CmdSpace

CmdSpace is a software framework and runtime environment designed to provide a modular command space for command-line interfaces. It offers a sandboxed environment in which commands, subcommands, and scripts can be registered and executed with consistent error handling, input/output management, and lifecycle control. The project emphasizes extensibility and predictable behavior across projects and environments.

The primary goal of CmdSpace is to standardize how commands are defined, discovered, and composed into cohesive CLIs. It supports command dispatch, argument parsing, permissions and security hooks, and integration with external scripting languages. Built to be cross-platform, CmdSpace targets major operating systems and aims for a small runtime footprint and straightforward testing.

The architecture centers on a command registry, a session layer, a parser, and an execution engine. Commands are implemented as modular units with metadata, allowing namespaced grouping and aliases. The registry resolves commands, while the session layer manages interactive prompts, command history, and I/O redirection. The parser handles options, flags, and positional arguments, and the execution engine runs commands while capturing outputs and errors. The system provides a plugin API and event hooks to extend behavior at key points in command processing.

CmdSpace originated as an open-source initiative in the mid-2010s by a community of CLI developers. It has since evolved through several major releases, focusing on stability, testability, and ecosystem interoperability. Documentation and reference implementations exist in multiple languages to facilitate adoption within existing toolchains.

Adoption tends to be strongest in projects that require consistent CLI UX across modules or teams. Typical use cases include building customizable administration consoles, data processing pipelines, and developer tooling. The project maintains a permissive license and an active issue tracker and mailing list.