npm package: @joethefkingfrypan/yargs-interactive
Description: Build interactive command line tools without worring to parse the arguments (or ask them).
Author: nanovazquez
Latest version: 3.1.0-rc1

# Yargs Interactive

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[_Read the blog post_](https://medium.com/@nanovazquez/yargs-interactive-create-cli-tools-for-humans-and-non-humans-f9419f5cbd9e)

Interactive (prompt) support for [yargs](https://github.com/yargs/yargs), based on [inquirer](https://github.com/SBoudrias/Inquirer.js/). Useful for using the same CLI for both for humans and non-humans (like CI tools). Also supports mixed mode (yay!).

![Yargs Interactive](./assets/yargs-interactive-logo.png)

This tool helps you to build command line tools without worring to parse arguments, or develop the logic to ask them.

## Installation

```
npm install -S yargs-interactive
```

Then, add this code in your CLI code to get all the arguments parsed:

```js
#!/usr/bin/env node

const yargsInteractive = require("yargs-interactive");
const options = {
  name: { type: "input", default: "A robot", describe: "Enter your name" },
  likesPizza: { type: "confirm", default: false, describe: "Do you like pizza?" }
};

yargsInteractive()
  .usage("$0 <command> [args]")
  .interactive(options)
  .then(result => {
    // Your business logic goes here.
    // Get the arguments from the result
    // e.g. myCli(result.name);
    console.log(`\nResult is:\n` + `- Name: ${result.name}\n` + `- Likes pizza: ${result.likesPizza}\n`);
  });
```

Now, by simply wrapping your CLI code with this tool, you'll get all the information you need from the user. For instance, save the previous snipped in a file named _my-cli.js_ and run it in your terminal:

```
➜ node my-cli.js --interactive
```

![Basic usage](./assets/basic-usage.gif)

> **Note:** See other CLI examples [in this folder](./examples).

## Usage

It supports the following use cases

- [Prompt all questions](#prompt-questions-with-default-values-full-interactive)
- [Prompt some questions (mixed mode)](#prompt-just-some-questions-mixed-mode)
- [No prompt at all (ye olde yargs)](#no-prompt-at-all-ye-olde-yargs)

### Prompt questions (full-interactive)

**my-cli.js**

```js
const yargsInteractive = require("yargs-interactive");

const options = {
  name: {
    type: "input",
    describe: "Enter your name"
  },
  likesPizza: {
    type: "confirm",
    describe: "Do you like pizza?"
  }
};

yargsInteractive()
  .usage("$0 <command> [args]")
  .interactive(options)
  .then(result => {
    // The tool will prompt questions and will output your answers.
    // TODO: Do something with the result (e.g result.name)
    console.log(result);
  });
```

**Usage in terminal**

```
➜ node my-cli.js --interactive
```

![](./assets/interactive-with-parameter.gif)

If you want to **use interactive mode always**, avoiding the need of sending it as an argument, set the `--interactive` parameter to `true` by default:

```js
const options = {
  interactive: { default: true },
  ...
};

yargsInteractive()
  .usage('$0 <command> [args]')
  .interactive(options)
  .then((result) => {
    // The tool will prompt questions and will output your answers.
    // TODO: Do something with the result (e.g result.name)
    console.log(result)
  });
```

And then simply call your CLI with no parameters.

```
➜ node my-cli.js
```

### Options

| Property | Type   | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| -------- | ------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| type     | string | _(Required)_ The type of the option to prompt (e.g. `input`, `confirm`, etc.). **We provide all prompt types supported by [Inquirer](https://github.com/SBoudrias/Inquirer.js/#prompt-types).**                                                                                                                           |
| describe | string | _(Required)_ The message to display when prompting the option (e.g. `Do you like pizza?`)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| default  | any    | The default value of the option.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
| prompt   | string | _(Default is `if-empty`)_ Property to decide whether to prompt the option or not. Possible values: `always`, `never`, `if-no-arg` (prompts if the option was not sent via command line parameters) and `if-empty` (prompts if the value was not sent via command line parameters and it doesn't have a default property). |

### Prompt some questions (mixed mode)

You can opt-out options from interactive mode by setting the `prompt` property to `never`. By default, its value is `if-empty`, prompting the question to the user if the value was not set via command line parameters, or if it doesn't have a default property. Setting it to `if-no-arg` will prompt the question if no argument is provided. Lastly, you can use `always` to _always prompt the option_.

**my-cli.js**

```js
const yargsInteractive = require("yargs-interactive");

const options = {
  name: {
    // prompt property, if not set, defaults to 'if-empty'
    // In this case, it means the question will be prompted
    // if it is not provided by args, as it doesn't have a default value.
    type: "input",
    describe: "Enter your name"
  },
  likesPizza: {
    type: "confirm",
    default: false,
    describe: "Do you like pizza?",
    prompt: "never" // because everyone likes pizza
  }
};

yargsInteractive()
  .usage("$0 <command> [args]")
  .interactive(options)
  .then(result => {
    // The tool will prompt questions output the answers.
    // You can opt-out options by using `prompt: 'never'`. For these properties, it
    // will use the value sent by parameter (--likesPizza) or the default value.
    // TODO: Do something with the result (e.g result.name)
    console.log(result);
  });
```

**Usage in terminal**

```
➜ node my-cli.js --interactive
```

Notice that if you enter `node my-cli.js --name='Johh' --interactive` name won't be prompted either (as by default it uses `if-empty`).

### No prompt at all (ye olde yargs)

**my-cli.js**

```js
const yargsInteractive = require("yargs-interactive");

const options = {
  name: {
    type: "input",
    default: "nano",
    describe: "Enter your name"
  },
  likesPizza: {
    type: "confirm",
    default: false,
    describe: "Do you like pizza?"
  }
};

yargsInteractive()
  .usage("$0 <command> [args]")
  .interactive(options)
  .then(result => {
    // The tool will output the values set via parameters or
    // the default value (if not provided).
    // TODO: Do something with the result (e.g result.name)
    console.log(result);
  });
```

**Usage in terminal**

```
➜ node my-cli.js --name='Johh' --likesPizza
```

### Inquirer plugins support

Inquirer plugins support must be opt-in by setting `allowInquirerPlugins` to `true` in the interactive mode options:

```js
const options = {
  interactive: {
    allowInquirerPlugins: true,
    default: true,
  },
  ...
};

yargsInteractive()
  .usage('$0 <command> [args]')
  .interactive(options)
  .then((result) => {
    // The tool will prompt questions and will output your answers.
    // TODO: Do something with the result (e.g result.name)
    console.log(result)
  });
```