Taming LLM Codebases with Gum
Stop drowning in AI-generated scripts. Build a single CLI that remembers everything.
🎀 charmbracelet/gum: A tool for glamorous shell scripts →
Meet Your New Command Center
Stop drowning in script chaos. When building with LLMs, your project accumulates dozens of scattered scripts that become impossible to manage. The solution isn't better documentation—it's one beautiful, interactive CLI that serves as your project's front door.
One command. All your tools. Never forget how your project works again.
The Problem: AI-Generated Chaos
You're building a web app with an LLM. First week: basic CRUD operations and database schema. Second week: authentication, file uploads, and email notifications. Third week: API versioning, rate limiting, and caching. A month in, you have scripts for development, testing, deployment, database operations, monitoring setup, and more. Each feature added a few more files. Now you have 25+ scripts scattered across your repo, and honestly, you're not sure which ones are still relevant.
Common Developer Frustrations:
- Script sprawl: Dozens of
run-*.shfiles with no clear organization - Memory loss: "What parameters does deploy.sh need again?"
- Onboarding hell: New developers (or future you) can't figure out how to start
- LLM amnesia: The AI forgets to integrate new features into existing workflows
Three months later, you return to the project. You stare at your scripts/ folder like an archaeologist examining ancient ruins. "What does run-worker-prod-v2-final.sh do?"
Why Gum for LLM-Generated Projects?
Gum is a command-line tool that lets you build beautiful, interactive CLIs in bash. For LLM-generated projects, a well-structured Gum CLI becomes your single source of truth — a self-documenting front door to your entire codebase.
✅ With Gum CLI
- Run
./main-cli.sh - See every available action with descriptions
- Choose what you need interactively
- Preview commands before they run
- Safe confirmations for dangerous ops
❌ Without It
- Grep through scripts/ folder
- Read source code to understand options
- Copy-paste commands from docs
- Hope you didn't miss a required flag
Key Benefits for Developers:
- One entry point: Everything starts from
./main-cli.shin your repo root - Self-documenting: Each option explains itself — no need to maintain separate docs
- Progressive disclosure: Start with core commands, reveal advanced options only when needed
- Safe by default: Preview and confirm before any destructive action
- Future-proof: Forces you (and your LLM) to integrate new features instead of creating orphan scripts
- AI-friendly: Modern LLMs excel at creating polished Gum CLIs with minimal guidance
🎯 Essential Tips for Success
Use ONE Single ./main-cli.sh File
Everything starts from ./main-cli.sh in your repo root. No exceptions. No "quick scripts" outside the CLI. If you need it more than once, it belongs in the menu. This is your contract with yourself (and your LLM).
Start Small, Add Incrementally
Begin with one core command. As features grow, create separate scripts in a scripts/ folder that your main CLI calls—keep main-cli.sh focused on orchestration. Get it working perfectly before adding more.
Test After Every Addition
After each new menu item, run through the entire flow. Does the order make sense? Are the descriptions clear? Can you use it without looking at the code? If not, refine before moving on.
Always Provide Defaults & Explanations
Never leave yourself guessing. Use gum input with default values, gum choose for selections, and always explain what each option does. Include examples for complex inputs.
Preview + Confirm for Everything Important
Show the exact command that will run. Use gum confirm before execution. This builds trust and helps you learn what's happening under the hood. Your future self will thank you.
Example: Interactive Workflow
Here's what your CLI looks like in action:
Step 1: Main Menu
Step 2: Submenu Opens
Step 3: Command Preview & Confirm
Step 4: Execution & Feedback
Getting Started
1. Install Gum
# macOS brew install gum # Linux sudo mkdir -p /etc/apt/keyrings curl -fsSL https://repo.charm.sh/apt/gpg.key | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/keyrings/charm.gpg echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/charm.gpg] https://repo.charm.sh/apt/ * *" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/charm.list sudo apt update && sudo apt install gum
2. Create Agent Instructions File
Save this as AGENTS.md in your project root:
## Gum CLI Development Rules ### CORE PRINCIPLE: SINGLE ENTRYPOINT - ONE main script at repo root: ./main-cli.sh using gum - ALL features integrate into this menu - NO orphan scripts - Menu provides orientation with clear descriptions for each action ### IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY 1. Start with one essential command 2. As features grow, create separate scripts in scripts/ folder 3. Main CLI should call these scripts - keep main-cli.sh clean 4. Test thoroughly before adding more 5. Ensure menu order makes logical sense 6. Group related actions together ### FOR EVERY MENU ITEM - Show: action name + one-line description - Include default values where applicable - Use gum style for visual hierarchy ### PARAMETER CONTROL - Use `gum input` for text with default values - Use `gum choose` for option selection - Use `gum confirm` for yes/no decisions ### PREVIEW + CONFIRM (MANDATORY) - ALWAYS show the exact command before execution - Use `gum confirm` for ANY impactful operation - Allow abort at confirmation ### CRITICAL REMINDER FOR EVERY TASK After completing ANY development task, you MUST: 1. Add/update corresponding action in ./main-cli.sh 2. Include descriptive label + help text 3. Add command preview + confirmation 4. Test the new menu option end-to-end
Optional: Agent-specific instruction files
.cursorrules- For Cursor IDE.clinerules- For Cline (VS Code extension).github/copilot-instructions.md- For GitHub Copilot.windsurf/rules.md- For Windsurf IDE
Each file can contain similar rules tailored to that agent's workflow. Reference your AGENTS.md in these files.
3. Let Your LLM Create the CLI
Ask your AI assistant to create the initial CLI structure:
Create a main-cli.sh file in the repo root using Gum. Requirements: - Single entry point for all project operations - Start with 1-2 basic commands (like start/stop services) - Each menu item should have a description - Preview commands before execution - Use gum confirm for confirmations - Include proper error handling Make it simple and we'll expand it incrementally.
4. Start Using It
chmod +x main-cli.sh # Run with bash (not sh!) bash main-cli.sh # Or if executable: ./main-cli.sh
bash main-cli.sh" instead of "sh main-cli.sh".
Let’s Keep Building
Hope this guide helps you wrangle your own AI-fueled codebase into a single, joyful CLI. I’m constantly iterating on this workflow and would love to hear how you’re applying it.
If you spot something that could be better, or have a Gum trick I should try, contact me at restin3@gmail.com.