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MacroCLI Harness Builder

Builds a CLI-Anything harness that automates GUI apps via macros, file edits, and vision-driven steps

Source Download skill
Repository
HKUDS/CLI-Anything
Stars
58,084
Licence
Apache-2.0
Files
15 files

What it does

This skill teaches an AI agent to build, refine, test, or validate a command-line wrapper (a 'harness') around a desktop app or source repository, following the CLI-Anything methodology. The included macrocli harness is a macro runner: it executes recorded steps that can drive a GUI app with hotkeys or clicks, edit project files (XML, JSON, text), or ask a vision model to decide actions on screen. Part of the package is a set of backends that can call an OpenAI-compatible API for screen-based steps.

Great for

  • Developers who want an AI agent to generate a CLI wrapper for a GUI application
  • Teams automating repetitive steps in desktop tools that lack scripting interfaces
  • Maintainers reviewing or extending the macrocli harness code

Skip it if

  • Non-technical users expecting a ready-to-use app: the skill generates and edits code rather than doing the task itself
  • Running macros against sensitive desktops or accounts without review: GUI and vision-driven backends act on the live screen and can click or type unexpectedly
  • Environments where sending screenshots to a third-party model API is not permitted

Try asking

  • “Build a CLI-Anything harness for this GIMP source folder”
  • “Refine the existing macrocli harness by adding missing commands and running its tests”
  • “Create a test plan and test_core.py for a new harness, then run pip install -e to verify it”
  • “Validate that a harness has a working setup.py entry point and JSON output”
Step-by-step guide: how to use MacroCLI Harness BuilderInstall, first run, examples, tips and FAQs

Install in 3 steps

  1. 1

    Download the skill

    The ZIP contains the 15 original files, the Apache-2.0 licence and an attribution note.

    macrocli.zip
  2. 2

    Add it to your agent

    Claude Code (all projects)

    mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && unzip macrocli.zip -d ~/.claude/skills/

    Claude Code / Agent SDK (this project only)

    mkdir -p .claude/skills && unzip macrocli.zip -d .claude/skills/

    Claude apps (web/desktop): Settings → Capabilities → Skills → Upload skill, and choose the ZIP.

  3. 3

    Ask for the task

    No special command needed — the agent reads the skill's description and loads it when your request matches. Try one of the prompts above.

Get better results

  • Review generated harness code and test results before running any GUI or vision macro on a real machine
  • Keep API keys in environment variables rather than in macro YAML files, and check which screenshots are sent to the model provider
  • Start with dry-run mode and file_transform steps to confirm macros behave before enabling GUI automation

What's inside

  • agent-harness/cli_anything/macrocli/__init__.py
  • agent-harness/cli_anything/macrocli/__main__.py
  • agent-harness/cli_anything/macrocli/backends/__init__.py
  • agent-harness/cli_anything/macrocli/backends/base.py
  • agent-harness/cli_anything/macrocli/backends/file_transform.py
  • agent-harness/cli_anything/macrocli/backends/gui_agent.py
  • agent-harness/cli_anything/macrocli/backends/gui_macro.py
  • agent-harness/cli_anything/macrocli/backends/native_api.py
  • agent-harness/cli_anything/macrocli/backends/recovery.py
  • agent-harness/cli_anything/macrocli/backends/semantic_ui.py
  • agent-harness/cli_anything/macrocli/README.md
  • agent-harness/cli_anything/macrocli/skills/SKILL.md
  • agent-harness/DEMO.md
  • agent-harness/MACROCLI.md
  • SKILL.md

Redistributed unmodified from HKUDS/CLI-Anything under the Apache-2.0 licence. The assessment was drafted with AI from the skill's files on 2026-10-29. Skills can instruct your agent to run code — read SKILL.md and any scripts before installing.