cmdlets

nodejs based cmdlet system

A simple command-oriented system

features:

• cmd execution order: serial or parallel;
• cmd timing;
• cmd parameters;
• cmd group;
• cmd delay / repeat;
• four types of cmd::run();

For a cmdlet based console, please refer to npm package: cmd-console

Table of Contents

• Cmdlet Module
• Cmdlet Group
• Cmdlet Object
• Cmdlets API
• Example
• Environment
• Built-in Cmdlet

Cmdlet Module

A cmdlet module acts as a physical container for a group of related cmdlet objects.

It is bascially a plugin that can be downloaded, deployed and loaded at runtime by cmdlets.

Being a standard nodejs module that can be required, the module.exports must expose an init() function in which all local cmdlets can be installed:

my_module/
    index.js

 
my_module/index.js:
 
module.exports = {
    init(cmdlets){
        //do any module-specific initial logic.
        ...
        
        cmdlets.installCmd({
            name: 'cmd1',
            help: 'demo 1',
            run(){}
        });
 
        cmdlets.installCmd({
            name: 'cmd2',
            help: 'demo 2',
            run(){}
        });
 
        ...
    }
}

A cmdlet module can be deployed under a common folder (for example, "plugins"):

plugins/
├── module_1
│   └── index.js
├── module_2
│   └── index.js
└── module_3
    └── index.js

And in your source code all of the plugin modules can be loaded as follows:

cmdlets.addModuleDir(full_path_to_plugins);

Or you can also load an individual module by calling api:

cmdlets.addModule(full_path_to_module, group_name);

According to your business requirement, extra meta data can be added to a module. For example, a manifest file in the package to define the group name, a version tag to help upgrade to the latest version, a download url to fetch the new releases.

Cmdlet Group

A cmdlet group is a virtual container for a subset of related cmdlet objects, which are grouped and displayed together on the help menu.

A cmdlet belongs to one and only one group;

A cmdlet is implemented and deployed in one and only one module;

A module can host cmdlets of different groups;

You can think of cmdlet group as a unique namespace of modern OOP langurage, and cmdlet module is an code assembly or library to host cmdlets.

Cmdlet Object

A cmdlet object has the following members:

• name: string, command name, must be unique in the installed commands;

• help: string, long description displayed in the top menu;

• group: string [optional], the group this command belongs to. If not specified, the current module name is used.

• hidden: boolean [optional, default to false]

  A hidden cmdlet:

  1. will not appear on the help menu;
  2. no pre-run title, post-run feedback and timing summary;

  all built-in cmdlets are hidden.

• run: function, the function to be executed when the command is invoked.

  run() can be implemented in 4 ways:

  1. sync function;

      run(whom){ console.log('hello ' + whom); }

  1. async function with classic callback;

      run(callback){ do_something_complex(callback); }

  1. async function returns a promise;

      run(loops){ return do_something_complex(loops) .then(console.log); }

  1. async function with new async keyword;

      async run(){ return await do_something_complex(); }

To run a cmdlet programmatically in source code:

cmdlets.getCmd('add').run(1,2);

or use the universal cmdlet running api as follows:

//promise-style
cmdlets.run('add(1,2)').then(result =>...)
 
//new await-style
let result = await cmdlets.run('add(1,3)');

The first calling method looks simple but you have to ensure the calling protocol is matched to the run() function, because it might accept parameters and works in async or sync workflow --- your calling site must have exact knowledge of what the cmdlet is doing.

However, the second calling method will adapt all cmdlet.run() method as a function returning a promise, so it is easier to call especially when the input is from end user, and you have no knowledge of how the cmdlet is implemented.

Cmdlets API

const cmdlets = require("cmdlets");

1. [SYNC] cmdlets.addModule(module_path, [group_name])

   Loads a cmdlet module from a file path.

   Basically the module loading workflow is: require(module_path).init(cmdlets)

   The optional group_name is the default group name of the installed command when the module is being loaded, unless the group name is explicitly defined by the cmdlet object.

   If the group_name is not specified, the basename of the module_path is used as default group name.

     //group name is "myapp.system"
     cmdlets.addModule('/opt/myapp/modules/sys', 'myapp.system');
     //group name is "sys"
     cmdlets.addModule('/opt/myapp/modules/sys');

2. [SYNC] cmdlets.addModuleDir(path)

   Loads all command modules under a path, it scans (non-recursively) the folder and calls addModule to load each module.

   When loading a module from a sub-folder, the group name is the sub-folder's basename by default, unless the it is explicitly specified by the cmdlet object being installed.

3. [SYNC] cmdlets.installCmd(cmdlet)

   Install a cmdlet object. It is usually called when the cmdlet's module is being loaded. You can also call it to add any cmdlet in your source code.

4. [SYNC] cmdlets.getCmd(cmdlet_name): cmdlet

   find cmdlet object by its name. return null if not found.

   cmdlets.getCmd('hello').run('world');

5. [SYNC] cmdlets.getCmds(filter): array of cmdlet object;

   return a subset of installed cmdlets.

   filter := function(cmd): boolean;

   filter function returns true if the cmd should be included in the result.

       cmdlets.getCmds(cmd => true); //all cmds
       cmdlets.getCmds(cmd => !cmd.hidden); //visible cmds
       cmdlets.getCmds(cmd => cmd.group === 'utility'); //cmds of group utility

6. [ASYNC] cmdlets.run([args])

   Execute command(s), returns a promise.

   it can be invoked as following:

• run(): executes process command line;

  the commands specified by the process command line are executed.

• run(cmdlet_name): executes a single command;

  cmdlets.run('hello(world)')

• run([cmd1, cmd2, ...]): executes multiple cmds in parallel;

  cmdlets.run(['foo*bar', 'add(1,2)'])

1. Message output with different color scheme

• cmdlets.message(message);
• cmdlets.warning(message);
• cmdlets.error(message);
• cmdlets.success(message);

Example

In this sample, we will develop a demo cmdlet in foobar sub-folder "foobar":

./foobar/index.js:

 
module.exports = {
    init(srv){
        //install commands (default group: 'foobar' specified in srv.addModule())
        srv.installCmd({
            name: 'foo',
            help: 'demo of async-callback',
 
            run(cb){ //classic async callback
                srv.message('foo >>');
                cb();
            }
        });
 
        srv.installCmd({
            name: 'bar',
            help: 'demo of sync',
            run(){//sync 
                srv.message('bar >>');
            }
        });
 
        srv.installCmd({
            name: 'zoo',
            help: 'demo of promise',
 
            run(){//return promise
                srv.message('zoo >>');
                return Promise.resolve();
            }
        });
 
        srv.installCmd({
            name: 'dummy',
            help: 'demo of async method',
 
            async run(){//new async grammar
                srv.message(' dummy >>');
                return 0;
            }
        });
 
        //explicitly specify group to override default one (foobar)
        srv.installCmd({
            name: 'add',
            group: 'math',
            help: 'addition, ex: add( a, b)=> a+b',
            run(a, b){
                srv.message(`${a}+${b}=${(+a) + (+b)}`);
            }
        });
 
        srv.installCmd({
            name: 'sub',
            group: 'math',
            help: 'substraction, ex: sub( a: 2, b: 1)=> a-b',
            run({a, b}){
                srv.message(`${a}-${b}=${a - b}`);
            }
        })
    }
}
 

./index.js

 
const cmdlets = require('cmdlets');
 
//install foobar module
cmdlets.addModule(__dirname + '/foobar');
 
//parses & run cmds from command line
cmdlets.run();

Now we can invoke cmdlet "foo" and "bar" as following:

• show help menu

node index

The output will be grouped by group name and sorted by cmd name:

Available commands are:

[foobar]
    bar: Say BAR
    dummy: async dummy demo
    foo: Say FOO
    hello: Say Hello World
    zoo: demo of promise

[math]
    add: addition, ex: add( a, b)=> a+b
    sub: substraction, ex: sub( a: 2, b: 1)=> a-b

• run a single cmd

node index foo

• run cmds one by one

node index foo*bar

• run cmds in parallel

node index foo bar

• run cmds in mixed order

node index foo*bar hello

• run cmd with param list

node index "add(1,2)"

or

node index add[1,2]

the output is:

1+2=3

• run cmd with named param list

node index "sub(a:1, b:2)"

or

node index sub[a:1, b:2]

the output is:

1-2=-1

• repeat cmd

Repeat cmd "foo" three times with 5 seconds interval:

node index "foo * repeat(3, 5)"

Repeat cmd "bar" three times without delay (internal = 0):

node index "foo * repeat(3)"

• delay cmd

runs "foo" first, delays 10 seconds, then runs "bar" next.

node index "foo * delay(10) * bar"

ENVIRONMENT

• SHOW_HIDDEN_CMD (1|0*) if set to 1, display all hidden cmds on the menu; default 0;

show hidden cmds:

SHOW_HIDDEN_CMD=1 node index

Built-in Cmdlets

1. delay(seconds): delay a period of time before next cmdlet is executed.

   cmdlets.run("foo * delay(5) * bar");

   Executes cmdlet foo first, then delay 5 seconds before cmdlet bar start running.

2. repeat(times, [interval=0]): repeat running a cmdlet multiple times with a time interval.

   node index "foo * repeat(100, 60)"

   Repeat running cmdlet foo 100 times with a 60 seconds delay in between.

3. help([group_name]): show help menu of a group.

   If group_name is not specified, the top menu is displayed.

   # show top menu 
   node index help
    
   # show sub-menu of system group 
   node index help[system]