WCLI - Web Command Line Interface

A fully-featured, extensible terminal framework for the web. Build powerful terminal-based applications with Vue 3, TypeScript, and complete customization.

Version 2.0 - Now a proper extensible library! 🎉

✨ Features

Core Features

• 🖥️ Custom Terminal UI - No external terminal libraries, built from scratch
• 💾 Virtual Filesystem - Persistent storage with pluggable backends
• 🔗 Command Piping - Real stream-based I/O (ls | grep test)
• 📝 File Redirection - Output to files (echo "text" > file.txt)
• ⌨️ Native Shortcuts - All standard terminal keyboard shortcuts
• 🔍 Smart Autocomplete - Tab completion for commands and file paths
• 🔌 Extensible - Load JavaScript files as executable commands
• 📜 Command History - Navigate with arrow keys
• 🔤 Command Aliases - Create shortcuts for commands
• 💬 Interactive Prompts - Collect user input with validation and masking

v2.0 Library Features

• 🔧 Configuration-Based - Simple, powerful configuration object
• 💿 Storage Adapters - IndexedDB, LocalStorage, Memory, or custom
• 🎯 Lifecycle Hooks - Hook into command execution, filesystem changes
• 🎨 Theme System - Built-in themes or custom CSS variables
• 📦 NPM Package - Import as a library in any Vue 3 project
• 🧩 Composable Components - Use full terminal or individual components
• 💼 Session Management - Save/load terminal state
• 📊 History API - Programmatic access to command history
• 🔐 Multi-User Ready - Per-user storage and sessions

📦 Installation

npm install wcli
# or
yarn add wcli
# or
pnpm add wcli

🚀 Quick Start

As a Library

<script setup>
import { TerminalComponent } from 'wcli/components';
</script>

<template>
  <TerminalComponent />
</template>

That's it! You now have a fully functional terminal.

With Custom Configuration

import { Terminal } from 'wcli';
import type { Command } from 'wcli';

// Define custom command
const myCommand: Command = {
  name: 'hello',
  description: 'Say hello',
  usage: 'hello [name]',
  async execute(args, options) {
    const name = args[0] || 'World';
    await options.stdout.write(`Hello, ${name}!\n`);
    return { exitCode: 0 };
  },
};

// Create terminal with config
const terminal = new Terminal({
  commands: [myCommand],
  includeDefaultCommands: true,
  hooks: {
    afterCommand: (input, output) => {
      console.log('Command executed:', input);
    },
  },
  env: {
    USER: 'alice',
    HOME: '/home/alice',
  },
});

await terminal.initialize();

Standalone Development

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/wcli.git
cd wcli

# Install dependencies
bun install  # or npm install

# Start development server
bun run dev  # or npm run dev

The terminal will open at http://localhost:3000

🎯 Library API

Terminal Configuration

interface WCLIConfig {
  // Storage
  storageAdapter?: IStorageAdapter;         // Custom storage backend
  
  // Commands
  commands?: Command[];                     // Custom commands
  includeDefaultCommands?: boolean;         // Include built-in commands (default: true)
  
  // Managers
  sessionManager?: ISessionManager;         // Custom session manager
  historyManager?: IHistoryManager;         // Custom history manager
  
  // Customization
  components?: ComponentConfig;             // Custom UI components
  theme?: ThemeConfig;                      // Theme configuration
  hooks?: HookConfig;                       // Lifecycle hooks
  
  // Environment
  env?: Record<string, string>;             // Initial environment variables
  initialPath?: string;                     // Starting directory (default: '/home')
  autoSaveSession?: boolean;                // Auto-save on changes (default: true)
}

Storage Adapters

// Use IndexedDB (default)
import { IndexedDBAdapter } from 'wcli/adapters';
const terminal = new Terminal({
  storageAdapter: new IndexedDBAdapter('my-app-db'),
});

// Use LocalStorage
import { LocalStorageAdapter } from 'wcli/adapters';
const terminal = new Terminal({
  storageAdapter: new LocalStorageAdapter('my-app:'),
});

// Use Memory (no persistence)
import { MemoryAdapter } from 'wcli/adapters';
const terminal = new Terminal({
  storageAdapter: new MemoryAdapter(),
});

// Implement custom adapter
class APIAdapter implements IStorageAdapter {
  async save(key: string, data: any) { /* ... */ }
  async load(key: string) { /* ... */ }
  async remove(key: string) { /* ... */ }
  async list() { /* ... */ }
}

Lifecycle Hooks

const terminal = new Terminal({
  hooks: {
    beforeInit: async () => {
      console.log('Terminal initializing...');
    },
    afterInit: async () => {
      console.log('Terminal ready!');
    },
    beforeCommand: async (input) => {
      console.log('Executing:', input);
    },
    afterCommand: async (input, output) => {
      // Analytics, logging, etc.
    },
    commandError: async (input, error) => {
      // Error reporting
    },
    filesystemChange: async (operation, path) => {
      console.log(`Filesystem ${operation}:`, path);
    },
  },
});

Session Management

// Save current session
await terminal.saveSession();

// Load saved session
const loaded = await terminal.loadSession();

// Clear session
await terminal.clearSession();

// Access history
const history = terminal.getHistoryManager();
const allCommands = history.getAll();
const lastCommand = history.getPrevious();

Themes

import { applyTheme, darkTheme, draculaTheme, nordTheme } from 'wcli/themes';

// Apply built-in theme
applyTheme(darkTheme);

// Apply custom theme
applyTheme({
  colors: {
    background: '#1a1a1a',
    foreground: '#ffffff',
    prompt: '#00ff00',
  },
  font: {
    family: 'Monaco, monospace',
    size: 14,
  },
});

Component Composition

<template>
  <!-- Full terminal component -->
  <TerminalComponent :config="config" />
  
  <!-- Or compose individual components -->
  <div class="custom-layout">
    <Sidebar @command="terminal.executeCommand" />
    <TerminalOutput :lines="outputLines" />
    <TerminalInput 
      v-model="input"
      :prompt="prompt"
      @submit="handleSubmit"
    />
  </div>
</template>

<script setup>
import { Terminal } from 'wcli';
import { TerminalComponent, TerminalOutput, TerminalInput } from 'wcli/components';

const terminal = new Terminal();
await terminal.initialize();
</script>

Custom Commands

import type { Command } from 'wcli';

const deployCommand: Command = {
  name: 'deploy',
  description: 'Deploy application',
  usage: 'deploy [environment]',
  async execute(args, options) {
    const env = args[0] || 'staging';
    await options.stdout.write(`Deploying to ${env}...\n`);
    
    // Your deployment logic
    
    await options.stdout.write('✅ Deployment complete!\n');
    return { exitCode: 0 };
  },
};

const terminal = new Terminal({
  commands: [deployCommand],
});

Interactive Prompts

Commands can request user input interactively using the prompt system:

import type { Command } from 'wcli';

const loginCommand: Command = {
  name: 'login',
  description: 'Interactive login',
  usage: 'login',
  async execute(args, options) {
    const { stdout, prompt } = options;
    
    if (!prompt) {
      await stdout.write('Error: Prompt not available\n');
      return { exitCode: 1 };
    }

    try {
      // Simple prompt
      const username = await prompt('Username:');
      
      // Prompt with validation and password masking
      const password = await prompt({
        message: 'Password:',
        password: true, // Masks input with *
        validate: (input) => {
          if (input.length < 6) {
            return 'Password must be at least 6 characters';
          }
          return true;
        }
      });
      
      await stdout.write(`Welcome, ${username}!\n`);
      return { exitCode: 0 };
    } catch (error) {
      if (error instanceof Error && error.message === 'Prompt cancelled') {
        await stdout.write('Login cancelled.\n');
        return { exitCode: 130 };
      }
      throw error;
    }
  }
};

Prompt Options:

• message - The prompt message to display
• defaultValue - Optional default value (used when Enter is pressed with empty input)
• password - If true, input is completely invisible (like macOS terminal password prompts)
• validate - Function that returns true for valid input or an error message string

Built-in Interactive Commands:

• login - Interactive login with username/password
• survey - Multi-question survey
• ask <question> - Ask a simple question
• confirm <message> - Yes/no confirmation prompt

See examples/prompts/ for more detailed examples.

📖 Command Usage

Basic Commands

# Navigation
ls                      # List files in current directory
cd /bin                 # Change to /bin directory
pwd                     # Show current directory

# File Operations
cat README.txt          # Display file contents
touch newfile.txt       # Create empty file
mkdir projects          # Create directory
rm file.txt             # Remove file

# Text Processing
echo "Hello World"      # Print text
grep pattern file.txt   # Search for pattern
wc -l file.txt         # Count lines

# Network
curl wttr.in/London    # Fetch weather report
curl --html example.com | view  # Fetch and render HTML

# Aliases (built-in shortcuts)
l                      # Same as 'ls'
ll                     # Same as 'ls -la'
..                     # Same as 'cd ..'

Advanced Features

# Piping
ls | grep .js           # List only .js files
cat file.txt | wc -l    # Count lines in file
find . -name "*.ts" | grep test  # Find test files

# Redirection
echo "content" > file.txt       # Write to file
cat file1.txt >> file2.txt      # Append to file

# Command Chaining
mkdir test && cd test           # Create and enter directory
cd invalid || echo "Failed"     # Execute on failure
touch file1.txt ; ls           # Sequential execution

# Execute JavaScript Commands
exec /bin/demo.js "Hello!"     # Run custom command

# Command Aliases
alias                          # List all aliases
alias ll='ls -la'              # Create new alias
alias gs='grep --color search' # Alias with arguments
unalias gs                     # Remove an alias

# Interactive Commands
login                          # Interactive login prompt
survey                         # Multi-question survey
ask "What's your name?"        # Ask a question
confirm "Are you sure?"        # Yes/no confirmation

Keyboard Shortcuts

| Shortcut | Action | |----------|--------| | Tab | Autocomplete commands/paths (cycle with multiple tabs) | | ↑ / ↓ | Navigate command history | | Ctrl+C | Interrupt current input | | Ctrl+L | Clear screen | | Ctrl+A | Jump to beginning of line | | Ctrl+E | Jump to end of line | | Ctrl+U | Delete to beginning of line | | Ctrl+K | Delete to end of line | | Ctrl+W | Delete word backwards |

🛠️ Development

Project Structure

wcli/
├── src/
│   ├── components/     # Vue 3 components
│   │   ├── TerminalComponent.vue
│   │   ├── TerminalOutput.vue
│   │   └── TerminalInput.vue
│   ├── core/           # Terminal engine
│   │   ├── Terminal.ts
│   │   ├── Filesystem.ts
│   │   ├── CommandParser.ts
│   │   ├── CommandExecutor.ts
│   │   └── PluginLoader.ts
│   ├── commands/       # Built-in commands (20 total)
│   ├── ui/            # UI utilities (animations)
│   ├── utils/         # Utilities (streams, paths)
│   ├── types/         # TypeScript interfaces
│   └── App.vue        # Main Vue app
├── tests/             # Comprehensive test suite
├── FEATURES.md        # Detailed feature documentation
├── TESTING.md         # Testing guide
└── MIGRATION.md       # Vue migration notes

Available Scripts

# Development
bun run dev            # Start dev server with HMR

# Building
bun run build          # Build for production
bun run preview        # Preview production build

# Testing
bun run test           # Run tests in watch mode
bun run test:run       # Run tests once
bun run test:ui        # Open interactive test UI
bun run test:coverage  # Generate coverage report

Testing

WCLI includes a comprehensive test suite with 97 tests covering all major components:

bun run test:run

See TESTING.md for detailed testing documentation.

🎯 Built-in Commands

| Command | Description | |---------|-------------| | ls | List directory contents | | cd | Change directory | | pwd | Print working directory | | cat | Display file contents | | echo | Print text to output | | grep | Search for patterns | | find | Search for files | | wc | Count lines, words, bytes | | curl | Transfer data from or to a server | | mkdir | Create directories | | touch | Create empty files | | rm | Remove files/directories | | cp | Copy files | | mv | Move/rename files | | clear | Clear terminal screen | | help | Show available commands | | history | View command history | | env | Display/set environment variables | | exec | Execute JavaScript commands | | alias | Create/view command aliases | | unalias | Remove command aliases | | view | Display Vue components or HTML content |

🔤 Command Aliases

WCLI supports command aliases just like a real shell. Several useful aliases are pre-configured:

| Alias | Expands To | Description | |-------|-----------|-------------| | l | ls | Quick file listing | | ll | ls -la | Detailed list with hidden files | | la | ls -a | List all files including hidden | | lt | ls -lt | List sorted by time | | .. | cd .. | Go up one directory | | ... | cd ../.. | Go up two directories | | ~ | cd ~ | Go to home directory | | h | history | Show command history | | c | clear | Clear screen | | cls | clear | Clear screen (Windows-style) |

Managing Aliases

# View all aliases
alias

# View a specific alias
alias l

# Create a new alias
alias gs='grep --color'
alias proj='cd /home/projects'

# Remove an alias
unalias gs

# Reset to default aliases
unalias -a

🔌 Creating Custom Commands

Create executable JavaScript commands in the filesystem:

// Save as /bin/mycommand.js
exports.name = 'mycommand';
exports.description = 'My custom command';
exports.usage = 'mycommand [args]';

exports.execute = async function(args, options) {
  await options.stdout.write('Hello from custom command!\n');
  return { exitCode: 0 };
};

Then execute it:

exec /bin/mycommand.js
# or if registered
mycommand

🏗️ Architecture

Virtual Filesystem

• In-memory file tree with IndexedDB persistence
• Full Unix-like path resolution
• Supports files and directories with metadata

Command Execution

• Stream-based I/O for proper piping
• Support for all major shell operators
• Async command execution
• Environment variable support

Terminal UI

• Vue 3 reactive components
• Custom rendering with Vue SFCs
• ANSI color support
• Smart autocomplete with visual suggestions
• Modular component architecture

📊 Technical Details

• Runtime: Bun
• Build Tool: Vite
• Framework: Vue 3
• Language: TypeScript
• Testing: Vitest (97 tests, 100% passing)
• Storage: IndexedDB
• UI: Vue 3 Single File Components (SFC)

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Here's how you can help:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Make your changes
4. Run tests (bun run test:run)
5. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
6. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
7. Open a Pull Request

Please ensure all tests pass before submitting a PR.

📝 Documentation

• MIGRATION.md - v1.x → v2.0 migration guide
• FEATURES.md - Comprehensive feature documentation
• TESTING.md - Testing guide and best practices
• examples/ - Working code examples

📚 Examples

Running Examples

See EXAMPLES.md for detailed instructions on running examples.

Quick start:

cd examples/demo-app
bun install
bun run dev

Available Examples

• demo-app/ - Runnable demo showing basic usage
• basic/ - Code reference for minimal setup
• custom-storage/ - Custom storage adapter with API backend
• custom-commands/ - Adding custom commands and lifecycle hooks

More examples coming soon:

• Multi-user sessions
• Custom UI components
• Theme customization
• Session management

🎓 Use Cases

For Developers

• Terminal-as-a-Service: Build multi-tenant terminal applications
• Development Tools: Create custom CLI tools for your applications
• Internal Tools: Admin panels, deployment dashboards, log viewers
• IDE Integration: Embed terminals in web-based IDEs

For Education

• Interactive Tutorials: Teach Unix/Linux commands safely
• Coding Platforms: Provide terminals in educational platforms
• Documentation: Interactive command examples

For Fun

• Browser Games: Terminal-based games and interactive fiction
• Retro Aesthetics: 80s/90s terminal UIs
• Art Projects: Creative coding with terminal interfaces

🗺️ Roadmap

v2.0 (Current) ✅

• [x] Configuration-based architecture
• [x] Storage adapters (IndexedDB, LocalStorage, Memory, Custom)
• [x] Session management
• [x] History API
• [x] Lifecycle hooks
• [x] Theme system
• [x] NPM package
• [x] Component composition

v2.1 (Next)

• [ ] Backend integration support (WebSocket command execution)
• [ ] More built-in themes
• [ ] Advanced component customization
• [ ] Plugin system for commands
• [ ] Better mobile support

Future

• [ ] Terminal multiplexing (tabs/splits)
• [ ] SSH client integration
• [ ] Session recording and playback
• [ ] Collaborative terminals
• [ ] Performance optimizations

📄 License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details

🙏 Acknowledgments

Built with inspiration from:

• xterm.js
• jQuery Terminal
• Modern Unix terminals

💬 Support

• 📧 Email: [email protected]
• 🐛 Issues: GitHub Issues
• 💬 Discussions: GitHub Discussions

Made with ❤️ by Livshitz

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