CLI Logging UX
Use this skill when editing or creating CLI output, logging, warnings, error messages...
Install
npx skills add microsoft/apm --skill cli-logging-ux -g -a claude-code -y- Repository
- microsoft/apm4.2k
- Category
- Design
- Updated
- 6d ago
- License
- MIT
- Context cost
- Mediumabout 3,000 tokens
- Runs scripts
- No, instructions only
What it does
Use this skill when editing or creating CLI output, logging, warnings, error messages, progress indicators, or diagnostic summaries in the APM codebase. Activate whenever code touches console helpers (_rich_success, _rich_warning, _rich_error, _rich_info, _rich_echo), DiagnosticCollector, STATUS_SYMBOLS, CommandLogger, or any user-facing terminal output, even if the user doesn't mention "logging" or "UX" explicitly.
CLI Logging & Developer Experience
Decision framework
Apply these three tests to every piece of user-facing output. If a message fails any test, redesign it.
1. The "So What?" Test
Every warning must answer: what should the user do about this?
# Fails, not actionable, user can't do anything
Sub-skill 'my-skill' from 'my-package' overwrites existing skill
# Passes, tells the user exactly what to do
Skipping my-skill, local file exists (not managed by APM). Use 'apm install --force' to overwrite.
If the user can't act on it, it's not a warning, it's noise. Demote to --verbose or remove.
2. The Traffic Light Rule
Use color semantics consistently. Never use a warning color for an informational state.
| Color | Helper | Meaning | When to use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green | _rich_success() | Success / completed | Operation finished as expected |
| Yellow | _rich_warning() | User action needed | Something requires user decision |
| Red | _rich_error() | Error / failure | Operation failed, cannot continue |
| Blue | _rich_info() | Informational | Status updates, progress, summaries |
| Dim | _rich_echo(color="dim") | Secondary detail | Verbose-mode details, grouping headers |
3. The Newspaper Test
Can the user scan output like headlines? Top-level = what happened. Details = drill down.
# Bad, warnings break the visual flow between status and summary
[checkmark] package-name
[warning] something happened
[warning] something else happened
[tree] 3 skill(s) integrated
# Good, clean tree, diagnostics at the end
[checkmark] package-name
[tree] 3 skill(s) integrated
── Diagnostics ──
[warning] 2 skills replaced by a different package (last installed wins)
Run with --verbose to see details
