CLI `generate` command doesn't do anything when output isn't specified

[Ethan-Arrowood]

Apologies if I should've used one of the templates; both seemed to be about Node.js docs and not this tooling.

Anyways, I'm toying around with the project and noticed that the CLI command generate runs without the --output option specified and it just doesn't do anything. I'd expect it to at least write to stdout or warn me to specify an output.

I don't mind fixing this. Just let me know what y'all expect the correct behavior to be.

[avivkeller]

Apologies if I should've used one of the templates; both seemed to be about Node.js docs and not this tooling.

Noted. I can add one if needed.

Anyways, I'm toying around with the project and noticed that the CLI command generate runs without the --output option specified and it just doesn't do anything. I'd expect it to at least write to stdout or warn me to specify an output.

It actually, iirc, does run the generator, just without an output file, making it easy to debug potential issues that arise without an output file needed.

[ovflowd]

When there's no output it just won't output anywhere, but the generators are running. So no bug, imo?

[Ethan-Arrowood]

I guess my issue is from a UX perspective. What is the point of the generators running if they don't output anywhere? I think the CLI should at least say something like "no output specified". Doesn't have to exit with 1 or anything like that.

[Ethan-Arrowood]

It actually, iirc, does run the generator, just without an output file, making it easy to debug potential issues that arise without an output file needed.

I think it'd be better to set the output to dev/null if you don't care for the output but want to debug the generator.

Like output should be required. If you don't care for it, set it to /dev/null and be on your way. Otherwise, the CLI should say something about not having an output.

Or like prettier cli, it should output to stdout by default so I can pipe the output to wherever I want (instead of having to specify a file) doc-kit generate ... | stream

[ovflowd]

Or like prettier cli, it should output to stdout by default so I can pipe the output to wherever I want (instead of having to specify a file) doc-kit generate ... | stream

Wouldn't that create a massive output on stdout? Is that really a common pattern across other CLI tools? I mean I know it is also prettier's pattern and of a bunch of other tools I use, just wondering if this would be a given.

[Ethan-Arrowood]

It's not because people actually want to see the output in their terminal window. Stdout is a very important stream endpoint that many other tools want to be able to work with. This is for piping and other purposes.

So having some way to get the output written directly there is important for CLI design.