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Example Prompt

Example Prompt is a predefined prompt template feature provided by Codely CLI that lets you quickly execute common tasks without manually entering complete prompts each time.

Overview​

Example Prompts are TOML files stored in the example-prompts directory, each file containing:

  • description: A description of the prompt (optional but recommended)
  • prompt: The actual prompt content
  • append_args: Whether to append user input (optional, defaults to false)
tip

Example Prompts can significantly improve efficiency for repetitive tasks and are particularly suitable for team collaboration scenarios.

Built-in Example Prompts​

Codely CLI provides the following Example Prompts by default:

  • git-commit - Review Git staged changes, generate commit message and commit
  • analyze - Analyze complex topics across large codebases
  • explain-code - Analyze and explain code functionality in detail

Non-Interactive Mode Usage​

In non-interactive mode, use the --example-prompt parameter to execute predefined prompts.

Basic Usage​

# Execute git-commit example prompt
codely --example-prompt git-commit -y

# Execute explain-code example prompt
codely --example-prompt explain-code -y

Viewing Available Example Prompts​

Use the --list-example-prompts parameter to view all available Example Prompts:

codely --list-example-prompts

Sample output:

Available example prompts:

- git-commit: Review Git staged changes, generate commit message and commit
- analyze: Analyze an open/complex topic across a very large codebase
- explain-code: Analyze and explain code functionality in detail

Combining with Other Parameters​

# Use yolo mode (auto-confirm all operations)
codely --yolo --example-prompt git-commit

# Specify model
codely --model gpt-4 --example-prompt analyze

# Specify working directory
codely --path /path/to/project --example-prompt explain-code

Limitations​

The --example-prompt parameter cannot be used simultaneously with the following parameters:

  • --prompt or -p: Directly specify a prompt
  • --prompt-interactive or -i: Interactive prompt input

Using them together will result in an error:

Cannot use both --example-prompt and --prompt (-p) together
warning

Be aware of parameter conflicts and avoid using incompatible parameter combinations simultaneously.

Interactive Mode Usage​

In interactive mode, use the /example-prompt slash command to execute predefined prompts.

Starting Interactive Mode​

codely

Listing Available Example Prompts​

In interactive mode, directly enter /example-prompt (without parameters):

/example-prompt

Sample output:

Available example prompts:

  git-commit: Review Git staged changes, generate commit message and commit
  analyze: Analyze an open/complex topic across a very large codebase
  explain-code: Analyze and explain code functionality in detail

Usage: /example-prompt <subcommand>

Executing a Specific Example Prompt​

Use /example-prompt <name> to execute a specific prompt:

# Execute git-commit
/example-prompt git-commit

# Execute explain-code
/example-prompt explain-code

# Execute analyze
/example-prompt analyze

Example Prompts with Parameters​

Some Example Prompts (such as explain-code) support appending user input:

# Append code snippet after the prompt
/example-prompt explain-code

Then enter the code to analyze...

If the Example Prompt content contains an {input} placeholder, user input will replace that placeholder. If append_args = true is set, user input will be appended to the end of the prompt.

Using Tab Auto-Completion​

In interactive mode, after entering /example-prompt , press the Tab key to auto-complete available Example Prompt names.

Creating Custom Example Prompts​

You can create your own Example Prompt files to automate common tasks.

File Location​

In a development environment, place custom TOML files in:

packages/cli/example-prompts/

In packaged versions, Example Prompts are located in:

bundle/example-prompts/

TOML File Format​

description = "Brief description of this prompt's purpose"
prompt = """
Your prompt content...
Can span multiple lines
"""
Optional: Whether to append user input to the end of the prompt
append_args = false

Example: Creating a Code Review Prompt​

Create file code-review.toml:

description = "Review code for best practices, bugs, and improvements"
prompt = """
You are an expert code reviewer. Please review the following code and provide:

1. **Bug Detection**: Identify any potential bugs or logic errors
2. **Best Practices**: Check if the code follows best practices for the language/framework
3. **Performance**: Suggest any performance improvements
4. **Security**: Identify any security vulnerabilities
5. **Code Style**: Suggest improvements to code readability and maintainability
6. **Testing**: Recommendations for test coverage

Code to review: {input}
"""
append_args = true

Using Custom Prompts​

Non-interactive mode
codely --example-prompt code-review
Interactive mode
/example-prompt code-review

Advanced Usage​

Combining Multiple Prompts​

While you cannot use multiple --example-prompt parameters simultaneously, you can use them sequentially in interactive mode:

/example-prompt git-commit
Wait for completion...
/example-prompt analyze

As Part of a Script​

You can use Example Prompts in automation scripts:

#!/bin/bash
Auto-commit changes
codely --yolo --example-prompt git-commit
Analyze codebase
codely --example-prompt analyze > analysis.txt

Using in CI/CD​

Example Prompts can be integrated into CI/CD workflows:

GitHub Actions example
    

  • name: Auto commit
run: |
git add .
codely --yolo --example-prompt git-commit
git push
    •

Frequently Asked Questions​

Q: How can I view the specific content of an Example Prompt?​

A: Example Prompt files are in TOML format and can be opened directly in an editor:

View in example-prompts directory
cat packages/cli/example-prompts/git-commit.toml

Q: Can I use environment variables in Example Prompts?​

A: Example Prompt files themselves do not support environment variable substitution. If you need dynamic content, it's recommended to:

  1. Use the --prompt parameter when calling to directly pass a prompt containing environment variables
  2. Or append dynamic input after using /example-prompt in interactive mode

Q: Do Example Prompts support multiple languages?​

A: Yes. The prompt field of an Example Prompt can use any language. Built-in Prompts use English, but you can create Chinese versions of Example Prompts.

Q: How do I debug Example Prompts?​

A: When using /example-prompt in interactive mode, Codely CLI displays execution results. If you encounter errors:

  1. Check if the TOML file format is correct
  2. Ensure the prompt field exists and is not empty
  3. Check error messages in console output

Q: How can I share Example Prompts?​

A: There are several ways:

  1. Commit the TOML file to your project's example-prompts directory
  2. Share the TOML file with team members so they can place it in the corresponding directory
  3. Create a custom Codely CLI version containing Example Prompts

Best Practices​

  1. Clear Descriptions: Provide clear description for each Example Prompt
  2. Keep it Simple: Prompts should focus on a single task
  3. Use Placeholders: Use {input} placeholders for scenarios requiring user input
  4. Version Control: Include custom Example Prompts in version control
  5. Document: Provide additional documentation for complex Example Prompts
  • --prompt or -p: Directly specify a prompt
  • --prompt-interactive or -i: Interactive prompt input
  • --list-example-prompts: List all available Example Prompts
  • /example-prompt: Example Prompt command in interactive mode