Building CLI Tools with Python

Command-Line Interface (CLI) tools are powerful utilities that can automate repetitive tasks, manage data, or enhance developer productivity. Python is an excellent language for building CLI tools due to its readability and mature libraries.

Why Python for CLI development?

  • Built-in modules like argparse, sys, and os.
  • Strong support for file I/O and text processing.
  • Rich ecosystem (e.g., click, typer, rich).

Getting started with argparse:

pythonКопироватьРедактироватьimport argparse

parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Simple calculator")
parser.add_argument("x", type=int)
parser.add_argument("y", type=int)
args = parser.parse_args()

print("Sum:", args.x + args.y)

Advanced libraries:

  • click – Easy-to-use decorators for multi-command apps.
  • typer – Based on type hints (great for Python 3.6+).
  • rich – Beautiful output formatting, tables, and spinners.

Ideas for CLI projects:

  • A to-do list manager.
  • A file renaming tool.
  • A Git log analyzer.
  • A batch downloader or web scraper.

Packaging: Use setuptools and create an entry point so users can install it via pip and run it globally.

Python-based CLI tools are highly portable and ideal for scripting, sysadmin tasks, and developer tooling.

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