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Dart CLI Application Best Practices
1. When to use this skill
Use this skill when:
- Creating a new Dart CLI application.
- Refactoring an existing CLI entrypoint (
bin/).
- Reviewing CLI code for quality and standards.
- Setting up executable scripts for Linux/Mac.
2. Best Practices
Entrypoint Structure (bin/)
Keep the contents of your entrypoint file (e.g., bin/my_app.dart) minimal. This improves testability by decoupling logic from the process runner.
DO:
// bin/my_app.dart
import 'package:my_app/src/entry_point.dart';
Future<void> main(List<String> arguments) async {
await runApp(arguments);
}
DON'T:
- Put complex logic directly in
bin/my_app.dart.
- Define classes or heavy functions in the entrypoint.
Executable Scripts
For CLI tools intended to be run directly on Linux and Mac, add a shebang and ensure the file is executable.
DO:
- Add
#!/usr/bin/env dart to the first line.
- Run
chmod +x bin/my_script.dart to make it executable.
#!/usr/bin/env dart
void main() => print('Ready to run!');
Process Termination (exitCode)
Properly handle process termination to allow for debugging and correct status reporting.
DO:
-
Use the exitCode setter to report failure.
-
Allow main to complete naturally.
-
Use standard exit codes (sysexits) for clarity (e.g., 64 for bad usage, 78 for configuration errors).
- See
package:io ExitCode class or FreeBSD sysexits man page.
import 'dart:io';
void main() {
if (someFailure) {
exitCode = 64; // DO!
return;
}
}
AVOID:
- Calling
exit(code) directly, as it terminates the VM immediately, preventing "pause on exit" debugging and finally blocks from running.
Exception Handling
Uncaught exceptions automatically set a non-zero exit code, but you should handle expected errors gracefully.
Example:
Future<void> main(List<String> arguments) async {
try {
await runApp(arguments);
} catch (e, stack) {
print('App crashed!');
print(e);
print(stack);
exitCode = 1; // Explicitly fail
}
}
3. Recommended Packages
Use these community-standard packages owned by the Dart team to solve common CLI problems:
4. Interesting community packages
5. Conventions
- File Caching : Write cached files to
.dart_tool/[pkg_name]/.
- User-Agent : Always set a User-Agent header in HTTP requests, including version info.
Weekly Installs
73
Repository
kevmoo/dash_skills
GitHub Stars
119
First Seen
Feb 6, 2026
Security Audits
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Installed on
antigravity57
github-copilot25
codex25
opencode25
gemini-cli24
amp23
