| name | cli-ninja-tools |
| description | CLI power tools for AI-assisted development. Use when (1) needing recommendations for CLI tools to install, (2) processing JSON/YAML data with jq/yq, (3) searching code with ripgrep or ast-grep, (4) documenting a CLI tool or multi-tool recipe you've discovered, (5) wanting to learn CLI patterns for data pipelines, or (6) setting up a new project and want CLI recommendations. Supports three modes - init (project scan), document (capture new recipes), and recommend (codebase analysis). |
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