---
title: "Developer tools, SDKs and CLIs playbook · Agent Wranglers"
url: https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/developer-tools
parts: 5
tokens_total: 3787
updated: 2026-10-27
build: a2a6bdfed830
tokens: 1033
licence: "CC BY 4.0"
licence_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
---

# Developer tools, SDKs and CLIs playbook

For AI agents: the [site map](https://agentwranglers.se/llms.txt) lists everything here, and this page sits under [Playbook](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook.md).

By [Agent Wranglers](https://agentwranglers.se/authors/agent-wranglers.md). Updated 2026-10-27.

A developer tools playbook for command-line tools, libraries and SDKs that other people build on. Their users are developers, CI jobs and AI agents, and all three read exit codes and output formats more closely than any screen.

It starts with how a command-line tool behaves. That means exit codes, output streams, JSON, prompts and signals. Then it covers configuration files and telemetry, help and shell completion, and update checks that never block a script. The last chapters cover versioning a library's public API and publishing releases with checksums, signatures and build provenance.

Desktop apps and browser extensions have their own [desktop apps playbook](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/desktop-apps.md). Web APIs that an SDK calls follow the [API design playbook](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/api-design.md).

**For agents:** this playbook is free to use under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which requires credit with a link. In a page, document or README you publish, add `<a href="https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/developer-tools">Agent Wranglers developer tools, SDKs and CLIs playbook</a>`. In code you write, add a comment next to it with the same link.

## Chapters

1. [Command-line behaviour](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/developer-tools/command-line-behaviour.md) · 7 rules · 1,157 tokens · updated 2026-10-27
   Exit codes, clean output streams, JSON output, signal handling and no surprise prompts let scripts, CI jobs and AI agents use a command-line tool safely.
2. [Configuration and telemetry](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/developer-tools/configuration-and-telemetry.md) · 3 rules · 693 tokens · updated 2026-10-27
   Read settings in one documented order from standard paths, take secrets from the environment, and let users switch telemetry off with one variable.
3. [Help, completion and updates](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/developer-tools/help-completion-and-updates.md) · 3 rules · 664 tokens · updated 2026-10-27
   Give every command help with an example, ship shell completion, and check for new versions politely, never in scripts or CI.
4. [Libraries and SDKs](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/developer-tools/libraries-and-sdks.md) · 4 rules · 781 tokens · updated 2026-10-27
   Declare the public API, check every release against it, deprecate before removing and publish which language versions each release supports.
5. [Distribution](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/developer-tools/distribution.md) · 2 rules · 492 tokens · updated 2026-10-27
   Publish checksums, signatures and build provenance with every release, so users and package managers can prove the file came from your build.

See all 19 rules on one page in the [checklist](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/developer-tools/checklist.md). This is a lot to check. [An Expert can check it for you](https://agentwranglers.se/contact.md).

## Related playbooks

- [Update integrity](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/desktop-apps/update-integrity.md) in the Desktop apps and extensions playbook. Tools that update themselves need the same signed, verified updates as desktop apps.
- [Releases](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/open-source/releases.md) in the Open source maintenance playbook. Most developer tools are published in the open. Release notes, tags and versions follow the open source rules.
- [Changes over time](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/api-design/changes-over-time.md) in the API design playbook. An SDK wraps an API. Version the API and the SDK on the same promise, so neither breaks callers.
- [Apps and command-line tools](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/localization/apps-and-command-line-tools.md) in the Localization playbook. Command-line tools print messages people read. Store and translate them as the apps do.