From nw
Provides CLI design patterns for arguments/flags/subcommands and TUI patterns for frameworks in Go/Python/JS/Rust, interactions, and colors in terminal apps.
How this skill is triggered — by the user, by Claude, or both
Slash command
/nw:nw-ux-tui-patternsThe summary Claude sees in its skill listing — used to decide when to auto-load this skill
Actionable terminal interface patterns for requirements gathering and design review. Use when target is CLI tool or interactive terminal application.
Actionable terminal interface patterns for requirements gathering and design review. Use when target is CLI tool or interactive terminal application.
Follow program subcommand [flags] [arguments] (e.g., git commit -m "message").
-h) and long (--help) for common flags--help, --version, --verbose/--quiet, --no-colorcreate, delete, list, show, updateuser, project, configtool resource action or tool action resource) consistentlyRequired arguments are positional; optional use flags. Accept stdin for piping. Support glob patterns for file arguments. Provide --dry-run for destructive/complex operations.
| Framework | Language | Architecture | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bubble Tea | Go | Elm (Model-Update-View) | Full TUI apps with complex state |
| Rich | Python | Declarative rendering | Beautiful output, progress, tables |
| Ink | JavaScript | React component model | Teams with React experience |
| Textual | Python | CSS-like styling, widgets | Dashboard-style applications |
| Ratatui | Rust | Immediate-mode rendering | High-performance terminal apps |
Unidirectional data flow makes TUI state predictable and testable.
Arrow keys to navigate, Enter to select. Type-ahead filtering for long lists. Multi-select with space bar, confirm with Enter. Show selected count with clear visual indicator. Support Esc to cancel.
Red: errors, failures, deletions | Yellow/amber: warnings, attention | Green: success, confirmations, additions | Blue/cyan: information, links, highlights | Dim/gray: secondary info, metadata
NO_COLOR environment variable (no-color.org)Bold for emphasis and headings | Tables for structured data | Indentation for hierarchy | Horizontal rules for section breaks | Unicode box-drawing for visual structure (provide ASCII fallback)
Every CLI error answers three questions:
Error: Could not connect to database at localhost:5432
The connection was refused. The database server may not be
running or is not accepting connections on this port.
Try:
1. Check if PostgreSQL is running: pg_isready -h localhost -p 5432
2. Start the server: sudo systemctl start postgresql
3. Verify the port in config: cat ~/.config/myapp/database.yaml
Documentation: https://docs.myapp.com/troubleshooting/database
Error: ECONNREFUSED
--help Output Structuretool-name - One-line description
USAGE
tool-name <command> [flags]
COMMANDS
create Create a new resource
list List existing resources
delete Remove a resource
FLAGS
-h, --help Show this help message
-v, --version Show version information
-q, --quiet Suppress non-error output
EXAMPLES
# Create a new project
tool-name create my-project --template=web
# List all projects
tool-name list --format=table
LEARN MORE
Documentation: https://docs.tool-name.com
Report issues: https://github.com/org/tool-name/issues
Lead with examples (users scan for examples first). Show common commands/flags first. One line per description. Link to detailed docs. Support both tool help <cmd> and tool <cmd> --help.
Detect TTY: terminal gets colors, tables, progress bars. Disable animations/spinners in non-TTY mode. Use structured formatting (headers, indentation, alignment).
--json for structured output (most important machine format)--plain or --tsv for tabular data compatible with grep, awk, cut--quiet for scripts needing only exit codeOnce --json schema published, treat as API contract. Breaking changes require major version bump or --output-version flag.
[3/7] Installing dependencies...| Anti-Pattern | Alternative |
|---|---|
| Wall of unformatted text | Structured output with headers, tables, color |
| Raw exception stack traces | Caught errors rewritten in human language |
| No --help or misleading help | Comprehensive, example-led help text |
| Requiring interactive input in CI/CD | Detect non-TTY and accept flags/env vars |
| Breaking JSON output between versions | Treat machine output as versioned API contract |
| Secrets accepted via flags | Use files, stdin, or environment variables |
| Color as only information channel | Pair color with text labels or symbols |
npx claudepluginhub nwave-ai/nwave --plugin nwDesigns, reviews, and improves CLI user interfaces: command structures, subcommands, flags, arguments, help text, and terminal output formatting. For new CLI tools or usability enhancements.
CLI application design: argument conventions, output streams, exit codes, configuration hierarchy, interactive modes, and terminal UX. Invoke whenever task involves any interaction with command-line tools or terminal applications — building, reviewing, debugging, or designing CLI interfaces.
Designs CLIs for both human users and LLM agents, covering subcommand structure, output streams, exit codes, JSON modes, TTY-aware color, and structured errors. Use when building or refactoring a CLI, adding machine-readable output, or making a tool agent-friendly.