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description: CLI Tool Implementation Rules globs: **/Program.cs, /CLI//.cs, /CommandLine//.cs

CLI Tool Implementation Rules

This rule provides guidance for implementing the Command Line Interface (CLI) for the .NET Codebase Context Server, with specific optimizations for Claude 3.7 Sonnet integration.

AI-Assisted Development

• Use descriptive XML comments that explain the "why" behind implementation choices
• Include example usage for each command in code comments
• Structure commands into logical groups with consistent naming patterns
• Ensure each command has a clear, single responsibility
• Add CLI output examples in comments to help Claude understand expected behavior

Command Structure

• Use verb-noun pattern for all commands (e.g., list-projects, search-code)
• Implement consistent parameter naming across similar commands
• Support both short and long option formats for all parameters
• Include help text that explains parameter relationships and constraints
• Group related commands into command sets with shared context

Error Handling

• Return structured JSON responses with error codes and descriptive messages
• Include targeted troubleshooting guidance in error messages
• Implement detailed logging with contextual information
• Add correlation IDs to associate related operations for troubleshooting
• Handle graceful shutdown for CTRL+C and other interrupts

User Experience

• Provide colorized, formatted output with clear visual hierarchy
• Implement progress indicators for long-running operations
• Support interactive mode for complex operations
• Add "did you mean?" suggestions for common command typos
• Include completion scripts for bash/zsh/PowerShell

Documentation

• Create example-driven documentation with realistic scenarios
• Document each command with purpose, parameters, examples, and limitations
• Include troubleshooting sections for common issues
• Add visual guides showing command relationships and workflows
• Provide explicit mapping between CLI commands and MCP protocol capabilities

AI Integration Features

• Add machine-readable JSON output option for all commands
• Support template-based rendering of results for custom output formats
• Include metadata in command responses to aid in AI understanding
• Add descriptive response schemas for Claude to better understand outputs

Security

• Validate all user inputs with clear error messages
• Implement proper access control for file operations
• Use least-privilege principles for all operations
• Never expose sensitive information in logs or output
• Support credential management with secure storage