Whimbrel is a flexible automation toolkit for development projects. It lets you declare and run tasks across packages, services, and workflows, with facet-specific logic for things like npm, git, Docker, and more.

Whimbrel is both a library and a CLI tool for automating the repetitive chores that creep into everyday development.
It lets you declare reusable tasks and run them in a consistent way across different parts of a project.

# Generate a .gitignore file based on the nature of the project
$ whim x gitignore:create

# Import another git repository into a monorepo while keeping version history
$ whim x git:import --from ~/projects/lonely-microservice --to ./services/new-microservice

# Update a package.json version, keeping any references up to date
$ whim x package.json:set-version --version 2.8.4 --internal-deps

Where possible, commands follow a “do what I mean” (DWIM) philosophy, aiming for sensible defaults and minimal boilerplate. Task execution comes with a --dry-run flag so you can inspect what would happen before making changes - because who wants a tool to run amok without safeguards?

Facets extend Whimbrel with domain-specific helpers, such as working with package.json, interacting with git, or handling Docker builds.
All facet tasks rely on Whimbrel’s mechanisms to ensure repeatability and control.

As a library, Whimbrel can be used to compose more complex plans, while the CLI is focused on executing individual tasks.

Whimbrel is available on npm as both a CLI and a library.

The Whimbrel CLI comes pre-loaded with all facets provided by the Whimbrel Project.

Install globally to use the whim command anywhere:

$ npm install -g whimbrel-cli

Or add it as a dev dependency in a project, to use with npx or in package.json scripts.

$ npm install --save-dev whimbrel-cli

When using Whimbrel as a library, you will have to pick and mix the facets that are relevant for your project, ie

$ npm add @whimbrel/core @whimbrel/pnpm @whimbrel/docker-compose @whimbrel/package.json

Whimbrel is shaped by a few guiding ideas:

• Do what I mean
  Commands should feel natural, with sensible defaults and minimal boilerplate. You tell Whimbrel what you want, and it fills in the obvious details.

• Safety first
  Every task supports --dry-run, and Whimbrel tracks what it touches. You can always inspect the outcome before committing to changes.

• Composable by design
  Tasks can be combined into larger flows when used as a library, so you can start small and grow into more complex automation. Facets and tasks can cooperate through shared mechanisms, so that different domains work together instead of in isolation.

• Extensible through facets
  New domains of functionality are added as facets. Each facet brings focused helpers, such as working with package.json, git, or Docker.

Whimbrel groups related tasks and functionality into facets. Each facet focuses on a specific domain, and provide their own features and tasks.

While primarily designed to be used as part of Whimbrel Plans and task execution, they can also be useful libraries on their own.

See CHANGELOG.md for more information

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