Boring Business Card Generator

A CLI tool to generate personalized business card CLI packages for npm. By running npx boring-business-card-generator, users can answer a series of prompts about their professional details, provide npm credentials, and automatically create and publish a custom npm package. This package, when executed with npx <your-package-name>, displays a professional business card in the terminal, styled with a cyan double border and black background, similar to the pinak95 card.

How It Works

The boring-business-card-generator simplifies the creation of a digital business card that runs as a CLI tool. Here's a detailed breakdown of the process:

1. Run the Generator:

   • Execute npx boring-business-card-generator in your terminal.
   • The tool clears the terminal and displays a welcome message.

2. Answer Prompts for Personal Details:

   • Full Name: Your full name (e.g., "Eren Yeager").
   • Handle: Your social media handle (e.g., "@attacktitan").
   • Job Profile: Your current role or status (e.g., "Software Developer").
   • GitHub URL: Your GitHub profile URL (optional, e.g., "https://github.com/attacktitan").
   • LinkedIn URL: Your LinkedIn profile URL (optional, e.g., "https://www.linkedin.com/in/attacktitan/"). The messaging ID is automatically extracted from this URL.
   • Portfolio URL: Your portfolio website URL (optional, e.g., "https://attacktitan.com").
   • Certifications: Any certifications you hold (e.g., "AWS Certified Developer" or "none").
   • Tagline: A personal or professional tagline (optional, e.g., "Pinnacle of Speed, Power & Skill").
   • Email: Your email address (e.g., "[email protected]").
   • Package Name: The npm package name for your card (e.g., "attacktitan", must be lowercase).

3. Provide npm Credentials:

   • Username: Your npm username (create an account at npmjs.com if needed).
   • Password: Your npm password (input is masked for security).
   • Email: Your npm account email.
   • 2FA Code: Your npm two-factor authentication code (optional, if enabled).
   • These credentials are used to authenticate with npm and publish the package.

4. Package Generation:

   • The tool creates a directory named after your package (e.g., attacktitan) containing:
     • card.js: The main CLI script that displays your business card with interactive options (email, LinkedIn messaging, portfolio, GitHub, exit).
     • package.json: Configures the package for npm publishing, including dependencies and metadata.
     • README.md: Documents the card’s usage, features, and contact details.
     • LICENSE: MIT License with your name.
   • The card is styled with a cyan double border, black background, and optimized text alignment.

5. Authentication and Publishing:

   • The tool authenticates with npm using your credentials.
   • Installs dependencies (npm install) in the generated directory.
   • Publishes the package to npm (npm publish).
   • If authentication or publishing fails (e.g., package name taken, invalid credentials), instructions are provided for manual publishing.

6. Run Your Card:

   • After publishing, run npx <your-package-name> (e.g., npx attacktitan) anywhere to display your card.
   • The card shows your details and offers interactive options to open links or exit.

Example Output

For a user named Eren Yeager with the handle @attacktitan, the card might look like this (simulated terminal output):

┌─────────────────────────── Eren Yeager's Business Card ───────────────────────────┐
│                                                                                   │
│  Eren Yeager / @attacktitan                                                       │
│                                                                                   │
│  Work:          Software Developer                                                │
│  GitHub:        github.com/attacktitan                                            │
│  LinkedIn:      linkedin.com/in/attacktitan                                       │
│                                                                                   │
│  Card:          npx attacktitan                                                   │
│  Pinnacle of Speed, Power & Skill                                                 │
│                                                                                   │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Tip: cmd/ctrl + click on links to open them
What would you like to do?
  > Send me an email 📧
    Message me on LinkedIn 💬
    Check my GitHub 💻
    Exit

Selecting an option (e.g., "Send me an email") opens the default email client with mailto:[email protected].

Features

• Interactive CLI: Collects user details and npm credentials via intuitive prompts.
• Customizable Card:
  • Displays only provided details (e.g., skips GitHub if not provided).
  • Supports optional fields for flexibility.
  • Includes a LinkedIn messaging option if a LinkedIn URL is provided.
• Professional Styling:
  • Cyan double border with a black background, inspired by the pinak95 card.
  • Centered title and aligned text for readability.
• Performance:
  • Cached strings to reduce runtime concatenation.
  • Async operations for opening links.
• Generated Package:
  • ESM-based ("type": "module") for modern JavaScript.
  • Dependencies: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected].
  • MIT License for open-source compatibility.
• NPM Integration:
  • Automates authentication and publishing.
  • Handles errors with clear manual publishing steps.
• Compatibility: Runs on Node.js v22.5.1 or later.

Installation

Run the tool directly via npm:

npx boring-business-card-generator

Local Setup

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/pinak95/boringBusinessCardGenerator.git
   cd boringBusinessCardGenerator

2. Ensure Node.js v22.5.1 is installed:

   node -v

3. Install dependencies:

   npm install

4. Run the tool:

   npm start

Usage

1. Run the Generator:

   npx boring-business-card-generator

2. Answer Prompts:
   • Provide your personal details and npm credentials as described above.
3. Generated Package:
   • A directory (e.g., attacktitan) is created with card.js, package.json, README.md, and LICENSE.
4. Publish:
   • The tool automatically installs dependencies and publishes to npm.
   • If publishing fails, follow the manual steps:

     cd <your-package-name>
     npm install
     npm login
     npm publish

5. Test Your Card:

   npx <your-package-name>

6. Optional: Update Repository:
   • Update the repository.url in the generated package.json to your GitHub repository.
   • Push to GitHub for version control:

     git init
     git add .
     git commit -m "Initial commit"
     git remote add origin <your-repo-url>
     git push -u origin main

Dependencies

• [email protected]: Colors and styles terminal output.
• [email protected]: Clears the terminal for a clean display.
• [email protected]: Handles file operations for package generation.
• [email protected]: Provides interactive CLI prompts.

Development

To contribute or modify the tool:

1. Fork and clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/pinak95/boringBusinessCardGenerator.git

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

3. Edit index.js (uses ESM with "type": "module").
4. Test changes:

   npm start

5. Submit a pull request to pinak95/boringBusinessCardGenerator.

Publishing

To publish the boring-business-card-generator tool to npm:

npm login
npm publish

Ensure you have publishing rights for the boring-business-card-generator package.

Troubleshooting

• NPM Authentication Issues:
  • Verify your npm account at npmjs.com.
  • Ensure correct username, password, and email.
  • For 2FA, provide a valid code or disable it temporarily.
• Publishing Errors:
  • If the package name is taken, use a unique name (e.g., @username/card).
  • For 403 errors, increment the version in package.json (e.g., npm version patch).
• Dependencies:
  • If errors occur, delete node_modules and package-lock.json, then:

    npm install

• Node.js Version:
  • Confirm Node.js v22.5.1:

    node -v

• Logs:
  • Check ~/.npm/_logs (Linux/macOS) or C:\Users\<YourUser>\AppData\Local\npm-cache\_logs (Windows) for details.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.

Contact

Created by Pinak Thakar (@pinak95):

• Email: [email protected]
• LinkedIn: pinak95
• Portfolio: pinak95.onrender.com
• GitHub: pinak95

Run npx boring-business-card-generator to create your own professional CLI business card!