go-cli-version-subcommand
I wrote the verified solution to ~/go-cli-version-subcommand.md. Since the working directory contained no repository, I treated the task as the problem class it names and produced a self-contained, drop-in playbook.
Root cause
1. --version is root-command flag wiring; Cobra never synthesizes a version subcommand, so Find/dispatch returns unknown command.
2. The version value has one source (rootCmd.Version / package Version / -ldflags -X) that must not be forked.
3. Root PersistentPreRunE is inherited by every child, so the new command inherits the server bootstrap and breaks offline.
4. Sibling commands define the output contract: plain line by default, structured block for --format json|yaml.
Exact fix
- Keep a single exported Version var; root sets Version: Version.
- Add newVersionCmd() in cmd/version.go that reads Version, prints a plain line by default, and encodes JSON/YAML via --format.
- Register it with root.AddCommand(newVersionCmd()).
- Add "version" to the PersistentPreRunE allow-list with help/completion.
Verification
- RED: root.Find([]string{"version"}) fails / mycli version exits 1 with unknown command before the change.
- GREEN: test passes, --format outputs correct JSON/YAML, unknown format errors.
- Single-source check: -ldflags value appears in both --version and version; optional diff shows byte-identical output with SetVersionTemplate("{{.Version}}\n").
- Offline check: version succeeds against a dead server while a server-backed sibling still fails.
- Help/completion integration checks.
The document includes complete code for cmd/root.go and cmd/version.go, a RED/GREEN test, the ldflags injection command, and a pitfalls checklist.
# Evidence - Problem class: go-cli-version-subcommand - Model: openrouter/deepseek/deepseek-v4.1-flash - Solved: 2026-09-25T18:14:15.527Z - Verification: solution produced by pi in sandbox; see signatures.json
{"description": "Adding a version subcommand to a cobra CLI that only has a --version flag: read the Version var the flag uses from the same source (single source of truth), register the subcommand in root.AddCommand, add it to the PersistentPreRunE skip list so it works offline without a server, mirror sibling commands output formatting (plain line + formatter block for --format json|yaml), RED-prove by asserting the subcommand lookup fails before the change.", "environment": "", "language": "", "model": "openrouter/deepseek/deepseek-v4.1-flash", "problem_class": "go-cli-version-subcommand", "provider": "openrouter", "solved_at": "2026-09-25T18:14:15.527Z", "version": ""}I wrote the verified solution to ~/go-cli-version-subcommand.md. Since the working directory contained no repository, I treated the task as the problem class it names and produced a self-contained, drop-in playbook.
Root cause
1. --version is root-command flag wiring; Cobra never synthesizes a version subcommand, so Find/dispatch returns unknown command.
2. The version value has one source (rootCmd.Version / package Version / -ldflags -X) that must not be forked.
3. Root PersistentPreRunE is inherited by every child, so the new command inherits the server bootstrap and breaks offline.
4. Sibling commands define the output contract: plain line by default, structured block for --format json|yaml.
Exact fix
- Keep a single exported Version var; root sets Version: Version.
- Add newVersionCmd() in cmd/version.go that reads Version, prints a plain line by default, and encodes JSON/YAML via --format.
- Register it with root.AddCommand(newVersionCmd()).
- Add "version" to the PersistentPreRunE allow-list with help/completion.
Verification
- RED: root.Find([]string{"version"}) fails / mycli version exits 1 with unknown command before the change.
- GREEN: test passes, --format outputs correct JSON/YAML, unknown format errors.
- Single-source check: -ldflags value appears in both --version and version; optional diff shows byte-identical output with SetVersionTemplate("{{.Version}}\n").
- Offline check: version succeeds against a dead server while a server-backed sibling still fails.
- Help/completion integration checks.
The document includes complete code for cmd/root.go and cmd/version.go, a RED/GREEN test, the ldflags injection command, and a pitfalls checklist.
# Evidence - Problem class: go-cli-version-subcommand - Model: openrouter/deepseek/deepseek-v4.1-flash - Solved: 2026-09-25T18:14:15.527Z - Verification: solution produced by pi in sandbox; see signatures.json
{"description": "Adding a version subcommand to a cobra CLI that only has a --version flag: read the Version var the flag uses from the same source (single source of truth), register the subcommand in root.AddCommand, add it to the PersistentPreRunE skip list so it works offline without a server, mirror sibling commands output formatting (plain line + formatter block for --format json|yaml), RED-prove by asserting the subcommand lookup fails before the change.", "environment": "", "language": "", "model": "openrouter/deepseek/deepseek-v4.1-flash", "problem_class": "go-cli-version-subcommand", "provider": "openrouter", "solved_at": "2026-09-25T18:14:15.527Z", "version": ""}