Modern CLI Tools
Use modern Rust-based command-line tools as ergonomic replacements for common Unix utilities when working interactively in the terminal.
This skill applies when exploring codebases, inspecting files, searching text, or navigating directories during development. It is not intended for POSIX-strict shell scripts or CI environments.
Scope and Usage
- •Interactive terminal sessions
- •Local development environments
- •Source code exploration and refactoring
Not intended for:
- •Non-interactive shell scripts
- •CI/CD pipelines
- •Environments requiring strict POSIX compatibility
Tool Mapping
| Legacy | Modern | Example Usage | Primary Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
cat | bat | bat file.ts | Syntax highlighting, paging |
grep | rg | rg "pattern" | Fast search, respects .gitignore |
find | fd | fd -e ts | Simpler, safer defaults |
sed | sd | sd old new file | Readable find and replace |
ls | eza | eza -la --git | Git-aware directory listings |
Examples
Search
bash
grep -R "useEffect" .
Suggested alternative:
bash
rg "useEffect"
Reason: Faster recursive search and automatic exclusion of ignored directories.
Directory listing
bash
ls -la
Suggested alternative:
bash
eza -la --git
Reason: Improved formatting with inline Git status.
Notes
- •Do not blindly alias legacy commands in shared or scripted environments.
- •Prefer explicit usage (
rg,fd,eza) over global overrides. - •Installation and environment setup are intentionally omitted from this skill.
References
- •bat — https://github.com/sharkdp/bat
- •ripgrep — https://github.com/BurntSushi/ripgrep
- •fd — https://github.com/sharkdp/fd
- •sd — https://github.com/chmln/sd
- •eza — https://github.com/eza-community/eza