Rules Generator CLI

An interactive CLI tool that generates cursor and windsurf rules based on user selections.

Features

• Interactive prompts for selecting rule types and specific rules
• Smart tech stack detection and rule matching
• Support for multiple rule selection in a single operation
• Generate for multiple IDE types simultaneously (Cursor/Windsurf)
• Smart filename generation with URL-friendly slugs
• Non-interactive mode for CI/CD or scripting
• Modern, user-friendly terminal UI with validation
• Proper error handling and user feedback
• Intelligent file size management with graceful truncation
• Streamlined file conflict resolution

Installation

Using npx

Recommended - the rulelist gets updated daily

npx rules-gen

Global Installation

npm install -g rules-gen

Usage

Interactive Mode

Simply run the CLI without arguments to use the interactive mode:

npx rules-gen

The interactive mode now supports:

• Multiple rule selection using checkboxes
• Multiple IDE type selection (Cursor/Windsurf/both)
• Smart tech stack detection for better rule matching
• Intelligent file handling:
  • Preview existing rules with rule count
  • Options to overwrite or append rules
  • Automatic size limit handling (100KB)
• Smart validation to ensure valid selections
• Clear breadcrumb navigation
• Improved search functionality

Non-Interactive Mode

Use command-line arguments to generate rules without prompts:

# Generate specific cursor rules
npx rules-gen --type cursor --rules basic,hover --interactive false

# Generate all windsurf rules
npx rules-gen --type windsurf --interactive false

# Generate both cursor and windsurf rules
npx rules-gen --type all --interactive false

# Force overwrite existing files (skips conflict prompts)
npx rules-gen --type cursor --rules basic,hover --force

# Combine multiple options
npx rules-gen --type all --rules basic,react,node --force --interactive false

Options:

• --type, -t: Rule type (cursor, windsurf, or all)
• --rules, -r: Specific rules to generate (comma-separated)
• --interactive, -i: Use interactive prompts (true/false, defaults to true)
• --force, -f: Force overwrite existing files without prompting

How It Works

The CLI generates IDE-specific rule files based on your selections:

• Cursor rules are generated as .mdc files in the .cursor/rules/ directory
• Windsurf rules are generated as .windsurfrules files in markdown format
• File names are automatically generated as URL-friendly slugs
• Multiple rules can be generated simultaneously
• Both IDE types can be generated in a single operation
• Smart tech stack detection for better rule matching
• Automatic size limit handling (100KB) with graceful truncation

File Handling

The CLI includes intelligent file handling features:

• Detects existing rule files and offers options to:
  • Overwrite existing rules
  • Append to existing rules
  • Cancel operation
• Shows condensed file previews for better decision making
• Handles large rule sets gracefully:
  • 100KB file size limit
  • Smart truncation with informative notes
  • Preserves existing content when near size limit

Contributing

We're actively looking for additional rule sources! If you have a collection of rules or know of good sources, please:

1. Fork the repository
2. Add your rule source to data/sources.json
3. Create a pull request

Special thanks to awesome-cursorrules by PatrickJS for providing the initial rule set.

Development

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18 or higher

Setup

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/blencorp/rules-gen.git
   cd rules-gen

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

3. Run locally:

   node bin/index.js

License

MIT

Sponsorship

This project was sponsored by BLEN, a digital services company that provides Emerging Technology (ML/AI, RPA), Digital Modernization (moving legacy systems to Cloud) and Human-Centered Web/Mobile Design and Development. For questions, please contact [email protected].

Team

• Mike Endale (@mikeendale)
• Naod Yeheyes (@naodya)