CLI Ninja Tools
Transform terminal workflows with modern CLI utilities optimized for AI-assisted development.
Content Organization
CLI References (clis/)
Per-tool documentation with progressive disclosure:
- •clis/_index.md - Tier 1/2/3 tool index
- •clis/{tool}/quick.md - Essential patterns (~50 lines, always safe to load)
- •clis/{tool}/reference.md - Full documentation (load on demand)
Recipes (recipes/)
Multi-CLI combinations (2+ tools) for specific use cases:
- •recipes/_index.md - Recipe category index
- •recipes/{category}/*.md - Individual recipes (30-80 lines each)
Categories: github, data-processing, code-analysis, devops, media
Three Operational Modes
Mode A: Init Integration
When: Setting up new project, after /init
Purpose: Scan project, recommend relevant CLI patterns
- •Run
python scripts/scan.pyto detect CLIs in project configs - •Run
python scripts/discover.py --missingto find missing Tier 1 tools - •Recommend patterns from
recipes/matching detected workflows - •Optionally add "## CLI Tricks" section to CLAUDE.md
Mode B: Documentation Helper
When: User discovers useful CLI pattern or recipe Purpose: Help capture terse, high-quality documentation
For single CLI:
- •Run
{cli} --help, optionally WebSearch for docs - •Generate
clis/{cli}/quick.mdfollowing template - •Offer to save to skill or project CLAUDE.md
For recipe (multi-CLI):
- •User provides command pipeline
- •Decompose each component, explain data flow
- •Generate recipe following
recipes/TEMPLATE.md - •Validate with
python scripts/validate.py
Mode C: Codebase CLI Recommendations
When: User explicitly asks for CLI recommendations Purpose: Analyze codebase patterns, recommend tools
- •Run
python scripts/discover.pyfor current tool state - •Run
python scripts/scan.pyfor project patterns - •Correlate with skill repertoire
- •Generate prioritized recommendations with install commands
Quick Start
Check Available Tools
python scripts/discover.py # Full report python scripts/discover.py --tier 1 # Essentials only python scripts/discover.py --missing # What to install
Essential Tools (Tier 1)
| Tool | Check | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| jq | jq --version | JSON processing |
| ripgrep | rg --version | Fast code search |
| fd | fd --version | File finder |
| bat | bat --version | Cat with syntax |
| ast-grep | sg --version | AST refactoring |
# Quick check all Tier 1 for cmd in jq rg fd bat sg; do command -v $cmd &>/dev/null && echo "OK $cmd" || echo "MISSING $cmd"; done
Quick Install
# macOS brew install jq ripgrep fd bat ast-grep # Ubuntu/Debian sudo apt install jq ripgrep fd-find bat cargo install ast-grep --locked # Windows (Scoop) scoop install jq ripgrep fd bat ast-grep
Most Common Patterns
jq (JSON)
jq '.data[].name' response.json # Extract field jq '.items[] | select(.active)' data.json # Filter jq -r '.users[] | [.id, .name] | @csv' users.json # To CSV jq -s '.[0] * .[1]' base.json override.json # Merge
ripgrep (Search)
rg 'TODO|FIXME' -A 2 --type py # With context rg 'pattern' --json | jq 'select(.type=="match")' # Structured output rg -l 'deprecated' | xargs sd -i 'old' 'new' # Search & replace
gh + jq (GitHub)
gh issue view 123 --json body --jq '.body' # Inline jq gh pr view 123 --json files --jq '.files[].path' # PR files gh issue list --json number,title --jq '.[].title' # List issues
Loading Strategy
When user asks about CLI tools:
- •Start with this SKILL.md (overview)
- •Load
clis/{tool}/quick.mdfor specific tool questions - •Load
clis/{tool}/reference.mdonly for advanced usage - •Load
recipes/{category}/*.mdfor multi-tool workflows
Extending This Skill
Add Personal Recipes
Create ~/.claude/skills/cli-ninja-local/:
cli-ninja-local/ ├── SKILL.md # References this skill ├── recipes/ # Personal recipes └── clis/ # Personal CLI docs
Contributing Back
- •Create recipe following
recipes/TEMPLATE.md - •Validate:
python scripts/validate.py your-recipe.md - •PR to mem8-plugin
See recipes/CONTRIBUTING.md for details.
Reference Documentation
- •clis/_index.md - All CLI tools by tier
- •recipes/_index.md - All recipes by category
- •references/top-100-cli-tools.md - Comprehensive tool list
- •references/install-guides.md - Platform-specific installation