Command Patterns Reference

The four command structures, when to use each, plus flag conventions and exit-code rules.

Command structures

Pattern	Example	Use when
`verb-noun`	`create-user`	Default for most CLIs. Reads naturally; easy to scan in help output.
`noun-verb`	`user-create`	Large command sets where alphabetical grouping by resource matters.
`verb-only`	`doctor`	Single-purpose commands with an obvious target: init, sync, doctor, login.
`namespace verb` (two-level)	`config set`	CLIs with distinct domains; mirrors docker and gcloud style.

All four are one click away in the command name generator — generate a batch in each structure and compare.

Two-level namespaces

terminal — two-level examples

mycli config set --key theme --value dark
mycli config get --key theme
mycli users invite --email ada@example.com
mycli deploy rollback --to v1.4.2

Keep namespaces to one word (config, users, deploy) and verbs consistent across namespaces: list should mean the same thing under every namespace.

Flag conventions

Flag	Purpose	Notes
`--help`, `-h`	Show command help	Available on every command, no exceptions.
`--version`, `-v`	Print version	Top-level command at minimum.
`--verbose`	Detailed output	Boolean; takes no value.
`--quiet`, `-q`	Minimal output	Opposite of --verbose; don't offer both on one command.
`--output`, `-o`	Output destination	File path or format selector.
`--json`	Machine-readable output	Essential for scripting; stable schema.
`--dry-run`	Preview without changes	Offer on every destructive command.
`--force`, `-f`	Skip confirmations	Never the default for destructive actions.

Output and exit codes

Human-readable by default, structured with --json for scripts.
Errors go to stderr, with what failed and how to fix it — not just a stack trace.
Exit 0 on success, non-zero on failure, documented per command.
Don't hang silently. Show progress for long operations; confirm state changes briefly.

Consistency across subcommands matters more than any single choice: same flag names, same output formats, same error style. Users learn the pattern once and apply it everywhere.