NAME

CLI::Simple - a minimalist object oriented base class for CLI applications

SYNOPSIS

#!/usr/bin/env perl

package MyScript;

use strict;
use warnings;

use parent qw(CLI::Simple);

caller or exit __PACKAGE__->main();

sub main {

  my $cli = MyScript->new(
   option_specs    => [ qw( help format=s file=s) ],
   default_options => { format => 'json' }, # set some defaults
   extra_options   => [ qw( content ) ], # non-option, setter/getter
   commands        => { execute => \&cmd_execute, list => \&cmd_list,  },
   alias           => { options => { fmt => 'format' }, commands => { ls => 'list' } },
  );

  return $cli->run();
}

sub cmd_execute {
  my ($self) = @_;

  # retrieve a CLI option   
  my $file = $self->get_file;
  ...
  return 0;
}

sub cmd_list { 
  my ($self) = @_;

  # retrieve a command argument
  my ($file) = $self->get_args();
  ...
  return 0;
}

1;

# role-based CLI Application (2.0.0)

# create a YAML manifest my-script.yml in your project root:

---
roles:
  frobnicate: My::Script::Role::Frobnicate
  list:       My::Script::Role::List
options:
  - help|h
  - verbose|v
  - output|o=s

# create a main module

package My::Script;

use CLI::Simple qw(:roles);
use parent qw(CLI::Simple);

our $VERSION = '1.0.0';

caller or exit __PACKAGE__->main;

1;

# create implementation roles

package My::Script::Role::Frobnicate;

use Role::Tiny;
use CLI::Simple::Constants qw(:booleans);

sub cmd_frobnicate {
  my ($self) = @_;
  ...
  return $SUCCESS;
}

1;

DESCRIPTION

Tired of writing the same 'ol boilerplate code for command line scripts? Want a standard, simple way to create a Perl script that takes options and commands? CLI::Simple makes it easy to create scripts that take options, commands and arguments.

CLI::Simple is designed around the modulino pattern - Perl modules that can be executed directly as scripts. See "MODULINOS".

For common constant values (like $TRUE, $DASH, or $SUCCESS), see CLI::Simple::Constants, which pairs naturally with this module.

Version 2.0.0 introduces optional role-based architecture for applications that have outgrown a single module. Declare your commands and options in a YAML manifest, implement each command in a dedicated Role::Tiny role, and CLI::Simple handles composition, dispatch, and lifecycle automatically. Your main module shrinks to a single line:

caller or exit __PACKAGE__->main;

Not ready for a full refactor? Start smaller. The built-in -dump-spec command introspects your existing module and writes a YAML manifest that makes your configuration data-driven without moving a single line of implementation code. Adopt roles incrementally, one command at a time.

When you are ready to scaffold a full role-based project, -scaffold generates role stubs, a slimmed main module, and inter-module dependencies from your manifest. Feed the resulting tarball to CPAN::Maker::Bootstrapper and you have a complete, buildable CPAN distribution in one step.

Version 2.3.0 adds selective role composition. Commands declared with the roles manifest key compose only the roles required by the selected command. The original commands form remains supported for backward compatibility and retains its original behavior of composing the complete set of command roles.

VERSION

This documentation refers to version 2.3.2.

FEATURES

accept command line arguments ala Getopt::Long
supports commands and command arguments
automatically add a logger
global or custom log levels per command
easily add usage notes
automatically create setter/getters for your script
low dependency profile
selective role composition through YAML command manifests
built-in scaffolding tools for migrating legacy scripts to roles
bash completion script generation for modulino wrappers
optional pager support for help output via IO::Pager
customizable help sections via help_sections

QUICK START

Single-Module Application

The simplest way to use CLI::Simple is to subclass it and define your commands as methods in the same module:

package My::Script;

use strict;
use warnings;

use CLI::Simple::Constants qw(:booleans);

use parent qw(CLI::Simple);

caller or exit __PACKAGE__->main;

sub cmd_frobnicate {
  my ($self) = @_;
  my $output = $self->get_output;
  ...
  return $SUCCESS;
}

sub main {
  __PACKAGE__->new(
    option_specs => [ qw( help|h verbose|v output|o=s ) ],
    commands     => { frobnicate => \&cmd_frobnicate },
  )->run;
}

1;

Role-Based Application

For larger applications, declare your commands and options in a YAML manifest and implement each command in a dedicated Role::Tiny role. Your main module becomes a single declaration:

package My::Script;

use strict;
use warnings;

use CLI::Simple qw(:roles);
use parent qw(CLI::Simple);

our $VERSION = '1.0.0';

caller or exit __PACKAGE__->main;

1;

Naming convention: The YAML manifest filename is derived from your module name - My::Script looks for my-script.yml in the distribution share directory. You must package the spec file with your distribution.

The manifest maps commands to roles:

---
roles:
  frobnicate: My::Script::Role::Frobnicate
  list:       My::Script::Role::List
options:
  - help|h
  - verbose|v
  - output|o=s

Each role implements one or more commands:

package My::Script::Role::Frobnicate;

use Role::Tiny;
use CLI::Simple::Constants qw(:booleans);

sub cmd_frobnicate {
  my ($self) = @_;
  ...
  return $SUCCESS;
}

1;

To easily generate the directory structure, role stubs, and build files for this architecture, CLI::Simple provides a built-in -scaffold tool.

See "-scaffold" for detailed instructions on generating a role-based project tarball from a monolithic script or a YAML manifest. For a comprehensive guide on transitioning your application, see "ROLE-BASED ARCHITECTURE".

MODULINOS

A modulino is a Perl module that can also be run directly as a script. The term was coined by Brian D. Foy and the pattern is simple:

caller or exit __PACKAGE__->main();

When the file is required or used by another module, caller returns the calling package and the expression short-circuits - main() is never called. When the file is executed directly by Perl, caller returns false and main() runs. The same file serves as both a reusable module and an executable script.

CLI::Simple is designed around this pattern. Every CLI::Simple application is expected to be a modulino. The framework's lifecycle, internal commands, bash completion, and scaffolding tools all assume this dual-use design.

Why Modulinos?

The modulino pattern offers several advantages over a traditional script:

Testable - your script logic lives in a proper Perl module that can be used in test files without executing main()
Reusable - other scripts and modules can use your modulino and call its methods directly
Introspectable - tools like -dump-spec and -generate-completion can load your modulino and inspect its live state without running it as a script
Installable - modulinos distribute cleanly as CPAN modules with full man page support via CPAN::Maker::Bootstrapper

The Bash Wrapper

Perl modulinos are invoked via a thin bash wrapper script that locates the installed module file and passes all arguments through to Perl:

#!/usr/bin/env bash
#-*- mode: sh; -*-

MODULINO_WRAPPER=my-script
MODULE_NAME=My::Script
MODULE_PATH=$(MODULE_PATH="${MODULE_NAME//:://}.pm" \
  perl -M$MODULE_NAME -e 'print $INC{$ENV{MODULE_PATH}};')

MODULINO_WRAPPER=$MODULINO_WRAPPER perl $MODULE_PATH "$@"

The wrapper locates the installed .pm file via %INC and sets MODULINO_WRAPPER in the environment so CLI::Simple knows the name of the script the user actually typed. This is used by -generate-completion to name the bash completion function correctly and by CPAN::Maker::Bootstrapper to create man page symlinks.

create-modulino

CLI::Simple ships with a create-modulino tool that generates the bash wrapper for any CLI::Simple modulino:

# create wrapper using module name convention (My::Script -> my-script)
create-modulino -m My::Script

# install to a specific directory
create-modulino -m My::Script -i /usr/local/bin

# use a custom wrapper name
create-modulino -m My::Script -a my-alias -i /usr/local/bin

create-modulino is itself a modulino - an example of the pattern it creates. The bash wrapper template lives in its __DATA__ section, keeping the tool entirely self-contained.

If you are building a CPAN distribution, CPAN::Maker::Bootstrapper integrates create-modulino into the make modulino target, generating and installing the wrapper as part of the build process.

MODULINO_WRAPPER

The MODULINO_WRAPPER environment variable tells CLI::Simple the name of the wrapper script that invoked the modulino. It is set by the wrapper and used by:

-generate-completion - to name the bash completion function and complete target correctly
Man page symlinks via CPAN::Maker::Bootstrapper - so man my-script resolves to the module's man page

If MODULINO_WRAPPER is not set, CLI::Simple infers the script name from the module name by convention - My::Script becomes my-script. Set it explicitly when the wrapper name does not follow this convention.

ROLE-BASED ARCHITECTURE

CLI::Simple 2.0.0 introduced an optional role-based architecture for applications that have grown beyond a single module. Commands may be implemented in dedicated Role::Tiny roles and declared in a YAML manifest, allowing CLI::Simple to build the dispatch table and provide an inherited main() - potentially reducing your main module to a single declaration.

Version 2.3.0 adds selective role composition through the roles: manifest key. When roles: is used, only the role or roles required by the selected command are composed. The original commands: manifest form remains supported for backward compatibility and retains its original behavior of composing the complete set of command roles.

The YAML Manifest

By default, CLI::Simple locates the application's manifest via File::ShareDir using the distribution name derived from the module name. The manifest must be installed as part of the distribution.

Additional YAML manifests may be supplied as arguments to use CLI::Simple. These may be explicit filenames or glob patterns, allowing applications to discover command registrations from project-local configuration files.

Note: Version 2.3.0 introduces roles: for selective role composition. The original commands: form remains supported for backward compatibility. See "roles: vs commands:".

A minimal manifest:

---
roles:
  frobnicate: My::Script::Role::Frobnicate
  list:       My::Script::Role::List
options:
  - help|h
  - verbose|v
  - output|o=s

A manifest defining commands, options, defaults, and additional accessors:

---
roles:
  frobnicate: My::Script::Role::Frobnicate
  list:       My::Script::Role::List
options:
  - help|h
  - verbose|v
  - output|o=s
default_options:
  verbose: 0
extra_options:
  - dbh
  - config_data

Manifest section names use underscores, not hyphens. For example, default_options and extra_options are valid section names; default-options and extra-options are not.

Unknown manifest keys and values that do not match the expected section types cause an error when the manifest is loaded.

Loading Multiple Manifests

CLI::Simple supports loading multiple YAML manifests during import. This allows an application to extend its commands, roles, and options without modifying its primary manifest. Each additional manifest may contribute command definitions, option specifications, default values, and additional accessors.

Additional manifests may be specified as filenames:

use CLI::Simple qw(
  :roles
  extensions/publish.yml
  extensions/deploy.yml
);

Glob patterns are also supported:

use CLI::Simple qw(
  :roles
  .roles/*/role.yml
);

When :roles is specified, CLI::Simple first attempts to load the application's installed manifest through File::ShareDir. Additional manifests are then loaded in the order supplied.

All manifests contribute options, default_options, and extra_options to the application's global option namespace. Duplicate option names (including aliases) and duplicate default keys are errors. Repeated extra_options declarations are harmless, and an accessor may appear in both options and extra_options.

The first manifest alone supplies application-wide alias and abbreviations metadata. Subsequent manifests also contribute roles: and commands: entries.

Command names must be unique across all manifests. An attempt to register a command more than once causes an error.

An unmatched glob pattern contributes no manifests and does not cause an error. An explicitly named YAML file that cannot be loaded causes an error.

Explicit YAML filenames may also be supplied without :roles:

use CLI::Simple qw(
  config/application.yml
  .roles/*/role.yml
);

In this case, the first explicitly supplied manifest provides the application-wide configuration.

Loading a manifest does not compose its roles. For commands declared under roles:, only the roles associated with the selected command are composed during application startup.

See "roles: vs commands:" for the distinction between selective and legacy role composition.

Option Initialization

Option specifications and defaults from all manifests are registered globally, but only the roles for the selected command are composed.

Because option specifications and defaults are merged from all manifests, they are available regardless of which command is selected. Manifest defaults are equivalent to values supplied through the default_options argument to new().

Applications should use init() when option values require additional initialization or resolution after command-line parsing.

Manifest defaults are applied before init(), but after command-line options have been parsed. Applications may inspect options() to determine which options were explicitly supplied on the command line and override default values during init().

Command Values

Entries beneath roles: map a command name to either a single role or a list of roles required by that command.

For example:

roles:
  frobnicate: My::Script::Role::Frobnicate
  publish:
    - My::Script::Role::Publish
    - My::Script::Role::Packages

When frobnicate is selected, only My::Script::Role::Frobnicate is composed into the application.

When publish is selected, both My::Script::Role::Publish and My::Script::Role::Packages are composed.

The selected role set must provide the command method corresponding to the command name. Hyphens are converted to underscores when resolving the method name, so:

code-review

resolves to:

cmd_code_review

The original commands: form remains supported for backward compatibility. Its values may be role class names or method names and retain the pre-2.3.0 behavior described in "roles: vs commands:".

`roles:` vs `commands:`

Version 2.3.0 introduces roles: for selective role composition. New applications should use roles:. The original commands: manifest key remains supported for backward compatibility.

With commands:, selecting a command causes all roles referenced by the loaded manifests' command definitions to be composed into the application, regardless of which command is being executed.

This makes methods from every composed role available throughout the application. However, it can also load modules that are not needed by the selected command, increasing startup time.

For applications invoked repeatedly, such as utilities called from make recipes, this additional startup overhead can become significant.

With roles:, only the roles associated with the selected command are composed. A command may require one role or several roles.

Selective composition reduces unnecessary dependencies and makes the role requirements of each command explicit.

When to Use Each Approach

CLI::Simple supports several approaches to organizing command-line applications. The appropriate choice depends on the size of the application and how its commands share functionality.

Single-module application

For small utilities with a limited number of commands, defining command handlers in a single module is often the simplest approach. Commands are registered directly through the commands constructor parameter.

No YAML manifest or role composition is required.
Legacy commands: manifest

Existing applications using a YAML manifest with commands: retain the original behavior of composing all command roles together.

This approach may be appropriate for applications whose commands depend on methods supplied by other command roles. However, every role class referenced by the manifest's command definitions is composed regardless of which command is selected.
Selective roles: manifest

For new or growing applications, roles: provides a more modular approach. Each command declares the roles it requires, and only those roles are composed when the command is selected.

This is particularly useful when commands have different dependencies or when minimizing startup time is important.

Applications can migrate from commands: to roles: incrementally, provided each migrated command declares the roles it requires.

With legacy commands: manifests, all command roles are composed into the application. Methods provided by one command role are therefore available to other commands.

With selective roles: composition, a command cannot assume that roles associated with other commands have been composed.

Functionality shared by multiple commands can be placed in a separate role and included in each command's role list:

roles:
  publish:
    - My::Script::Role::Publish
    - My::Script::Role::Common
  deploy:
    - My::Script::Role::Deploy
    - My::Script::Role::Common

Alternatively, functionality required by every command can be composed directly into the main application class using Role::Tiny::With.

Shared functionality can also be implemented in ordinary Perl modules without using roles.

See "Roles With No Commands" for an example of composing an application-wide role.

Roles With No Commands

Some roles provide application-wide behavior rather than implementing a command. For example, a role may provide an init() method for startup validation or other functionality required by every command.

Because these roles are not associated with a command beneath roles:, they must be composed explicitly into the main module:

package My::Script;

use CLI::Simple qw(:roles);
use Role::Tiny::With;
use parent qw(CLI::Simple);

with 'My::Script::Role::Init';

caller or exit __PACKAGE__->main;

1;

Roles composed this way are always available to the application, regardless of which command is selected.

Activating Role-Based Architecture

Role-based applications load their YAML manifests through use CLI::Simple.

To load the application's installed manifest, specify :roles:

use CLI::Simple qw(:roles);

CLI::Simple locates the manifest through File::ShareDir and retains its command, role, option, alias, and abbreviation metadata for the application.

Alternatively, specify an explicit YAML manifest:

use CLI::Simple qw(config/application.yml);

Both forms may be combined with additional YAML manifests or glob patterns. See "Loading Multiple Manifests".

Role composition does not occur while manifests are being loaded.

When the application starts, CLI::Simple resolves the selected command, including aliases and abbreviations, before composing the required roles.

For commands declared beneath roles:, only the associated role set is composed.

For legacy commands declared beneath commands:, the original all-role composition behavior is retained for backward compatibility.

The Inherited main()

When using a YAML manifest, your class can inherit main() from CLI::Simple:

caller or exit __PACKAGE__->main;

The inherited main() uses the manifest metadata to resolve the requested command, composes the role or roles required for that command, constructs the application object, and calls run().

Aliases and command abbreviations are resolved before selective role composition, so they select the same role set as the canonical command.

Override main() in your subclass only if you need application startup behavior that cannot be expressed through the manifest, init(), or explicitly composed application roles.

Distributing the Manifest

When using :roles, the application's primary YAML manifest must be installed in the distribution's share directory.

CPAN::Maker users can add it to extra-files in buildspec.yml:

extra-files:
  - share:
    - my-script.yml

Additional manifests supplied as import arguments are loaded from the filesystem. They do not need to be installed in the distribution's share directory.

For example:

use CLI::Simple qw(
  :roles
  .roles/*/role.yml
);

This allows applications to maintain additional commands, roles, and options independently of their primary manifest.

For example, an application may load optional extensions from .roles/. Each extension can provide its own manifest and implementation without modifying the application's primary manifest. Extensions are available only when their manifests are present and loaded.

See "Loading Multiple Manifests" for manifest precedence and merging behavior.

PHILOSOPHY AND DESIGN PRINCIPLES

Getting started with CLI::Simple is intentionally simple. It provides a structured, convention-based approach to building command-line applications, including option parsing, command dispatch, defaults, logging, and help handling, without requiring developers to adopt its optional role-based framework.

For a single-module application, you register commands directly using the commands constructor parameter. Command handlers can be implemented as methods or subroutines, allowing you to organize application logic according to your own conventions.

For applications that need greater modularity, CLI::Simple also provides an optional role-based framework. YAML manifests declare commands, options, and the roles required to implement them. The framework manages manifest loading and role composition, including selective composition of the roles required by a particular command.

You can use CLI::Simple without adopting the role-based framework.

The philosophy is: provide just enough infrastructure, then get out of your way.

Validation, Defaults, and Configuration

CLI::Simple does not impose a validation model. You may:

Use Getopt::Long option specifications for argument types and default_options to supply default values
Write your own validation logic in init()
Throw exceptions, emit usage, or exit early at any point

The lifecycle is explicit and under your control. You decide how much structure you want to add on top of it.

When to Use

CLI::Simple is ideal for:

Internal tools and admin scripts
Bootstrapped CLIs where you don't want a framework
Users who want to subclass a clean, minimal interface
Applications that have grown beyond a single module and benefit from role-based command composition

For interactive CLI handling or complex command trees, consider App::Cmd or CLI::Framework.

The init-run Lifecycle

Phase 0: Manifest Loading

For role-based applications, YAML manifests are loaded during import. The application's installed manifest may be loaded through :roles, and additional manifests may be supplied as filenames or glob patterns.

The manifests are merged and normalized before their command, role, option, alias, and abbreviation metadata is retained for the application.

Roles are not composed during manifest loading.

The selected command is resolved later, during application startup. For commands declared beneath roles:, only the role or roles required by that command are composed. Legacy commands: manifests retain the original all-role composition behavior.

Single-module applications skip this phase entirely.
Phase 1: Internal Commands

Before anything else, CLI::Simple checks @ARGV for internal commands prefixed with -. If one is found it executes immediately and exits. See "INTERNAL COMMANDS".
Phase 2: Initialization (new)

The constructor parses command-line arguments via Getopt::Long, creates accessors for all options, initializes logging if enabled, calls init() and then initializes any defaults option values you passed to the constructor.

Inside init(), your application has full access to the parsed options and arguments. This phase is the ideal hook for all final setup tasks, such as:
- Validating command-line arguments.
- Loading configuration files based on a --config option.
- Dynamically overriding the command (e.g., $self->command('new_default')).
- Overriding default options
- Performing any setup required before a command is run.
After init() returns, any remaining undefined options are initialized from the default_options passed to the constructor.
Phase 3: Execution (run)

Dispatches to the command method determined during initialization.

Opt-in Default Command

By design, CLI::Simple does not impose a default command. This provides total flexibility for the application author:

You Can Set a Default: If your application needs a default command, define a default entry in the commands hash passed to the constructor, or set the command during init() using command(). Alternatively, enable $AUTO_HELP to display help when no command is supplied.
You Can Have No Default: If you do not set a default, run() will simply do nothing and return cleanly if no command is provided on the command line.

This "no default by default" behavior is what enables a powerful "setup-only" execution mode. A user can run your script without specifying a command. This will:

1. Run the entire new() / init() phase, performing all setup.
2. Call run(), which will find no command and exit cleanly.

This provides an ideal hook for applications that need to perform "on-demand initialization" (e.g., seeding a database, authenticating) by checking for a specific flag inside init(), without also triggering an unwanted command.

In applications using a YAML manifest, a default command can be declared using commands:. For applications using selective roles: composition, the default command can be associated with a role directly:

roles:
  default: My::Module::Role::Installer

`$AUTO_HELP` and `$AUTO_DEFAULT`

The following package variables control automatic command selection, help behavior, and output paging.

By default, the CLI::Simple provides no default command as explained in the sections above. Some scripters may want default behaviors that assume a command or provide usage if no command is provided.

$AUTO_HELP

Set the package variable $AUTO_HELP to a true value if you want CLI::Simple to provide help when no command is provided.

default: false

$AUTO_DEFAULT

Set the package variable $AUTO_DEFAULT to a true value if you want CLI::Simple to automatically select a command when exactly one command is registered and no command is provided on the command line.

default: false

$PAGER

Set the package variable $PAGER to a true value to route help output through IO::Pager when --help is invoked. When enabled, IO::Pager selects an appropriate pager (less, more, etc.) based on the PAGER environment variable, falling back to a sensible default. Set to false to suppress pager use and write help directly to STDOUT.

use CLI::Simple qw($PAGER);
$PAGER = 0;  # disable pager

default: true

Note: IO::Pager must be installed for pager support. If it is not available, help output is written directly to STDOUT regardless of the value of $PAGER.

CONSTANTS

CLI::Simple::Constants provides a collection of exportable constants commonly used in command-line applications.

These include:

Boolean flags like $TRUE, $FALSE, $SUCCESS, and $FAILURE
Common character tokens such as $COLON, $DASH, $EQUALS_SIGN, etc.
Log level names compatible with Log::Log4perl

To use them in your script:

use CLI::Simple::Constants qw(:all);

ADDING USAGE TO YOUR SCRIPTS

To provide built-in usage/help output, include a =head1 SYNOPSIS or =head1 USAGE section in your script's POD:

=head1 SYNOPSIS

```
usage: myscript [options] command args

Options
-------
--help, -h      Display help
...
```

If the user supplies the command help, or the --help option, CLI::Simple displays the configured help sections using Pod::Usage.

For backward compatibility, USAGE is also supported. If a USAGE section is present, it is used as the usage section.

If no USAGE section is present, SYNOPSIS is used instead.

When both SYNOPSIS and USAGE are present, USAGE is used by default. Applications that explicitly configure help_sections may select the desired section.

Customizing Help Output

Custom help() Method

If you need full control over the help output, you can define a custom help method and assign it as a command:

commands => {
  help => &help,
  ...
};

This is useful if your module follows the modulino pattern and you want to present help information that differs from the embedded POD.

`help_sections`

By default, CLI::Simple renders the following POD sections when present:

USAGE (or SYNOPSIS if USAGE is absent)
DESCRIPTION/Commands
DESCRIPTION/Options
OPTIONS

You can override the default selection by passing an array reference of section names during construction:

my $cli = CLI::Simple->new(
  help_sections => [qw(SYNOPSIS COMMANDS OPTIONS)],
  ...
);

When help_sections differs from the default selection, CLI::Simple honors the list exactly as provided.

help_sections => [qw(SYNOPSIS USAGE)]

Section names follow Pod::Usage conventions. Subsections are specified with a / separator; for example, DESCRIPTION/Commands renders only the Commands subsection under DESCRIPTION.

INTERNAL COMMANDS

CLI::Simple reserves command names beginning with - for its own use. These commands are intercepted before option parsing begins and execute immediately, bypassing the normal lifecycle entirely. See "The init-run Lifecycle".

-generate-completion

Generates a bash completion script for the script's commands and options, derived from the live object state. Bash completions are a feature that allows the shell to automatically finish commands, file paths, and options when you press the Tab key.

my-script -generate-completion > \
  ~/.local/share/bash-completion/completions/my-script

After generating the bash completion script, source it in your current shell to test:

source ~/.local/share/bash-completion/completions/my-script

Test by typing your script name followed by a space and pressing Tab. You should see the available commands. To verify option completion, type your script name followed by a space and -- and press Tab.

To make completions permanent, most systems automatically source files placed in ~/.local/share/bash-completion/completions/ when bash-completion 2.x is installed. If your system does not pick them up automatically, add the following to your ~/.bashrc:

source ~/.local/share/bash-completion/completions/my-script

Alternatively, place the generated file in the system-wide completion directory (requires root):

my-script -generate-completion > \
  /etc/bash_completion.d/my-script

The script name is taken from MODULINO_WRAPPER when set, otherwise it is inferred from the module name.

Note: If you created the modulino with the supplied create-modulino tool MODULINO_WRAPPER is already set inside the bash script that invokes the modulino.

Case 1: Your modulino wrapper and module name are aligned

The modulino script my-modulino refers to My::Modulino

my-modulino -generate-completion

Case 2: Your modulino wrapper was created using create-modulino

The modulino script my-alias refers to My::Modulino. Although the wrapper name differs from the module name, MODULINO_WRAPPER is set by the generated bash wrapper.

my-alias -generate-completion

-dump-spec

Introspects the running modulino and writes a YAML manifest to the current directory. The filename is derived from the module name by convention.

my-script -dump-spec           # sub names - baby step toward roles
my-script -dump-spec roles     # role class names - full commitment

Without the roles argument, commands map to their existing sub names so the manifest can be used immediately without moving any code. With roles, commands map to derived role class names suitable for use with -scaffold.

Alias commands - those whose coderef resolves to a sub name that does not match the command key - are always written as sub names regardless of mode.

-scaffold

Generates a role-based project tarball from the running modulino or from an explicit spec file.

The -scaffold command can take a monolithic application or a YAML file like the one above and create the project hierarchy for a role based application. The command will create a tarball that contains role stubs, a slimmed main module with extracted POD (if your monolith contained any), a project.mk with inter-module dependencies, and the YAML manifest.

If you've turned your monolith's package into a modulino:

my-script -scaffold                        # introspect live module

...or use cli-simple if you have a .yml file.

cli-simple -scaffold my-script.yml         # scaffold from spec file

The generated tarball is named from the distribution identifier derived from the application class or supplied specification file, with a -roles.tar.gz suffix. The name is used to infer the class name. If your filename is different than the classes you want to scaffold, you will need to edit the files.

Extract the content to a directory and start editing. If you feed the tarball to CPAN::Maker::Bootstrapper via the import-scaffold command you can produce a complete buildable CPAN distribution.

-migrate

Combines -dump-spec roles and -scaffold in a single step.

my-script -migrate

Writes the YAML manifest then generates the role-based tarball. Use this when you are ready for a full migration and do not need to inspect or edit the manifest first. If you want to review or adjust the manifest before scaffolding, run -dump-spec and -scaffold separately.

METHODS AND SUBROUTINES

new

new( args )

Instantiates a new CLI::Simple instance, parses options, optionally initializes logging, and makes options available via dynamically generated accessors.

Note: The new() constructor uses Getopt::Long's GetOptions, which directly modifies @ARGV by removing any recognized options. The remaining elements of @ARGV are treated as the command name and its arguments.

args is a hash or hash reference containing the following keys:

abbreviations

A boolean that determines whether abbreviated command names are allowed.

When true, validate_command() treats the provided command as a prefix and compares it to the keys in the command hash.

This allows for convenient shorthand like:
```
mytool disable-sched    # expands to 'disable-scheduled-task'
```
default: false
commands (required)

A hash mapping command names to either a subroutine reference or an array reference.

If an array reference is used, the first element must be a subroutine reference and the second should be a valid log level. (See "Per Command Log Levels".)

Example:
```
{
  send          => \&send_message,
  receive       => \&receive_message,
  list_messages => [ \&list_messages, 'error' ],
}
```
If your script does not use command names, you may set a default key to the subroutine or method to run:
```
{ default => \&main }
```
If no default is provided, the behavior is controlled by the $AUTO_DEFAULT and $AUTO_HELP package variables.

Setting $AUTO_DEFAULT to true when your commands hash contains only a single command, will cause that command to be run automatically when no command name is given on the command line. This allows you to treat the program like a single-command tool, where arguments can be passed directly without explicitly naming the command.
default_options (optional)

A hash reference providing default values for options. These values apply if the corresponding option is not given on the command line.
extra_options (optional)

An array reference of names for additional accessors you want to create, even if they are not part of option_specs.

Example:
```
extra_options => [ qw(foo bar baz) ]
```
option_specs (optional)

An array reference of option specifications, as accepted by Getopt::Long. These define the command-line options your program recognizes.
validate_command

By default, CLI::Simple validates the selected command against the registered commands. Set validate_command to a false value to disable this validation.

Typically you might use this to allow a script to assume a default command and allow arguments. For example suppose you have a script foo with a command "get" with arguments:
```
foo get something
```
...but want to allow users to also do:
```
foo something
```
To do this you should follow this recipe:
```
sub init {
  my ($self) = @_;

  my $command = $self->command;

  if ( !exists $self->commands->{$command} ) {
    $self->command_args($command, $self->get_args);
    $self->command('get');
  }

  return;
}
```

command

command
command(command)

Gets or sets the command to execute. Usually this is the first argument on the command line after all options have been parsed. There are times when you might want to override the argument. You can pass a new command that will be executed when you call the run() method.

command_args

my $args = $self->command_args();

Gets or sets the argument list. Similar to get_args when no arguments are passed except it returns an array reference.

To replace the argument list, pass an array reference or a list.

my $args = $self->command_args;
$self->command_args(@{$args}, 'foo');

commands

commands
commands(command, handler)

Returns the command dispatch hash supplied to the constructor. When called with a command name and handler, adds the command to the dispatch hash. handler must be a code reference.

commands(foo => sub { return 'foo' });

main

__PACKAGE__->main;

For role-based applications, main is inherited from CLI::Simple and uses the manifest configuration assembled during import. It constructs the application with its options, defaults, and registered commands, then calls run().

In a role-based modulino, the entire main sub reduces to:

caller or exit __PACKAGE__->main;

For single-module applications, override main in your subclass as usual.

options

Returns a hash reference containing the command-line options parsed by Getopt::Long. Option names are normalized to snake_case.

The hash contains only options explicitly supplied on the command line. It does not include values supplied by default_options or subsequently initialized by init().

Applications can use this hash to distinguish command-line options from default values when resolving configuration.

run

Executes the selected command using the parsed options and arguments. The run method dispatches control to the corresponding command subroutine.

Command subroutines should return 0 for success and a non-zero value for failure. run() returns the command subroutine's return value, which can be used as the script's exit status.

get_args

Return the arguments that follow the command.

get_args(NAME, ... )     # with names
get_args()               # raw positional args

With names

In scalar context, returns a hash reference mapping each NAME to the corresponding positional argument.
In list context, returns a flat list of (name = value)> pairs.

Example:

sub send_message {
  my ($self) = @_;

  my %args = $self->get_args(qw(message email));

  _send_message($args{message}, $args{email});
}

When you call get_args with a list of names, values are assigned in order: the first name gets the first argument, the second name gets the second argument, and so on. If you only want specific positions, you may use undef as a placeholder:

my %args = $self->get_args('message', undef, 'cc');  # skip argument 2

If there are fewer positional arguments than names, the remaining names are set to undef. Extra positional arguments (beyond the provided names) are ignored.

With no names

In scalar context returns an array reference containing the command's positional arguments.
In list context returns a list containing the command's positional arguments.

init

If defined, init() is invoked during application initialization, after command-line options and arguments have been processed and before command dispatch. Use this method to perform application-specific initialization and validation.

USING PACKAGE VARIABLES

The default_options, extra_options, option_specs, and commands constructor arguments may also be defined using package variables. This provides a declarative alternative to passing these configuration values directly to new().

The corresponding package variables are $DEFAULT_OPTIONS, $EXTRA_OPTIONS, $OPTION_SPECS, and $COMMANDS.

our $OPTION_SPECS = [
  qw(
    help|h
    log-level=s|L
    debug|d
  )
];

our $COMMANDS = {
  foo => \&foo,
  bar => \&bar,
};

COMMAND LINE OPTIONS

Command-line options are defined using Getopt::Long-style specifications. You pass these into the constructor via the option_specs parameter:

my $cli = CLI::Simple->new(
  option_specs => [ qw( help|h foo-bar=s log-level=s ) ]
);

Option values are accessible through automatically generated getter methods:

$cli->get_foo_bar();
$cli->get_log_level();

Option names that contain dashes (-) are automatically converted to snake_case for the accessor methods. For example:

option_specs => [ 'foo-bar=s' ]

...results in:

$cli->get_foo_bar();

Getopt::Long Configuration

CLI::Simple uses Getopt::Long to parse command-line options, with the no_ignore_case configuration enabled.

Consequently:

Option names are case-sensitive.
Automatic option abbreviation is enabled. An option name may be abbreviated to any unambiguous prefix.
Multiple option names may be declared using Getopt::Long's | syntax, such as config|c=s.
When multiple spellings of the same option are supplied, the last occurrence determines its value.

All other Getopt::Long configuration settings retain their defaults.

COMMAND ARGUMENTS

If your commands accept positional arguments, you can retrieve them using the get_args method.

You may optionally provide a list of argument names, in which case the arguments will be returned as a hash (or hashref in scalar context) with named values.

Example:

sub send_message {
  my ($self) = @_;

  my %args = $self->get_args(qw(phone_number message));

  send_sms_message($args{phone_number}, $args{message});
}

If you call get_args() without any argument names, it simply returns all remaining arguments as a list:

my ($phone_number, $message) = $self->get_args;

Note: When called with names, get_args returns a hash in list context and a hash reference in scalar context.

set_args

Replaces the positional argument list with the supplied array reference.

$self->set_args([qw(foo 1)]);

This method overrides the positional arguments originally passed to the script. You can also modify individual arguments by retrieving the existing array reference using get_args() in scalar context:

my $args = $self->get_args;
$args->[1] = '2';

This avoids replacing the entire argument list.

CUSTOM ERROR HANDLER

By default, CLI::Simple exits if Getopt::Long::GetOptions returns a false value, indicating an error while parsing options.

Set $CLI::Simple::GETOPT_EXIT_ON_ERROR to a false value.

This disables automatic exiting and lets your program decide what to do after an option-parsing failure.

Provide an error_handler callback in the constructor.

my $cli = CLI::Simple->new(
  commands        => \%commands,
  default_options => \%default_options,
  extra_options   => \@extra_options,
  option_specs    => \@option_specs,
  abbreviations   => $TRUE,
  error_handler   => sub {
    my ($msg) = @_;
    print {*STDERR} $msg;
    return $TRUE;   # continue processing
  },
);

The error handler is called with the error message from GetOptions. It must return a boolean: a true value allows processing to continue, while a false value causes CLI::Simple to exit immediately.

When an error_handler callback is supplied, its return value determines whether processing continues, regardless of the value of $CLI::Simple::GETOPT_EXIT_ON_ERROR. Without a callback, the global variable controls whether an option-parsing failure causes an immediate exit.

SETTING DEFAULT VALUES FOR OPTIONS

To assign default values to your options, pass a hash reference as the default_options argument to the constructor. These values will be used unless explicitly overridden by the user on the command line.

Example:

my $cli = CLI::Simple->new(
  default_options => { foo => 'bar' },
  option_specs    => [ qw(foo=s bar=s) ],
  commands        => {
    foo => \&foo,
    bar => \&bar,
  },
);

Defaulted options are accessible through their corresponding getter methods, just like options set via the command line.

ADDING ADDITIONAL ACCESSORS

All command-line options are automatically available through getter methods named get_*.

If you need to create additional accessors (getters and setters) for values that are not derived from the command line, use the extra_options parameter.

This is useful for passing runtime configuration or computed values throughout your application.

Example:

my $cli = CLI::Simple->new(
  default_options => { foo => 'bar' },
  option_specs    => [ qw(foo=s bar=s) ],
  extra_options   => [ qw(biz buz baz) ],
  commands        => {
    foo => \&foo,
    bar => \&bar,
  },
);

This will generate get_biz, set_biz, get_buz, etc., for internal use.

Unlike option_specs, extra_options does not register command-line options. It only creates accessors for values that can be initialized or modified programmatically.

LOGGING

CLI::Simple integrates with Log::Log4perl to provide structured logging for your scripts.

CLI::Simple provides convenient initialization of Log::Log4perl through use_log4perl().

__PACKAGE__->use_log4perl(
  level  => 'info',
  config => $log4perl_config_string
);

If you do not explicitly include a log-level option in your option_specs, CLI::Simple will automatically add one for you.

Once enabled, you can access the logger instance via:

my $logger = $self->get_logger;

This logger supports the standard Log4perl methods like info, debug, warn, etc.

Note: Because it is opt-in, CLI::Simple does not itself depend on Log::Log4perl. If your application calls use_log4perl, it owns that dependency and must declare it in its own requires/cpanfile. Static dependency scanners cannot see it -- the module is loaded dynamically inside the method call -- so you must add it by hand.

Colored Output

Pass color => 1 to use_log4perl() to default your script to colorized log output using a built-in appender, instead of supplying your own config:

__PACKAGE__->use_log4perl(
  level => 'info',
  color => 1,
);

Colorizing requires Term::ANSIColor. If it isn't installed, CLI::Simple quietly falls back to uncolored output rather than failing - color => 1 is a request, not a hard dependency.

If you'd like the person running your script to be able to override that default from the command line, add color! to your option_specs:

my @option_specs = qw(
  color!
  ...
);

This gives you --color and --no-color for free. When color! is declared, --color and --no-color override the default color setting. These switches control CLI::Simple's built-in colorized configuration; they do not add coloring to a custom Log4perl configuration. Declaring color! is therefore safe to add at any time - it only changes behavior for scripts whose users actually pass the flag.

Note: color and config are mutually exclusive - use_log4perl() dies if you pass both. color is specifically for using CLI::Simple's own built-in colorized appender; if you need a custom config, write it to include coloring yourself rather than passing color => 1.

Per Command Log Levels

Some commands may require more verbose logging than others. For example, certain commands might perform complex actions that benefit from detailed logs, while others are designed solely to produce clean, structured output.

To assign a custom log level to a command, use an array reference as the value for that command in the commands hash passed to the constructor.

The first two elements of the array reference are:

A code reference to the command subroutine
A log level string: one of 'trace', 'debug', 'info', 'warn', 'error', or 'fatal'

Example:

CLI::Simple->new(
  option_specs    => [qw( help format=s )],
  default_options => { format => 'json' },  # set some defaults
  extra_options   => [qw( content )],       # non-option, setter/getter
  commands        => {
    execute => \&execute,
    list    => [ \&list, 'error' ],
  }
)->run;

Log levels are resolved in the following order of precedence:

1. An explicit --log-level command-line option
2. The log level associated with the selected command
3. The application default supplied to use_log4perl()

The effective level is available through get_log_level().

TIP: add other elements to the array for your command to process.

Note: Per-command log levels are not currently supported in the YAML manifest. Define them programmatically by overriding main() if needed.

FAQ

How do I execute startup code before my command runs?

Implement an init() method in your class. The new() constructor will invoke this method before returning and before run() is executed.

Your init() method will have access to all options and arguments. Logging will also be initialized, so you can use get_logger() to emit messages.
Do I need to implement commands?

You do not need to define multiple named commands. For an application that performs a single operation, register a default command:
```
commands => { default => \&main }
```
If no command is selected and no default command is registered, run() returns successfully without invoking a command handler.

The application's init() method still executes during construction.
Must I subclass CLI::Simple?

No. You can instantiate CLI::Simple directly and supply the commands and other configuration through the constructor. Subclassing is useful when you want to provide application-specific methods such as init().
How do I turn my class into a script?

Use the modulino pattern: create a class that checks whether it is being invoked directly:
```
package MyScript;

caller or exit __PACKAGE__->main();

sub main {
  ...
}
```
This lets the file be used as both a module and an executable script.
How do I migrate an existing script to role-based architecture?

Run the built-in -dump-spec command to generate a YAML manifest from your existing script, then -scaffold to generate role stubs:
```
my-script -dump-spec        # generates my-script.yml
my-script -scaffold         # generates my-script-roles.tar.gz
```
See "ROLE-BASED ARCHITECTURE" for the full migration workflow.
How do I start a new role-based project from scratch?

Write a YAML manifest and use the cli-simple wrapper to scaffold it:
```
cli-simple -scaffold my-script.yml
```
See "ROLE-BASED ARCHITECTURE" for the manifest format.
How do I enable bash completion for my script?

Run the built-in -generate-completion command. The script name is taken from MODULINO_WRAPPER when set, or derived from the module name otherwise.
```
my-script -generate-completion > \
  ~/.local/share/bash-completion/completions/my-script
```
Wrappers generated by CPAN::Maker::Bootstrapper set MODULINO_WRAPPER automatically.
My application dies with "use_log4perl() requires Log::Log4perl..."

Since not all scripts require logging, Log::Log4perl is an optional dependency of CLI::Simple. If your application calls use_log4perl(), Log::Log4perl must be installed.

ALIASING OPTIONS AND COMMANDS

CLI::Simple lets you define short, human-friendly aliases for both option names and command names. Use the alias parameter to new():

my $app = CLI::Simple->new(
  option_specs    => [ qw(config=s verbose!) ],
  commands        => { list => \&list, execute => \&execute },
  alias => {
    options  => { cfg => 'config', v => 'verbose' },
    commands => { ls  => 'list'   }
  },
);

How option aliases work

Spec tail is copied automatically

You only name the canonical option in option_specs. For each alias, CLI::Simple finds the canonical option's spec tail (for example =s, :i, !, +) and appends it to the alias. In the example above, cfg behaves as if you had written cfg=s, and v behaves as if you had written v!.
Accessors are created for both names

Accessors are generated from all option names (canonical and aliases), with '-' normalized to '_'. In the example, both get_config() and get_cfg() are available.
Values are mirrored after parsing

After option parsing and normalization, values are mirrored so either name can be used consistently.

When both the canonical option and an alias are supplied the canonical name wins.
No duplicate injection

If the alias already exists in option_specs, it will not be injected again; value mirroring still occurs.
Errors are explicit

If an alias points at a canonical option that does not exist, CLI::Simple croaks with a clear error.
Case sensitivity

Getopt::Long is used with :config no_ignore_case, so option names (and therefore aliases) are case sensitive by default.

How command aliases work

Simple mapping

Provide alias = { commands => { alias => canonical } }> to map an alias to an existing command. In the example, ls dispatches to the list command.
Applied before abbreviations

Aliases are installed before command abbreviation resolution. If you enable abbreviations, they apply to the full set of command names, including any aliases.
Errors are explicit

If an alias points at a command that does not exist, CLI::Simple croaks with a clear error.

Usage examples

# Using an option alias
script.pl --cfg app.json execute

# Using a command alias
script.pl ls

After parsing, both get_config() and get_cfg() will return the same value. If the user passes both --config and --cfg, the value from --config (the canonical version) is used.

Note: Applications using YAML manifests may define command aliases through the alias: section, just as applications using the alias constructor parameter do. Aliases resolve to their canonical commands before role composition. See "ROLE-BASED ARCHITECTURE".

Recommendations

Keep the canonical spec single-named

Define a single canonical name in option_specs and add other spellings via alias. Avoid multi-name specs like config|cfg=s; use alias instead.
Document your precedence

If you prefer the alias name to win when both are supplied, enforce that in your application or adjust the mirroring order. By default, the canonical name wins.

ERRORS/EXIT CODES

The run() method dispatches the selected command and returns its exit status. Command handlers should return 0 for success or a non-zero value to indicate failure.

exit CLI::Simple->new(commands => { foo => \&cmd_foo })->run();

Exit Codes

CLI::Simple provides conventional success and failure exit codes for its own operations. Applications may return additional exit codes from their command handlers.

'0'

Successful completion of a command (SUCCESS).
'1'

General usage error, --help display via pod2usage, an invalid command line (FAILURE) or option parsing errors.
Any other code

A command handler may return an application-specific numeric exit code, which run() passes through to the caller. A handler that calls exit() terminates the process directly.

Some errors, including unknown commands, raise exceptions rather than returning an exit code. Unless caught by the application, these exceptions terminate the process with a non-zero status.

LICENSE AND COPYRIGHT

This module is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself. See https://dev.perl.org/licenses/ for more information.

AUTHOR

Rob Lauer - <rlauer@treasurersbriefcase.com>

To install CLI::Simple, copy and paste the appropriate command in to your terminal.

cpanm

cpanm CLI::Simple

CPAN shell

perl -MCPAN -e shell
install CLI::Simple

For more information on module installation, please visit the detailed CPAN module installation guide.

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NAME

SYNOPSIS

DESCRIPTION

VERSION

FEATURES

QUICK START

Single-Module Application

Role-Based Application

MODULINOS

Why Modulinos?

The Bash Wrapper

create-modulino

MODULINO_WRAPPER

ROLE-BASED ARCHITECTURE

The YAML Manifest

Loading Multiple Manifests

Option Initialization

Command Values

roles: vs commands:

When to Use Each Approach

Sharing Methods Between Commands

Roles With No Commands

Activating Role-Based Architecture

The Inherited main()

Distributing the Manifest

PHILOSOPHY AND DESIGN PRINCIPLES

Validation, Defaults, and Configuration

When to Use

The init-run Lifecycle

Opt-in Default Command

$AUTO_HELP and $AUTO_DEFAULT

CONSTANTS

ADDING USAGE TO YOUR SCRIPTS

Customizing Help Output

Custom help() Method

help_sections

INTERNAL COMMANDS

-generate-completion

-dump-spec

-scaffold

-migrate

METHODS AND SUBROUTINES

new

command

command_args

commands

main

options

run

get_args

With names

With no names

init

USING PACKAGE VARIABLES

COMMAND LINE OPTIONS

Getopt::Long Configuration

COMMAND ARGUMENTS

set_args

CUSTOM ERROR HANDLER

SETTING DEFAULT VALUES FOR OPTIONS

ADDING ADDITIONAL ACCESSORS

LOGGING

Colored Output

Per Command Log Levels

FAQ

ALIASING OPTIONS AND COMMANDS

How option aliases work

How command aliases work

Usage examples

Recommendations

ERRORS/EXIT CODES

Exit Codes

LICENSE AND COPYRIGHT

SEE ALSO

AUTHOR

Module Install Instructions

Keyboard Shortcuts

`roles:` vs `commands:`

`$AUTO_HELP` and `$AUTO_DEFAULT`

`help_sections`