addlicense

addlicense is a command-line tool designed to automatically add license headers to source code files. It scans directories and files, identifies them based on their file extensions, and prepends the chosen license text to each file. The tool supports a variety of common programming languages and license types.

Users can configure addlicense to include specific license information, such as the copyright holder's name and the year. It can be integrated into build processes or used as a pre-commit hook to ensure that all new code contributions adhere to licensing requirements. The tool is often used in open-source projects to manage intellectual property rights and comply with open-source licenses.

The primary purpose of addlicense is to streamline the process of applying legal notices to code. This helps developers avoid manual errors and ensures consistency across a codebase. It can be particularly useful for projects with multiple contributors or those that need to maintain a clear licensing policy. The tool is typically installed via package managers like npm or go.