A Different Way to Build Rust CLIs: tkucli vs clap

Most Rust CLIs today are built with clap—and for good reason. It’s powerful, flexible, and deeply integrated with Rust.

But there’s another approach worth exploring.

Two ways to define a CLI

clap (code-first)

#[derive(Parser)]
struct Cli {
    #[command(subcommand)]
    command: Commands,
}

You define your CLI structure directly in Rust.

tkucli (config-first)

[[resource]]
name = "users"

[[resource.operation]]
verb = "list"

You define your CLI as a schema, and the framework generates the rest.

Key differences

What this changes

With clap, your CLI is part of your code.

With tkucli, your CLI becomes data that drives your code.

That enables:

• clearer separation between interface and logic
• easier structural changes
• a shared definition for CLI and TUI

When each works well

clap

• You want full control in Rust
• Your CLI is stable
• You prefer explicit code

tkucli

• Your CLI evolves frequently
• You want a declarative structure
• You like separating interface from implementation

Takeaway

These aren’t competing so much as different design choices:

• clap → code-first CLI
• tkucli → schema-driven CLI

If you’ve only used one style, it’s worth trying the other—you might find it fits certain projects better.

Project

https://github.com/ggzy12345/tkucli