ArabDevs CLI

Simple Arabic-first CLI that connects to Google Gemini to explain, debug, and document codebases. Built by Arab developers for Arab developers — fast setup, clear Arabic logs, and RTL-safe output in any terminal.

Contribution

• Mohamed Abdelhady (me)
• Adham Ashraf
• Gamal Khaled
• Ahmed Sabry

Requirements

• Node.js 20+ (required by commander@14 and @google/genai)
• npm 9+
• Google AI Studio API key with access to Gemini models
• Internet access (the CLI calls Google’s REST API)

Core Dependencies

• commander – CLI argument parsing
• chalk – colored terminal output
• @google/genai – Gemini API client (Gemini 2.5)
• arabic-reshaper + bidi-js – fix Arabic text rendering in LTR terminals
• ignore – respects .gitignore when scanning files
• dotenv – load .env files automatically
• fs-extra – filesystem helpers (future features)

Installation

git clone https://github.com/<your-org>/ArabDevs-toolkit.git
cd "ArabDevs toolkit"
npm install
npm link   # optional for global `arabdevs` command

If you prefer running without npm link, use node bin/cli.js <command>.

Configuration

Store the Gemini API key once:

arabdevs config --key AIzaSyXXXXXXXXXXXX

This writes the key to ~/.arabdevs-config.json. As an alternative, set any of these environment variables or .env entries: GEMINI_API_KEY, GOOGLE_API_KEY, ARABDEVS_API_KEY.

Available Commands

Command	Description
arabdevs help	Show compact help with RTL-friendly Arabic text.
arabdevs comment [path]	Generate Arabic code comments. If path is omitted, scans the whole project (excluding ignored files).
arabdevs debug [path] --error "<stack>"	Send code plus an optional CLI error message for diagnosis. If path is missing, you must pass --error.
arabdevs explain <file>	Explain a single file in Arabic.
arabdevs generate <path>	Build GENERATED_README.md from the given directory’s files.
arabdevs config --key <KEY>	Save or update the Gemini key locally.

Usage Examples

# Comment current project
arabdevs comment

# Comment specific file
arabdevs comment src/api/client.js

# Debug file with error output
arabdevs debug src/index.js --error "TypeError: cannot read properties of undefined"

# Explain file
arabdevs explain src/utils/logger.js

# Generate README for entire repo
arabdevs generate .

Arabic Rendering

The CLI reshapes and reorders Arabic text using arabic-reshaper + bidi-js, so terminals that lack native RTL support still show connected letters. If output still appears disjointed, install a font with Arabic glyphs (e.g., “Noto Sans Arabic”) or run the command inside an RTL-aware terminal emulator.

Troubleshooting

• “unknown option '--key'” → Run arabdevs config --key <KEY> (sub-command required).
• Missing generate path → Pass a directory or file: arabdevs generate ..
• Gemini 404 / model unavailable → Ensure your key has access to Gemini models and the machine can reach https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com. The CLI automatically tries multiple model IDs.
• RTL output still broken → Confirm locale and font; export LC_ALL=ar_EG.UTF-8 to hint RTL support.

Development Scripts

npm test           # placeholder – add tests as needed
node test-direct.js  # quick API connectivity test

How to make a contribution?

1. Fork the repo & create a branch.
2. Make changes with clear inline comments only where needed.
3. Run lint/tests (if configured).
4. Submit a PR describing the change in plain Arabic or English—no emojis.

License

ISC License © ArabDevs. Feel free to fork, customize, and publish your own distributions as long as attribution remains.