gh-formatting

Display help about formatting JSON output from gh using jq

$ gh formatting

gh-formatting [OPTIONS] [FILES...]

Hypothetically, it would take one or more files as arguments and apply specified formatting rules, or read from standard input.

-s, --stdin
    Hypothetically, reads input from standard input instead of files.

-o, --output FILE
    Hypothetically, writes formatted output to a specified file. If not provided, output would go to standard output.

-c, --check
    Hypothetically, performs a dry run, checking for formatting issues without modifying any files. Returns a non-zero exit code if issues are found.

--fix
    Hypothetically, attempts to automatically fix detected formatting issues in the specified files. This would modify files in place.

--style STYLE_NAME
    Hypothetically, specifies a predefined formatting style or preset (e.g., github, commonmark) to apply.

--config PATH
    Hypothetically, specifies a path to a custom configuration file (e.g., .ghformattingrc) that defines specific formatting rules.

--verbose
    Hypothetically, prints detailed information about the formatting process and any detected issues.

The gh-formatting command, if it existed, would serve as a utility to ensure consistency and readability of content intended for GitHub, such as Markdown files for issues, pull requests, wikis, or project documentation. It could automate common formatting tasks like enforcing Markdown style guides, pretty-printing configuration files (e.g., YAML, JSON), and linting code snippets embedded in Markdown.

Its purpose would be to improve collaboration by maintaining uniform presentation across various types of GitHub content, making contributions clearer and easier to review for project maintainers.

It is important to note that gh-formatting is not a standard or officially recognized Linux command or a subcommand of the GitHub CLI (gh). This analysis describes a hypothetical command based on its suggestive name, outlining what such a tool might conceptually provide for GitHub-related content formatting. Users should rely on standard text formatting tools, linters, and the gh CLI for specific GitHub interactions and content preparation.

A tool like gh-formatting would bridge the gap between general text formatting and GitHub's specific display and collaboration features. Its scope would ideally extend beyond simple Markdown to encompass common configuration file types (YAML, JSON) and potentially integrate with `git` hooks to enforce formatting standards before commits, ensuring all content pushed to GitHub repositories adheres to project guidelines.

If integrated as a gh subcommand (e.g., gh format), it could potentially be used directly for preparing content for issues (e.g., gh issue create --body-file <(gh-formatting my_issue_body.md)) or pull requests, streamlining the contribution workflow by automating content styling before submission.

As gh-formatting is a hypothetical command, it does not have a documented history of development or usage. Conceptually, its design would likely be influenced by the growing need for automated content consistency in collaborative environments like GitHub, drawing inspiration from existing code formatters and Markdown linters that improve developer experience and project maintainability.

gh(1) (GitHub CLI), markdownlint (various implementations for Markdown linting), prettier (multi-language code formatter), yamllint (YAML linter)