Build a CLI Plugin

Add a new plugin or adapter to a CLI tool's pluggable architecture using the abstract base class pattern.

When to Use

• Adding support for a new target framework to a CLI installer
• Building a plugin system for a multi-target command-line tool
• Extending an existing adapter architecture with a new strategy variant
• Porting content delivery to a framework that uses a different file layout

Inputs

• Required: Framework or target the plugin supports (name, config paths, conventions)
• Required: Path to the base class or plugin contract
• Required: Installation strategy: symlink, copy, file-per-item, or append-to-file
• Optional: Content types the plugin handles (e.g., skills only, skills + agents, full support)
• Optional: Scope support (project-level, global, both)

Procedure

Step 1: Define the Contract

The base class establishes the interface all plugins must implement:

export class FrameworkAdapter {
  static id = 'base';            // Unique identifier
  static displayName = 'Base';   // Human-readable name
  static strategy = 'symlink';   // Installation strategy
  static contentTypes = ['skill']; // What this adapter handles

  async detect(projectDir) { return false; }
  getTargetPath(projectDir, scope) { throw new Error('Not implemented'); }
  async install(item, projectDir, scope, options) { throw new Error('Not implemented'); }
  async uninstall(item, projectDir, scope, options) { throw new Error('Not implemented'); }
  async listInstalled(projectDir, scope) { return []; }
  async audit(projectDir, scope) { return { framework: this.constructor.displayName, ok: [], warnings: [], errors: [] }; }
  supports(contentType) { return this.constructor.contentTypes.includes(contentType); }
}

Static fields define the plugin's identity and capabilities:

• id: Used in --framework <id> option and result reporting
• displayName: Shown in human-readable output
• strategy: Determines how content reaches the target
• contentTypes: Filters which items this adapter receives

If the base class does not exist yet, create it first. The pattern scales to any number of plugins.

Got: A base class with static identity fields and abstract methods.

If fail: If the base class has methods that don't apply to all plugins (e.g., not all frameworks support audit), provide default implementations that return sensible no-ops.

Step 2: Choose the Installation Strategy

Strategy	When to use	Example
symlink	Target reads source files directly. Cheapest, stays in sync.	Claude Code reads .claude/skills/<name>/ symlinks
copy	Target needs files in its own directory. Modifications don't propagate.	Some IDEs index only their own dirs
file-per-item	Target expects one file per item with specific format.	Cursor .mdc rules files
append-to-file	Target reads a single instructions file.	Aider CONVENTIONS.md, Codex AGENTS.md

Strategy determines the implementation shape:

• Symlink: symlinkSync(source, target) — handle relative vs. absolute paths
• Copy: cpSync(source, target, { recursive: true }) — handle overwrites
• File-per-item: writeFileSync(target, transform(content)) — may need format conversion
• Append-to-file: Wrap content in markers for idempotent insert/replace/remove

Got: Strategy selected with clear rationale based on how the target framework discovers content.

If fail: If unsure, check the framework's documentation for how it discovers configuration or instruction files. Default to symlink if the framework reads arbitrary directories.

Step 3: Implement Detection

Detection tells the CLI which frameworks are present in a project:

// In detector.js — each rule checks for a filesystem marker
const RULES = [
  {
    id: 'my-framework',
    displayName: 'My Framework',
    check: (dir) => existsSync(resolve(dir, '.myframework/')),
    marker: '.myframework/',
    scope: 'project',
  },
];

Detection strategies:

• Directory presence: .claude/, .cursor/, .gemini/
• Config file: opencode.json, .aider.conf.yml
• Instruction file: AGENTS.md, CONVENTIONS.md
• Global markers: ~/.openclaw/, ~/.hermes/

Always return the marker in the detection result so users can understand why a framework was detected.

Got: A detection rule that reliably identifies the framework without false positives.

If fail: If the framework has no unique marker (generic directory name), use a combination of markers or require explicit --framework specification.

Step 4: Implement Install with Idempotency

async install(item, projectDir, scope, options) {
  const targetDir = this.getTargetPath(projectDir, scope);
  const targetPath = resolve(targetDir, item.id);

  // Idempotency: skip if already installed (unless force)
  if (existsSync(targetPath) && !options.force) {
    return { action: 'skipped', path: targetPath };
  }

  if (options.dryRun) {
    return { action: 'created', path: targetPath, details: 'dry-run' };
  }

  // Ensure parent directory exists
  mkdirSync(targetDir, { recursive: true });

  // Strategy-specific installation
  if (this.constructor.strategy === 'symlink') {
    const relPath = relative(targetDir, item.sourceDir);
    symlinkSync(relPath, targetPath);
  } else if (this.constructor.strategy === 'copy') {
    cpSync(item.sourceDir, targetPath, { recursive: true });
  }

  return { action: 'created', path: targetPath };
}

Idempotency rules:

• Skip if target exists and --force is not set
• Overwrite if --force is set (remove first, then install)
• Dry-run always succeeds with action: 'created'
• Return value must always be { action, path, details? }

Got: Install creates content at the target path, skips if already present, respects --force and --dry-run.

If fail: If symlink creation fails on Windows/NTFS, fall back to directory junction or copy. Log the fallback.

Step 5: Implement Uninstall with Cleanup

async uninstall(item, projectDir, scope, options) {
  const targetDir = this.getTargetPath(projectDir, scope);
  const targetPath = resolve(targetDir, item.id);

  if (!existsSync(targetPath)) {
    return { action: 'skipped', path: targetPath };
  }

  if (options.dryRun) {
    return { action: 'removed', path: targetPath };
  }

  // Remove the installed content
  rmSync(targetPath, { recursive: true });

  return { action: 'removed', path: targetPath };
}

Cleanup considerations:

• Remove only what the plugin installed — never delete user-created files
• For append-to-file: remove the marked section, not the entire file
• Leave parent directories intact (other plugins may use them)

Got: Uninstall removes only the plugin's content and nothing else.

If fail: If removal fails (permissions, locked file), return an error result instead of throwing.

Step 6: Implement Listing and Audit

async listInstalled(projectDir, scope) {
  const targetDir = this.getTargetPath(projectDir, scope);
  if (!existsSync(targetDir)) return [];

  const entries = readdirSync(targetDir);
  return entries.map(name => {
    const fullPath = resolve(targetDir, name);
    const broken = lstatSync(fullPath).isSymbolicLink()
      && !existsSync(fullPath);
    return { id: name, type: 'skill', broken };
  });
}

async audit(projectDir, scope) {
  const items = await this.listInstalled(projectDir, scope);
  const ok = items.filter(i => !i.broken);
  const broken = items.filter(i => i.broken);
  return {
    framework: this.constructor.displayName,
    ok: [`${ok.length} skills installed`],
    warnings: [],
    errors: broken.map(i => `Broken: ${i.id}`),
  };
}

Got: Listing returns all installed items with broken-link detection. Audit summarizes health.

If fail: If the target directory doesn't exist, return empty results (not an error — the framework has nothing installed).

Step 7: Register the Plugin

// In adapters/index.js
import { MyFrameworkAdapter } from './my-framework.js';
register(MyFrameworkAdapter);

Registration makes the adapter available to:

• Auto-detection (detectFrameworks() → getAdaptersForDetections())
• Explicit selection (--framework my-framework)
• Listing (listAdapters())

Got: The adapter appears in tool detect output and can be targeted with --framework.

If fail: If the adapter doesn't appear, verify static id matches the detection rule's id and that register() was called.

Step 8: Write Tests

describe('adapter: my-framework (dry-run)', () => {
  it('targets the correct path', () => {
    const out = run('install create-skill --framework my-framework --dry-run');
    assert.match(out, /\.myframework/i);
  });
});

Test at minimum: dry-run path, detection presence, and content type support.

Got: Adapter-specific tests confirm the installation path and behavior.

If fail: If the framework isn't detected in CI (no marker directory), use --framework explicitly in tests.

Validation

• Plugin extends the base class correctly
• Static fields (id, displayName, strategy, contentTypes) are set
• Detection rule identifies the framework without false positives
• install() is idempotent (skip if exists, respect --force)
• uninstall() removes only plugin-created content
• listInstalled() detects broken symlinks
• audit() reports health accurately
• Plugin is registered and appears in tool detect
• Dry-run tests pass

Pitfalls

• Forgetting relative vs. absolute symlinks: Project-scope symlinks should be relative (portable). Global-scope symlinks should be absolute (not dependent on cwd).
• Not handling missing parent directories: Always mkdirSync(dir, { recursive: true }) before creating content.
• Append-to-file without markers: Without idempotent markers (<!-- start:id --> / <!-- end:id -->), repeated installs duplicate content. Always wrap appended content.
• Detection false positives: A generic directory name (e.g., .config/) may match multiple frameworks. Use specific file markers inside the directory.
• Forgetting supports() check: The installer calls supports(item.type) before dispatching. If contentTypes is wrong, the adapter silently skips items.

Related Skills

• scaffold-cli-command — build the CLI commands that use this plugin
• test-cli-application — testing patterns for CLI tools including adapter tests
• design-cli-output — terminal output for install/uninstall results