Introduction

clitest is a new kind of CLI testing tool that allows you to write tests for command-line applications using a simple syntax. It was born from the frustration with existing shell testing approaches.

It provides various flexible ways to verify command outputs, handle exit codes, manage test environment variables, and juggle processes. Built on top of Grok patterns, you can match complex patterns in the output with minimal effort.

Tests are as simple as:

$ echo "Hello, world!"
! Hello, world!

Features

• Simple and readable test syntax
• Support for pattern matching using grok patterns
• Flexible output matching with multi-line support
• Environment variable management
• Control structures for complex test scenarios
• Background process management
• Temporary directory handling
• Cleanup
• Retry logic

Why clitest?

clitest makes it easy to write and maintain tests for command-line applications. Its syntax is designed to be concise, human-readable, and powerful, allowing you to express complex test scenarios without extra noise.