bytesagain Test Generator — Multi-Purpose Utility Tool
A general-purpose CLI utility tool for data entry, management, and retrieval. Provides commands to run tasks, configure settings, check status, initialize the workspace, list/add/remove/search entries, export data, and view system info — all from the terminal.
Command Reference
The script (test-generator) supports the following commands via its case dispatch:
| Command | Description | Example Output |
|---|---|---|
run <arg> |
Execute the main function with a given argument | Running: <arg> |
config |
Show configuration file path | Config: $DATA_DIR/config.json |
status |
Display current operational status | Status: ready |
init |
Initialize the data directory and workspace | Initialized in $DATA_DIR |
list |
List all entries from the data log | Prints contents of data.log or (empty) |
add <text> |
Add a new timestamped entry to the data log | Added: <text> |
remove <id> |
Remove an entry from the data log | Removed: <id> |
search <term> |
Search entries in the data log (case-insensitive) | Matching lines or Not found: <term> |
export |
Export all data log contents to stdout | Full contents of data.log |
info |
Show version and data directory path | Version: 2.0.0 | Data: $DATA_DIR |
help |
Show full help text with all commands | — |
version |
Print version string | test-generator v2.0.0 |
Data Storage
- Data directory:
$TEST_GENERATOR_DIRor~/.local/share/test-generator/ - Data log:
$DATA_DIR/data.log— stores all entries added via theaddcommand, each prefixed with a date stamp - History log:
$DATA_DIR/history.log— every command invocation is timestamped and logged for auditing - All directories are auto-created on first run via
mkdir -p
Requirements
- Bash 4+ (uses
set -euo pipefail) - No external dependencies — pure bash, no API keys, no network calls
- Works on Linux and macOS
grep(for thesearchcommand)
When to Use
- Quick data logging — Need to record notes, test results, or observations from the command line? Use
test-generator add "your note here"for instant timestamped logging. - Simple searchable notebook — Accumulated entries can be searched with
test-generator search <term>, making it a lightweight grep-able journal for tracking test runs or results. - Data export for pipelines — Use
test-generator exportto pipe all logged data into downstream tools or redirect to a file for reporting. - System status checks in scripts —
test-generator statusprovides a quick health-check output suitable for CI/CD monitoring scripts or cron jobs. - Workspace initialization — Run
test-generator initwhen setting up a new machine or environment to bootstrap the data directory structure.
Examples
Initialize the workspace
test-generator init
# Output: Initialized in /home/user/.local/share/test-generator
Add entries
test-generator add "Unit test suite passed - 47 tests, 0 failures"
# Output: Added: Unit test suite passed - 47 tests, 0 failures
test-generator add "Integration test: API endpoint /users returned 200"
# Output: Added: Integration test: API endpoint /users returned 200
List all entries
test-generator list
# Output:
# 2026-03-18 Unit test suite passed - 47 tests, 0 failures
# 2026-03-18 Integration test: API endpoint /users returned 200
Search entries
test-generator search "API"
# Output: 2026-03-18 Integration test: API endpoint /users returned 200
Check status and info
test-generator status
# Output: Status: ready
test-generator info
# Output: Version: 2.0.0 | Data: /home/user/.local/share/test-generator
Configuration
Set the TEST_GENERATOR_DIR environment variable to change the data directory:
export TEST_GENERATOR_DIR="/path/to/custom/dir"
Default: ~/.local/share/test-generator/
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