Zolo

Zolo is a Simple CLI tool to run tasks defined in YAML or JSON configs.

What it does:

It defines and runs complex task workflows (e.g., build, test, deploy) with dependencies, retries, and parallel execution.

Why it’s useful:

Developers often write custom scripts for task automation, but managing dependencies and retries can be messy. This package would provide a clean, declarative way to define and run tasks.

Table of Contents

1. Installation
2. Create a Task Configuration File
3. Run the CLI Tool
4. Expected Output
5. Advanced Use Cases
6. Key Features

Step 1: Installation

npm i zolo

Step 2: Create a Task Configuration File

Example tasks.yaml:

tasks:
  build:
    command: "npm run build"
    retries: 2 # Retry up to 2 times if the task fails
  test:
    command: "npm test"
    dependsOn: ["build"] # Run "build" task before "test"
  deploy:
    command: "npm run deploy"
    dependsOn: ["test"] # Run "test" task before "deploy"

or

Example tasks.json:

{
  "tasks": {
    "build": {
      "command": "npm run build",
      "retries": 2
    },
    "test": {
      "command": "npm test",
      "dependsOn": ["build"]
    },
    "deploy": {
      "command": "npm run deploy",
      "dependsOn": ["test"]
    }
  }
}

Step 3: Run the CLI Tool

zolo --config tasks.yaml

#or

zolo --config tasks.json

Step 4: Output

When the user runs the CLI tool, they’ll see output like this:

✔ Running task: npm run build
✔ Running task: npm test
✔ Running task: npm run deploy

If a task fails and retries are configured, they’ll see something like this:

✖ Running task: npm run build
⚠ Task failed: npm run build
ℹ Retrying in 1 seconds...
✔ Running task: npm run build (retry 1)
✔ Running task: npm test
✔ Running task: npm run deploy

Step 5: Advanced Use Cases

• Parallel Execution:

If the user wants to run tasks in parallel, they can modify the tasks.yaml file:

tasks:
  lint:
    command: "npm run lint"
  build:
    command: "npm run build"
  test:
    command: "npm test"
    dependsOn: ["lint", "build"] # Run "lint" and "build" in parallel

• Environment Variables:

The user can use environment variables in their commands:

tasks:
  deploy:
    command: "npm run deploy --env=${DEPLOY_ENV}"

Key Features

• Define tasks in a YAML or JSON config.
• Support for parallel and sequential execution.
• Retry failed tasks with exponential backoff.