tzst/docs/api/cli.md

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CLI API

The command-line interface module provides comprehensive functionality for the tzst CLI tool, including argument parsing, command execution, and interactive features.

.. automodule:: tzst.cli
   :members:
   :undoc-members:
   :show-inheritance:
   :no-index:

Overview

The tzst CLI provides a powerful command-line interface for archive operations with intuitive commands and comprehensive options. The interface is designed for both interactive use and scripting, with robust error handling and user-friendly output.

Core Commands

Command	Aliases	Description	Streaming Support
a	add, create	Create or add to archive	N/A
x	extract	Extract with full paths	--streaming
e	extract-flat	Extract without directory structure	--streaming
l	list	List archive contents	--streaming
t	test	Test archive integrity	--streaming

Key Features

• Intuitive Commands: Simple, memorable command aliases (a, x, e, l, t)
• Streaming Support: Memory-efficient processing for large archives
• Interactive Conflict Resolution: User-friendly prompts for handling file conflicts
• Comprehensive Options: Fine-grained control over compression, extraction, and security
• Cross-Platform: Consistent behavior across Windows, macOS, and Linux

Main Functions

main

.. autofunction:: tzst.cli.main

The main entry point for the CLI application. Handles argument parsing, command execution, and comprehensive error reporting.

Key Features:

• Robust argument validation and error handling
• Support for all archive operations
• Consistent exit codes for scripting
• User-friendly error messages

Exit Codes:

• 0: Success
• 1: General error (file not found, archive corruption, etc.)
• 2: Argument parsing error
• 130: Interrupted by user (Ctrl+C)

create_parser

.. autofunction:: tzst.cli.create_parser

Creates and configures the comprehensive argument parser for the CLI interface.

Supported Arguments:

• Global: --version, --help
• Archive Creation: -l/--level, --no-atomic
• Extraction: -o/--output, --streaming, --filter, --conflict-resolution
• Listing: -v/--verbose, --streaming
• Testing: --streaming

Command Handlers

The CLI implements dedicated command handlers for each operation, providing specialized functionality and error handling.

Archive Creation Commands

cmd_add

Creates new archives from files and directories with configurable compression and atomic operations.

Features:

• Configurable compression levels (1-22)
• Atomic file operations (default) for safe creation
• Recursive directory processing
• Path validation and normalization

Usage Examples:

# Basic archive creation
tzst a backup.tzst documents/ photos/

# High compression with atomic disabled
tzst a backup.tzst files/ -l 15 --no-atomic

Extraction Commands

cmd_extract_full

Extracts archives preserving complete directory structure with advanced conflict resolution.

Features:

• Preserves full directory paths
• Multiple conflict resolution strategies
• Security filters for safe extraction
• Selective file extraction
• Streaming mode for large archives

cmd_extract_flat

Extracts archives flattening all files to a single directory, useful for consolidating files.

Features:

• Flattens directory structure
• Automatic conflict resolution for filename collisions
• Preserves file content while simplifying structure
• Same security and streaming features as full extraction

Management Commands

cmd_list

Lists archive contents with optional detailed information and streaming support.

Features:

• Simple or verbose listing modes
• Human-readable file sizes
• Modification timestamps
• Streaming mode for memory efficiency

cmd_test

Tests archive integrity and validity with comprehensive error reporting.

Features:

• Complete archive validation
• Streaming mode support
• Detailed error reporting
• Exit codes for automated testing

cmd_version

Displays version information and system details.

Utility Functions

print_banner

.. autofunction:: tzst.cli.print_banner

Displays the application banner with version and copyright information.

format_size

.. autofunction:: tzst.cli.format_size

Formats file sizes in a human-readable format (bytes, KB, MB, GB).

validate_compression_level

.. autofunction:: tzst.cli.validate_compression_level

Validates compression level arguments and converts them to integers.

Interactive Features

The CLI includes interactive conflict resolution for file extraction conflicts, allowing users to choose how to handle existing files during extraction operations.

Conflict Resolution Options

• Replace: Overwrite the existing file
• Skip: Keep the existing file, skip extraction
• Replace All: Apply replace to all subsequent conflicts
• Skip All: Apply skip to all subsequent conflicts
• Auto-rename All: Automatically rename conflicting files
• Exit: Stop extraction process

Security Considerations

The CLI implements multiple security filters for safe extraction:

• data filter (default): Safest option, blocks potentially dangerous archive members
• tar filter: Preserves more tar features while maintaining basic security
• fully_trusted filter: No restrictions, use only with completely trusted archives

Performance Options

• Streaming Mode: Use --streaming for memory-efficient processing of large archives (>100MB)
• Compression Levels: Choose from 1 (fastest) to 22 (maximum compression)
• Atomic Operations: Default behavior uses temporary files for safe archive creation