carapace-sh Cobra CLI Application Reference
Reference for building CLI applications with cobra. Covers the public API, common patterns, and best practices.
Sub-Resources
Load the reference that matches your task. When in doubt, load multiple references.
| Keywords | Reference |
|---|---|
| Command, AddCommand, subcommand, root command, project structure, command fields, Use, Short, Long, Example, Aliases, Deprecated, Hidden, GroupID, Run, RunE | references/commands.md |
| flag, PersistentFlags, LocalFlags, required flag, flag group, required together, mutually exclusive, one required, repeated flag, count flag, string slice, TraverseChildren, MarkFlagRequired, MarkPersistentFlagRequired | references/flags.md |
| argument, positional arg, Args, NoArgs, ArbitraryArgs, MinimumNArgs, MaximumNArgs, ExactArgs, RangeArgs, OnlyValidArgs, NoDuplicateArgs, MatchAll, ValidArgs, ArgAliases, custom validator | references/arguments.md |
| hook, lifecycle, PreRun, PostRun, PersistentPreRun, PersistentPostRun, PreRunE, PostRunE, EnableTraverseRunHooks, execution order, inherited hooks | references/hooks.md |
| help, usage, template, SetHelpFunc, SetHelpTemplate, SetUsageFunc, SetUsageTemplate, version, SetVersionTemplate, help command, command grouping, GroupID, SetHelpCommandGroupId, SetCompletionCommandGroupId, ErrPrefix | references/help-usage.md |
| completion, shell completion, ValidArgs, ValidArgsFunction, CompletionFunc, RegisterFlagCompletionFunc, ShellCompDirective, NoFileCompletions, FixedCompletions, active help, AppendActiveHelp, GetActiveHelpConfig, CompletionOptions, completion command, bash, zsh, fish, powershell | references/completions.md |
| viper, config, OnInitialize, BindPFlag, config file, 12-factor, initConfig, AutomaticEnv | references/viper-integration.md |
Quick Guide
- How do I create a command or subcommand? → references/commands.md
- How do I add flags (persistent, local, required, groups)? → references/flags.md
- How do I validate positional arguments? → references/arguments.md
- How do lifecycle hooks work (PreRun, PostRun, etc.)? → references/hooks.md
- How do I customize help/usage/version output? → references/help-usage.md
- How do I add shell completions? → references/completions.md
- How do I integrate with Viper for config? → references/viper-integration.md
- How do I make a kubectl-style plugin? → references/commands.md
- How do I add Active Help messages during completion? → references/completions.md
- How do I make flags required-together or mutually-exclusive? → references/flags.md
Cross-Project References
- For cobra internals (Command struct fields, ExecuteC dispatch, Find vs Traverse, flag resolution, completion engine, shell script generation, global state), use the cobra-dev skill.
- For pflag internals (flag set implementation, POSIX compliance, non-POSIX modes), use the carapace-dev skill →
references/pflag.md.