Add a way to conditionally hide individual commands from the command list

[meleu]

I'm aware about the private option (from the command-private and private-reveal), but I think they don't provide the solution for my usecase.

I'm going to suggest a new feature below, but if there's a way to achieve such result with current implementation, please just show me how to achieve that.

My intention is to show some subcommands on the help based on which directory I'm in (actually I wanna use the git URL, but using the directory here for simplicity sake).

Hypothetical example:

• if I call the script from ~/src/frontend directory, I want to expose the vite-server option.
• if I call from ~/src/backend dir, I want to expose the dbmigrate option (and hide the vite-server)
• if I call from any other directory, hide both vite-server and dbmigrate

I envisage the usage to be like this:

name: cli
help: Sample application
version: 0.1.0

commands:
- name: generic
  help: Generic subcommand (always available)

- name: vite-server
  help: Starts only the vite-server
  # show this command in help only if filter_is_frontend returns success
  private_filter: is_frontend

- name: dbmigrate
  help: Run database migration
  # show this command in help only if filter_is_backend returns success
  private_filter: is_backend

Maybe the rules for private_filter could be the same as the ones for filter.

[DannyBen]

Are you sure it is a good idea to change the usage/help text of a CLI tool based on some arbitrary unknown condition?
I haven't seen any tool that does that.

[meleu]

Uhm...

Indeed it would bring more confusing than benefits. You're right, I never saw this in any other CLI tool.

The way to go in my usecase is to use filters (show the subcommand on help message but prevent it from being executed when certain conditions are met).

---

Looking at my original idea now makes me remember a part of the "Do I Wanna Know?" song, from Arctic Monkeys:

(...) the nights were mainly made
For saying things that you can't say tomorrow day

Closing this.

[DannyBen]

Alright.

For what its worth, I have a feeling that you might want to look at the problem from another angle and solve it so it feels right. By that I mean:

1. Stick to conventions and decide you are not conditionally hiding commands.
2. Explore other options to the interface you are looking to create, like (only examples, since I am not familiar with your exact needs):
   1. Using a config file / environment variables / convention to define the directories, and then the CLI works anywhere (answering your condition that needs to be in a given directory)
   2. If there are many commands for frontend, and many commands for backend - perhaps two separate tools

If you want someone to brainstorm with or need more help, feel free to start a discussion.

(and yes, the filters are designed exactly for preventing command runs conditionally.)