Design CLI Output

Design consistent, multi-level terminal output for a command-line tool.

When to Use

• Building a new reporter module for a CLI tool
• Adding warm or narrative output alongside standard transactional output
• Standardizing output format across multiple commands
• Designing JSON machine output parallel to human-readable output
• Choosing colors, glyphs, and verbosity levels for a new terminal tool

Inputs

• Required: CLI tool name and primary audience (developers, operators, end users)
• Required: Commands that need output formatting
• Optional: Whether a "ceremony" or narrative output variant is desired
• Optional: Branding constraints (color palette, tone)