# CLI Printing Press — Generate Feature-Complete CLIs from Any API

> An AI-powered tool that reads API specs, analyzes competing CLIs, and generates comprehensive command-line interfaces with SQLite caching, offline search, and compound insight commands.

## Install

Save in your project root:

# CLI Printing Press — Generate Feature-Complete CLIs from Any API

## Quick Use
```bash
git clone https://github.com/mvanhorn/cli-printing-press.git
cd cli-printing-press
go build -o cpp .
./cpp generate --spec https://api.example.com/openapi.json
```

## Introduction
CLI Printing Press takes an API specification, studies every competing CLI that exists for that API, and generates a comprehensive command-line tool that combines the best features from all of them. The generated CLIs include SQLite-backed local caching, offline search, and compound commands that provide insights across multiple API endpoints.

## What CLI Printing Press Does
- Reads OpenAPI and other API specification formats to understand available endpoints
- Analyzes existing CLI tools for the same API to identify feature gaps
- Generates a complete Go-based CLI with subcommands for every API operation
- Adds SQLite synchronization for offline querying and compound insight commands
- Produces JSON-first output designed for both human use and AI agent consumption

## Architecture Overview
The generator parses API specifications into an internal model, then queries for competing tools targeting the same API. It synthesizes a feature matrix and generates Go source code using templates that include a SQLite data layer. The generated CLI handles authentication, pagination, and rate limiting automatically. Local SQLite databases cache API responses for offline access, and compound commands join data across cached resources.

## Self-Hosting & Configuration
- Clone the repository and build with Go 1.21 or later
- Point the generator at any OpenAPI specification URL or local file
- Configure API authentication credentials in the generated CLI's config file
- Adjust output directory and package naming via command-line flags
- Generated CLIs are standalone binaries that require no runtime dependencies

## Key Features
- Automatic SQLite sync layer for offline data access and search
- Compound insight commands that correlate data across multiple API resources
- JSON-first output format compatible with jq and AI agent toolchains
- Generated code is clean, idiomatic Go that can be customized further
- No interactive prompts by design, making it suitable for scripting and CI pipelines

## Comparison with Similar Tools
- **OpenAPI Generator** — produces API client libraries; CLI Printing Press generates full-featured CLI tools with caching
- **Swagger Codegen** — focuses on SDK generation; CLI Printing Press adds offline search and compound commands
- **Cobra** — CLI framework requiring manual command implementation; CLI Printing Press automates the entire CLI creation
- **restish** — generic REST client; CLI Printing Press creates API-specific CLIs with tailored subcommands

## FAQ
**Q: What API specification formats are supported?**
A: OpenAPI 3.x is the primary supported format. Support for other formats depends on the specification parser.

**Q: Can I customize the generated CLI after generation?**
A: Yes, the generated Go code is designed to be readable and extensible. You can add custom commands or modify existing ones.

**Q: How does the SQLite sync work?**
A: The generated CLI includes a sync command that fetches API data and stores it locally. Subsequent queries can run against the local database.

**Q: Does it work with authenticated APIs?**
A: Yes, the generated CLI supports API key, OAuth, and bearer token authentication patterns.

## Sources
- https://github.com/mvanhorn/cli-printing-press

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Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/asset-d6c96c7f
Author: AI Open Source