

•Be careful with cd commands: When scripts change directories, subsequent operations with relative paths may break
•Use absolute paths when possible, especially after directory changes
•Store original working directory if you need to return: set origin_dir (pwd) (fish) or origin_dir=$(pwd) (bash)
•Test path resolution thoroughly, especially in refactored code

Tool Design Philosophy

•Make tools general-purpose rather than solution-specific when possible
•Design for reusability and composability
•Separate concerns: one tool should do one thing well
•Consider how the tool might be used in different contexts

Configuration Management

•Separate configuration from code whenever practical
•Extract prompts, templates, and settings to separate files
•Use environment variables or config files for user-customizable values
•Document configuration options clearly

Testing Requirements

•
Test thoroughly after major refactoring, especially:
- •Path resolution and file access
- •Directory changes and relative paths
- •Error handling and edge cases
- •All command-line flags and options
•Verify structured logging outputs correct levels and formats
•Test with both valid and invalid inputs

Example Script Templates

Fish Script Template (Preferred)

fish

#!/usr/bin/env fish

# Script: example-script
# Version: 1.0.0
# Description: What this script does
# Installation: Copy to ~/bin/scripts

set VERSION "1.0.0"
set SCRIPT_NAME (basename (status filename))

function log_info
    logger -t "$SCRIPT_NAME[$fish_pid]" -p user.info $argv
end

function log_error
    logger -t "$SCRIPT_NAME[$fish_pid]" -p user.error $argv
end

function log_debug
    logger -t "$SCRIPT_NAME[$fish_pid]" -p user.debug $argv
end

function show_version
    echo "$SCRIPT_NAME version $VERSION"
    exit 0
end

function run_tests
    log_info "action=test status=starting"

    # Add unit and regression tests here
    echo "Running unit tests..."

    # Example test placeholder
    # Replace with actual test logic
    echo "All tests passed!"

    log_info "action=test status=complete"
    exit 0
end

function install_fish_completions
    set -l completions_file ~/.config/fish/completions/$SCRIPT_NAME.fish

    # Check if file already exists
    if test -f "$completions_file"
        echo "Error: Completions file already exists: $completions_file" >&2
        echo "Remove it first if you want to regenerate completions." >&2
        exit 1
    end

    # Ensure directory exists
    mkdir -p ~/.config/fish/completions

    # Generate and write completions
    echo "# Fish completions for $SCRIPT_NAME
# Generated by $SCRIPT_NAME --fish-completions

# Complete flags
complete -c $SCRIPT_NAME -s h -l help -d 'Show help message'
complete -c $SCRIPT_NAME -s v -l version -d 'Show version information'
complete -c $SCRIPT_NAME -l test -d 'Run unit and regression tests'
complete -c $SCRIPT_NAME -l fish-completions -d 'Install fish shell completions'

# Add script-specific completions here
" > "$completions_file"

    and begin
        echo "Fish completions installed to: $completions_file"
        echo ""
        echo "Completions will be available in new fish shell sessions."
        echo "To use them immediately in this session, run:"
        echo "  source $completions_file"
    end
    or begin
        echo "Error: Failed to write completions file" >&2
        exit 1
    end

    exit 0
end

function usage
    echo "Usage: $SCRIPT_NAME [options]"
    echo ""
    echo "Description: What this script does"
    echo ""
    echo "Options:"
    echo "  -h, --help            Show this help message"
    echo "  -v, --version         Show version information"
    echo "  --test                Run unit and regression tests"
    echo "  --fish-completions    Install fish shell completions"
    exit 0
end

function main
    log_info "action=start status=processing"

    # Your script logic here
    echo "Hello from example Fish script!"

    log_info "action=complete status=success"
end

# Parse arguments
argparse 'h/help' 'v/version' 'test' 'fish-completions' -- $argv
or begin
    usage
end

if set -q _flag_help
    usage
end

if set -q _flag_version
    show_version
end

if set -q _flag_test
    run_tests
end

if set -q _flag_fish_completions
    install_fish_completions
end

log_debug "action=init args=\"$argv\""
main

Bash Script Template (Fallback)

bash

#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -e

# Script: example-script
# Version: 1.0.0
# Description: What this script does
# Installation: Copy to ~/bin/scripts

VERSION="1.0.0"
SCRIPT_NAME="$(basename "$0")"

log_info() {
    logger -t "${SCRIPT_NAME}[$$]" -p user.info "$@"
}

log_error() {
    logger -t "${SCRIPT_NAME}[$$]" -p user.error "$@"
}

log_debug() {
    logger -t "${SCRIPT_NAME}[$$]" -p user.debug "$@"
}

show_version() {
    echo "$SCRIPT_NAME version $VERSION"
    exit 0
}

run_tests() {
    log_info "action=test status=starting"

    # Add unit and regression tests here
    echo "Running unit tests..."

    # Example test placeholder
    # Replace with actual test logic
    echo "All tests passed!"

    log_info "action=test status=complete"
    exit 0
}

install_fish_completions() {
    local completions_file=~/.config/fish/completions/$SCRIPT_NAME.fish

    # Check if file already exists
    if [[ -f "$completions_file" ]]; then
        echo "Error: Completions file already exists: $completions_file" >&2
        echo "Remove it first if you want to regenerate completions." >&2
        exit 1
    fi

    # Ensure directory exists
    mkdir -p ~/.config/fish/completions

    # Generate and write completions
    cat > "$completions_file" << 'EOF'
# Fish completions for $SCRIPT_NAME
# Generated by $SCRIPT_NAME --fish-completions

# Complete flags
complete -c $SCRIPT_NAME -s h -l help -d 'Show help message'
complete -c $SCRIPT_NAME -s v -l version -d 'Show version information'
complete -c $SCRIPT_NAME -l test -d 'Run unit and regression tests'
complete -c $SCRIPT_NAME -l fish-completions -d 'Install fish shell completions'

# Add script-specific completions here
EOF

    if [[ $? -eq 0 ]]; then
        echo "Fish completions installed to: $completions_file"
        echo ""
        echo "Completions will be available in new fish shell sessions."
        echo "To use them immediately in this session, run:"
        echo "  source $completions_file"
    else
        echo "Error: Failed to write completions file" >&2
        exit 1
    fi

    exit 0
}

usage() {
    echo "Usage: $SCRIPT_NAME [options]"
    echo ""
    echo "Description: What this script does"
    echo ""
    echo "Options:"
    echo "  -h, --help            Show this help message"
    echo "  -v, --version         Show version information"
    echo "  --test                Run unit and regression tests"
    echo "  --fish-completions    Install fish shell completions"
    exit 0
}

main() {
    log_info "action=start status=processing"

    # Your script logic here
    echo "Hello from example bash script!"

    log_info "action=complete status=success"
}

# Parse arguments
while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
    case $1 in
        -h|--help)
            usage
            ;;
        -v|--version)
            show_version
            ;;
        --test)
            run_tests
            ;;
        --fish-completions)
            install_fish_completions
            ;;
        *)
            echo "Unknown option: $1"
            usage
            ;;
    esac
    shift
done

log_debug "action=init args=\"$*\""
main

Enhanced Fish Template for Data-Processing Scripts

For scripts that process input and produce output (especially multi-item processing), use this enhanced template:

fish

#!/usr/bin/env fish

# Script: process-items
# Version: 1.0.0
# Description: Process items from input and output results
# Installation: Copy to ~/bin/scripts

set VERSION "1.0.0"
set SCRIPT_NAME (basename (status filename))

# Logging functions
function log_info
    logger -t "$SCRIPT_NAME[$fish_pid]" -p user.info $argv
end

function log_error
    logger -t "$SCRIPT_NAME[$fish_pid]" -p user.error $argv
end

function show_version
    echo "$SCRIPT_NAME version $VERSION"
    exit 0
end

function usage
    echo "Usage: $SCRIPT_NAME [options] [input-file]"
    echo ""
    echo "Process items from input and output results."
    echo ""
    echo "Arguments:"
    echo "  input-file            File containing items (default: stdin)"
    echo ""
    echo "Options:"
    echo "  -h, --help            Show this help message"
    echo "  -v, --version         Show version information"
    echo "  -o, --output FILE     Output file (default: stdout)"
    echo "  -a, --append          Append to existing file instead of overwriting"
    echo "  --progress            Force progress updates (even in batch mode)"
    echo "  --no-progress         Suppress progress updates (even in interactive mode)"
    echo "  --test                Run unit and regression tests"
    echo "  --fish-completions    Install fish shell completions"
    echo ""
    echo "Examples:"
    echo "  $SCRIPT_NAME input.txt -o output.txt"
    echo "  cat input.txt | $SCRIPT_NAME"
    echo "  $SCRIPT_NAME input.txt | other-tool"
    exit 0
end

function main
    # I/O configuration
    set input_file "-"
    set output_file "-"
    set append_mode 0

    # Progress configuration (auto-detect TTY)
    set progress_mode 0
    if isatty stderr
        set progress_mode 1
    end

    # Parse arguments
    argparse 'h/help' 'v/version' 'o/output=' 'a/append' 'progress' 'no-progress' 'test' 'fish-completions' -- $argv
    or begin
        usage
        exit 2
    end

    # Handle flags
    if set -q _flag_help; usage; end
    if set -q _flag_version; show_version; end
    if set -q _flag_output; set output_file $_flag_output; end
    if set -q _flag_append; set append_mode 1; end
    if set -q _flag_progress; set progress_mode 1; end
    if set -q _flag_no_progress; set progress_mode 0; end

    # Get input file from remaining arguments
    if test (count $argv) -gt 0
        set input_file $argv[1]
        if test "$input_file" != "-" -a ! -f "$input_file"
            echo "Error: Input file not found: $input_file" >&2
            log_error "action=read_input status=not_found file=\"$input_file\""
            exit 2
        end
    end

    # Validate append requires output file
    if test $append_mode -eq 1 -a "$output_file" = "-"
        echo "Error: --append requires --output to specify a file" >&2
        exit 2
    end

    log_info "action=start input=\"$input_file\" output=\"$output_file\""

    # Read input items
    if test "$input_file" = "-"
        set items (cat)
    else
        set items (cat $input_file)
    end

    # Process items with progress
    set current 0
    set total (count $items)
    set results

    for item in $items
        set current (math $current + 1)

        # Show progress (non-scrolling, in-place update)
        if test $progress_mode -eq 1
            printf "\r[%d/%d] Processing: %s" $current $total "$item" >&2
        end

        # Process item (replace with actual logic)
        set result (process_item $item)
        set -a results $result
    end

    # Complete progress line
    if test $progress_mode -eq 1
        printf "\n" >&2
    end

    # Summary to stderr (always show)
    echo "Processed $total items" >&2

    # Write output (data to stdout or file)
    if test "$output_file" = "-"
        printf "%s\n" $results
    else
        if test $append_mode -eq 1
            printf "%s\n" $results >> "$output_file"
        else
            printf "%s\n" $results > "$output_file"
        end
    end

    log_info "action=complete status=success count=$total"
end

function process_item
    # Replace with actual processing logic
    echo "processed: $argv[1]"
end

# Run main
main $argv

Common Errors to Avoid

NOTE: For Fish-specific errors (variable scoping, directory changes, stdin detection, etc.), see ~/fish-shell-rules.md which documents recurring bugs from this project's history.

1. Mixing Data and Messages on stdout

WRONG:

fish

echo "Processing file..."  # Goes to stdout
echo "$result"              # Also goes to stdout

CORRECT:

fish

echo "Processing file..." >&2  # Messages to stderr
echo "$result"                 # Data to stdout

2. Not Supporting stdin/stdout

WRONG: Only accepting file arguments

fish

cat $argv[1]  # Fails if no file specified

CORRECT: Default to stdin/stdout

fish

set input_file "-"
if test (count $argv) -gt 0
    set input_file $argv[1]
end

3. Using Relative Paths After `cd`

WRONG:

fish

cd /some/directory
cat config.txt  # Where is this file now?

CORRECT:

fish

# Store original directory or use absolute paths
set origin_dir (pwd)
cd /some/directory
# ... work ...
cd $origin_dir
cat config.txt

4. Not Checking Exit Codes

WRONG:

fish

curl $url > data.json
process_file data.json  # What if curl failed?

CORRECT:

fish

curl $url > data.json
if test $status -ne 0
    log_error "action=download status=failed url=\"$url\""
    exit 1
end

5. Silent Failures

WRONG:

fish

if not command -v tool
    exit 1  # User has no idea what happened
end

CORRECT:

fish

if not command -v tool
    echo "Error: 'tool' is not installed" >&2
    echo "Install with: brew install tool" >&2
    log_error "action=dependency_check status=missing tool=tool"
    exit 3
end

6. Not Validating Flag Combinations

WRONG: Allowing --append without --output

fish

# Should validate that append mode requires a file

CORRECT:

fish

if test $append_mode -eq 1 -a "$output_file" = "-"
    echo "Error: --append requires --output to specify a file" >&2
    exit 2
end

7. Interactive Prompts in Pipeable Scripts

WRONG: Asking for user input in a data-processing script

fish

read -P "Continue? (y/n): " answer

CORRECT: Use flags for all options, avoid prompts in pipe-friendly scripts

Troubleshooting

•Script not found after install: Check PATH and restart shell or source config
•Permission denied: Verify chmod +x was applied to the script
•Command not found: Ensure ~/bin/scripts is in PATH
•Git merge conflicts: If conflicts occur, resolve manually or abort with git merge --abort
•Dirty git state: If repository has uncommitted changes, stash them first with git stash
•Branch already exists: Delete the old branch with git branch -D add-<script-name> or use a different name

Git Workflow Notes

•Always work on a feature branch (never directly on main)
•Each new script gets its own branch: add-<script-name>
•MANDATORY: Always delete feature branches after merging - this is required, not optional
•Clean branches keep the repository organized and prevent confusion about what's in progress
•If you need to abandon a script, delete the branch without merging: git checkout main && git branch -D add-<script-name>

Git Commit Message Standards

IMPORTANT: Use detailed, structured commit messages with the following format:

code

Add <script-name>: <brief one-line description>

Features:
- Feature 1 with details
- Feature 2 with details
- Feature 3 with details

Technical details:
- Implementation detail 1
- Implementation detail 2
- Configuration or dependency notes

Co-Authored-By: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>

Guidelines:

•Subject line: Start with "Add <script-name>:" followed by brief description
•Features section: List all user-facing features and capabilities
•Technical details section: Include implementation notes, technologies used, dependencies
•Co-authorship: Always include AI assistance attribution
•Use bullet points for clarity
•Be specific about what was implemented
•Include any important configuration or setup notes

Example:

code

Add backup-tool: Automated backup script with compression and rotation

Features:
- Automatic backup of specified directories
- Gzip compression with configurable level
- Rotation policy (keeps last N backups)
- Email notifications on completion or failure
- Dry-run mode for testing

Technical details:
- Implemented in Fish shell with structured logging
- Uses rsync for efficient file copying
- Logger integration for syslog monitoring
- Configuration via environment variables
- Requires: rsync, gzip, mail utilities

Co-Authored-By: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>

Shell Script Installer Skill

When to Use This Skill

Shell Preference

Installation Directory

Workflow

1. Understand Requirements

2. Set Up Git Workspace

3. Write the Script

4. Review with User

5. Iterate (if needed)

6. Test (Interactive)

7. Commit and Merge

8. Verify PATH

9. Final Verification

Structured Logging Standards

Logging Format

Log Level Mapping

Logging Examples

Input/Output Standards (REQUIRED FOR DATA-PROCESSING SCRIPTS)

Input Handling

Output Handling

Stream Separation (CRITICAL)

Structured Data Output

Progress Output Pattern (REQUIRED FOR MULTI-ITEM PROCESSING)

Pipe Support Standards (REQUIRED FOR DATA-PROCESSING SCRIPTS)

Design Principles

Making Scripts Pipe-Friendly

Example Usage Patterns

Best Practices

CLI Standards (REQUIRED)

Core Flags (All Scripts)

Data-Processing Script Flags (REQUIRED for scripts that process input→output)

Multi-Item Processing Flags (REQUIRED for scripts that iterate over items)

General Guidelines

Installation Documentation (REQUIRED)

For Fish Scripts (Preferred)

Most Critical Fish-Specific Rules

General Fish Best Practices

For Bash Scripts (When Necessary)

Path Handling

Tool Design Philosophy

Configuration Management

Testing Requirements

Example Script Templates

Fish Script Template (Preferred)

Bash Script Template (Fallback)

Enhanced Fish Template for Data-Processing Scripts

Common Errors to Avoid

1. Mixing Data and Messages on stdout

2. Not Supporting stdin/stdout

3. Using Relative Paths After cd

4. Not Checking Exit Codes

5. Silent Failures

6. Not Validating Flag Combinations

7. Interactive Prompts in Pipeable Scripts

Troubleshooting

Git Workflow Notes

Git Commit Message Standards

3. Using Relative Paths After `cd`