xmlprompt

XMLPrompt CLI

Zero‑mouse, zero‑boilerplate way to wrap any slice of your codebase in well‑formed XML and shoot it straight into your favourite LLM.

What is XMLPrompt CLI?

xmlprompt is a tiny interactive CLI that:

• scans your repo, obeying .gitignore & .xmlpromptignore;
• lets you star files/folders via an Ink‑powered tree view;
• streams the selection as pretty‑printed XML → clipboard / stdout / file.

It’s the missing capture tool for XML Prompt Builder — the visual prompt editor that turns those XML trees into production‑ready prompts.

Why XML style prompting?

• Hierarchy beats tokens. Wrapping each file in <file name="…">…</file> gives the llm clear boundaries for scope, folders, and filenames—this is what antwerp’s “de-chunking with xml” article recommends.
• Clarity and accuracy. xml tags make it easy for the model to separate context, instructions, and examples, reducing confusion and improving output quality.
• Streaming-friendly. xml is simple to append or concatenate while preserving structure.
• Decoder-friendly. many agents (chatgpt, claude, gemini) have dedicated xml tag parsers, which helps reduce hallucinations compared to markdown code fences.
• Flexibility. you can easily add, remove, or modify parts of your prompt by updating specific tags, without rewriting the whole thing.

Features

Feature	Details
Interactive TUI	Smooth scrolling tree, arrow‑key folding, tri‑state folder marks ✔ ／ － ／ ○
One‑touch export	Clipboard (TTY), stdout (when piped) or -o to a file
Config‑aware	Reads .gitignore
Single‑binary	Install once or just run npx xmlprompt
Cross‑platform	macOS (arm + x64), Linux, Windows/WSL

Quick Start

npx xmlprompt             # launch inside any git repo

Key	Action
↑ / ↓	move cursor
← / →	fold / unfold directory
Space	toggle select
Enter	generate XML
q / Esc	quit

Workflow tip: open ChatGPT or Gemini in one pane, your editor in another, and keep a terminal floating. xmlprompt > ⌘V > ask your question.

🛠️ Installation

npm  i -g xmlprompt     # global
pnpm add -g xmlprompt
bun xmlprompt          # zero‑install single run

Output schema

<root>
  <folder>
    <file>
      // code here…
    </file>
  </folder>
</root>

Binary files are skipped; line endings preserved.

Configuration

Same syntax as .gitignore; merged automatically.

Roadmap

• --watch mode → auto‑copy on save
• VS Code “Copy as XML” command
• Tauri drag‑and‑drop desktop wrapper

Vote or propose features in issues.

🪪 License

MIT © 2025 Sandheep & contributors