PromptNG ⚡

A control plane for composable AI prompting

Overview · Quick Install · Usage Examples · Variables · Sources · Save · Tasks · Tutorials · References · Packs · Integrations · Contributing · License

📖 Overview

Create ready-to-use, high-quality prompts with a single command 🚀

PromptNG is a modular CLI for composing, managing, and orchestrating reusable AI prompt components.

Instead of storing static snippets, PromptNG treats prompts as structured building blocks — roles, tasks, content, reasoning patterns, and controls — that can be assembled, parameterized, and reused across projects.

Designed for users who think in systems, not snippets.

✨ Why PromptNG?

• 🧱 Modular prompt components
• 🤖 Agent presets
• 🧩 Variable injection
• 🎛 Fine-grained controls
• 💻 CLI workflow
• 📡🔌 Integrations: Agentic AI systems, pipelines, Bash, Python & more

🙋 Built For

• Developers and AI engineers building system-driven prompting workflows instead of ad-hoc prompt strings
• Prompt engineers designing composable architectures using roles, tasks, patterns, and control layers
• DevOps and automation engineers embedding prompt generation into pipelines, scripts, and terminal-native processes
• Technical teams standardizing and versioning prompt logic as reusable, evolvable components
• Power users treating prompts as programmable interfaces rather than static text
• Students and educators learning how structured prompting enables more reliable and controllable AI behavior

💡 Why It Matters

PromptNG turns prompting into a structured, scalable system:

• Reduce costs & token usage
  Avoid inefficient prompts and unnecessary API calls
• Improve output quality
  Generate consistent, reliable AI responses
• Work faster
  Build prompts instantly instead of starting from scratch
• Eliminate repetition
  Reuse prompt logic across projects
• Scale without chaos
  Grow from a few prompts to many while keeping everything organized
• Standardize AI interactions
  Ensure consistent behavior across teams and environments
• Think in systems, not strings
  Move from ad-hoc prompts to structured, intentional design
• Treat prompts like code
  Versioned, reusable, and maintainable assets

📥 Quick Install

Option 1: Install With pip And Run

pip install --upgrade promptng  # or pip3 or pip3.exe depending on your system
pp --help

This option requires pip already installed on your machine.

Option 2: Install From Source And Run Using Virtual Environment

# 1. Install uv (if not installed)

# Linux / macOS
curl -Ls https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh

# Windows (PowerShell)
powershell -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -c "irm https://astral.sh/uv/install.ps1 | iex"

# 2. Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/estebantechdev/prompt-ng.git

# 3. Enter the project directory
cd prompt-ng

# 4. (Optional) Let uv install a compatible Python version automatically
# This will install and use a supported version (e.g., 3.11 or 3.12)
uv python install

# 5. Sync dependencies (creates .venv and installs everything)
uv sync

# If your virtual environment is not activated, run:

# Linux / macOS
source .venv/bin/activate

# Windows (PowerShell)
Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser
.venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1

# 6. Run PromptNG
uv run pp --help

# Example usage
uv run pp list roles

# Optional: install as a global CLI tool
uv tool install .

# Then you can run:
pp --help

Important

If you encounter: "env: 'python3': No such file or directory", ensure the first line of main.py is:

#!/usr/bin/env python

Important

📋 Clipboard features on Linux require external tools.
Install xsel or xclip using your system package manager.
On Wayland-based systems, you may need wl-clipboard.

More Installation Options

🔗 More Installation Options

🧪 Usage Examples

Listing Prompt Components

Roles

List available roles:

pp list roles

Filter results using a single pattern:

# Linux / macOS
pp list roles | grep exe

# Windows (PowerShell)
pp list roles | findstr exe

Filter results using multiple patterns (te or utor):

# Linux / macOS
pp list roles | grep -E 'te|utor'

# Windows (PowerShell)
pp list roles | Select-String -Pattern "te|utor"

Example output:

executor
technical_instructor
tutor

Note

The list command may also be used with the following parameters: agents, content, controls, pattern_groups, patterns, projects, skills, tasks.

Note

The search command lets you quickly find built-in and custom prompt components in the prompts library.

Examples

# List all matches for “role”
pp search role

This will return ranked results containing any items related to “role”, including filenames and content matches.

For a full list of available CLI commands, refer to the official 🔗 PromptNG Commands documentation.

Workflows

PromptNG supports two workflows:

• build generates a prompt using a predefined agent preset.

• compose generates a prompt by manually combining role, task, and pattern components.

controls and content are optional components and can be included as needed—they are not required.

Creating A Prompt With build

Create a prompt using a predefined agent:

pp build math_tutor --var input="Explain recursion"

Copy the generated prompt directly to the clipboard:

pp build math_tutor --var input="Explain recursion" --copy

compose A Prompt From Components

Compose a prompt by combining a role, task, and pattern:

pp compose \
  --role tutor \
  --task explain \
  --pattern step_by_step \
  --var input="Boolean algebra simplification"

Including multiple patterns and variables:

pp compose \
  --role tutor \
  --task explain \
  --pattern socratic \
  --pattern step_by_step \
  --var input="Gravity" \
  --var theorist="Albert Einstein"

Note

The explanation response from the AI model used will vary depending on the selected theorist. With Albert Einstein will frame "gravity" as the curvature of spacetime; with Isaac Newton will describe gravity as a force acting between masses.

The variable theorist does not exist in the built-in version of the task explain. It has been introduced intentionally for this example to demonstrate how custom variables can modify and enrich a prompt’s behavior.

Tip

If you do not need to create additional --var variables such as theorist, you can embed the context directly in the input parameter:

pp compose --role tutor --task explain --pattern socratic --pattern step_by_step --var input="Gravity, by Isaac Newton" --copy

💉 Using --var Variables

To inject dynamic values into your prompt, the template must reference them using Jinja syntax.

Your task file (inside tasks/) must include at least one variable placeholder. For example:

{{ input }}

The variable name in the template must match the key used in the command line.

For example, {{ input }} in the template corresponds to the input variable passed via the CLI.

Note

If you omit the --var parameter, the prompt will be generated without injected values. This allows you to preview, copy, or reuse the base prompt structure independently.

📁 Variable Sources

PromptNG supports three types of variable sources:

1. Literal Variables (--var)

Use --var to pass simple key-value pairs directly from the command line.

pp compose \
  --role tutor \
  --task explain \
  --pattern socratic \
  --var input="Random text"

Note

• Format must be key=value
• Values are treated as plain text
• Best suited for short inputs or dynamic values

2. Single File (--var-file)

Use --var-file to load the value of a variable from a file instead of passing it inline.

The entire file content is injected as the variable value, making this ideal for larger inputs such as articles, datasets, or structured prompts.

Example

pp compose \
  --role tutor \
  --task explain \
  --pattern socratic \
  --var-file input=content/puzzle.md

Note

Supported file formats include .md, .txt, and extensionless (plain text) files. Only .md files are listed when using pp list.

You can omit the extension:

--var-file input=content/<category>/<file>

Tip

Store your files under content/ to reference them by name without specifying full paths and keep all your prompt components in one place.

Path resolution

--var-file resolves file paths by first checking the provided path as-is relative to the current working directory, automatically trying .md and .txt extensions if none are specified; if not found, it attempts to resolve the path relative to the project root (BASE_DIR) using the same extension fallback; finally, it performs a recursive search within the content/ directory, matching files by exact name or by name without extension (limited to .md, .txt, or no extension).

3. Recursive Directory (--var-dir)

Use --var-dir to load and combine the contents of all files in a directory.

All files are read recursively and concatenated into a single variable.

Example

pp compose \
  --role tutor \
  --task explain \
  --pattern socratic \
  --var-dir input=content \
  --copy

Caution

Using --var-dir on very large directories can produce a combined variable that exceeds your AI model's context window, which may cause truncation or errors. Consider limiting the number or size of files loaded.

--var-dir input=content/<category>/<sub-category>/

Tip

Store your files under content/ to reference them by name without specifying full paths and keep all your prompt components in one place.

File filtering

Only .md and .txt files are included when loading directory contents. Hidden files (such as .DS_Store) and any unsupported file types are ignored during the process.

Path resolution

--var-dir resolves directory paths by first checking the provided path as-is relative to the current working directory; if not found, it attempts to resolve the path relative to the project root (BASE_DIR). Once resolved, it recursively loads all .md and .txt files within the directory (ignoring hidden files) and concatenates their contents into a single value separated by blank lines. No additional recursive lookup is performed if the directory is not found.

Combining All Variable Sources

You can combine multiple variable sources in the same command:

pp compose \
  --role tutor \
  --task explain \
  --pattern didactic \
  --var input="Random text" \
  --var-file input2=./content/puzzle.md \
  --var-dir input3=./content \
  --copy

This allows complex prompt construction from multiple sources.

Note

The variables input2 and input3 don't exist in the built-in version of the task explain.

⚠️ Variable Overwriting Behavior

Important

If the same variable name is used multiple times, the last processed value overrides previous ones.

• Processing order: --var → --var-file → --var-dir

Example

pp compose \
  --role tutor \
  --task explain \
  --pattern didactic \
  --var input="Random text" \
  --var-file input=./content/puzzle.md \
  --var-dir input=./content \
  --copy

Tip

✔ Use unique variable names whenever possible.
✔ Declare expected variables clearly in your task templates.
✔ Reuse variable names only when intentional overwriting is desired.

💾 Save Prompts

You can redirect the output of the command to an external file if you want to save or reuse the generated prompt.

Examples

pp build math_tutor --var input="Explain recursion" > my_prompt.txt

pp compose \
  --role tutor \
  --task explain \
  --pattern didactic \
  --var input="Random text" \
  --var-file input=./content/puzzle.md \
  --var-dir input=./content \
  > my_prompt.txt

View the saved prompt:

cat /path/to/my_prompt.txt

⚙️ Types Of Tasks

PromptNG provides two built-in, generic task types: explain and action, which together cover most AI–human interaction scenarios.

▶️ Action — Start / Run the task and produce a result.
💬 Explain — Describe the reasoning without performing any tasks.

We introduced the explain task in the previous examples. Now it's time to look at a couple of examples using the action task.

Creating Action Prompts With build

To create an action prompt with build, you must use the built-in action_agent agent and pass a single variable named action as a command parameter. This variable maps directly to the built-in task action. The entire action content must be provided as the value of action after the = sign.

Example

pp build action_agent --var action="Make a shopping list"

Tip

Quickly filter the list of available agents:

pp list agents | grep action

Tip

View the full definition of a specific agent:

pp show agents/action_agent

Tip

Start from the action_agent file when creating new action agents, such as software_tester.
See later sections for advanced usage.

Creating Action Prompts With compose

To create an action prompt with compose, you must use the built-in executor role and pass a single task named compose_action in the command parameters. The action content must be defined through the action variable, while context and examples remain optional but are strongly recommended to improve output quality.

The following example demonstrates how context and examples can guide an AI language model to better understand the request and generate more accurate, reliable results:

pp compose \
  --role executor \
  --task compose_action \
  --pattern verify_before_execute \
  --pattern plan_execute \
  --pattern structured_output \
  --var action="Make a shopping list" \
  --var context="I am at the computer store" \
  --var examples="|Item |Brand |Price | |Mouse |Genius |$45.75 |"

Tip

List available categories and components:

# List main categories
pp show prompts

# List a category
# pp list <category>
pp list roles

# List a subcategory
# pp list <category>/<subcategory>
pp list content/dev

Tip

View the full definition of a specific component:

# pp show <category>/<component>
pp show roles/executor
pp list content/dev/testing

Tip

Use the provided example as a starting point when creating new action prompts with compose.
See later sections for advanced features, such as using controls.

📘 Tutorials

🧱 Creating Prompt Components

Want a step-by-step guide to creating new agents, roles, tasks, and patterns?

🔗 Creating And Using New Prompt Components

Complete tutorial on how to create and use a pattern group.

🔗 Creating And Using Pattern Groups

🎛 Prompt Control Layers

Understand how PromptNG separates execution control from output behavior:

🔗 Prompt Control Layers

Understanding how to use prompt controls in agentic systems.

🔗 Prompt Controls In Agentic Systems

📡 AI Systems Integration

Learn how to integrate PromptNG with external AI systems and codebases by centralizing agents, skills, commands, and other AI interaction logic in a shared prompts/ directory.

This guide covers how to structure global and project-level AI components, avoid duplication across repositories, and connect external projects using symbolic links for a clean, scalable architecture.

🔗 AI Systems Integration Guide

🗂 References

🧱 Prompt Components

The prompts directory contains the core building blocks for creating prompts in PromptNG, organized into subdirectories that represent specific component types such as roles, tasks, patterns, and agent presets.

🔗 Prompt Components Reference

🧾 YAML Configuration

Learn how to define agent presets and pattern groups using YAML files, including syntax, structure, and best practices.

🔗 YAML Files Configuration

💻 Command Reference

For a complete list of available commands and quick CLI examples:

🔗 Command Usage

🧠 Concepts

Understanding modern prompting frameworks helps you use PromptNG more effectively.

🔗 The Iceberg Of Prompting

A quick reference for key terminology used across PromptNG.

🔗 Glossary Of Terms

📦 Prompt Component Packs

Component Packs are curated collections of prompt components designed to work together as cohesive, reusable building blocks.

Packs Are Powerful

Adding a single component helps—but Packs unlock much more:

• Designed To Work Together
  Components are built to integrate seamlessly.

• Opinionated By Design
  Built-in best practices, not guesswork.

• Faster Implementation
  Activate full workflows instantly.

• Versioned & Evolvable
  Easy to improve and maintain over time.

• Team Standardization
  Consistent results across projects.

• Shareable Ecosystems
  Package and reuse complete solutions.

Create and Share Your Own Packs

One of the most powerful aspects of PromptNG is that anyone can create their own Pack.

If you’ve developed a useful combination of components, you can:

• Package it into a reusable system
• Share it with your team or the community
• Continuously improve it through versions
• Contribute to a growing ecosystem of domain-specific Packs

Users can explore guidelines and published Packs here: 🔗 PromptNG Packs Repository.

Examples of Component Packs

• 🔬 Software Testing Pack
  Includes test generation tasks, edge-case patterns, QA roles, and validation controls

• 📊 Data Analysis Pack
  Provides analyst roles, structured output patterns, and transformation tasks

• 🎓 Education Pack
  Combines tutor roles, explanation tasks, and step-by-step reasoning patterns

• ♾️ DevOps Pack
  Includes automation roles, action tasks, and execution/verification patterns

Once added, all components in a Pack become available through the CLI—giving you a complete, ready-to-use prompting system in seconds.

🔌 Execution Integrations

🔧 Pipelines

PromptNG outputs plain text, which means it integrates naturally with the Unix philosophy of small tools connected by pipes.

This allows prompts to flow directly into other programs such as AI models, speech engines, desktop tools, APIs, and automation scripts.

Example

pp build math_tutor --var input="Explain recursion" \
| ollama run llama3 \
| espeak-ng

Pipeline flow:

• PromptNG → LLM → speech synthesis

For more examples and integrations with tools such as curl, pandoc, zenity, and netcat, see: 🔗 Prompt Pipelines.

🐚 Bash Scripting

PromptNG integrates easily with shell scripts and command-line automation.

Because Bash expands variables before executing a command, you can dynamically construct prompts using variables or command outputs.

Example

topic="recursion"
language="Python"

pp build math_tutor --var input="Explain ${topic} in ${language}"

PromptNG can also consume values from other commands or scripts, making it ideal for automation pipelines.

For more examples using Bash variables, command substitution, and scripting patterns, see: 🔗 Using Bash Variables With PromptNG.

🐍 Python Integration

PromptNG can be used seamlessly inside Python scripts, enabling automation, testing, and integration with larger applications.

Example

import subprocess


def test_pp_list_roles():
    result = subprocess.run(
        ["pp", "list", "roles"],
        capture_output=True,
        text=True
    )

    assert result.returncode == 0, "Command failed"
    assert result.stdout.strip() != "", "No output returned"

    print(result.stdout)


if __name__ == "__main__":
    test_pp_list_roles()

To run the script:

python test.py

🔗 More Examples With Python.

🤝 Contributions

Contributions are always welcome in the PromptNG ecosystem.

Whether you're fixing a small issue or introducing a complete Component Pack, your work helps expand what others can build.

If you’ve built something reusable, open a pull request and help grow the ecosystem.

Ways To Contribute

You can contribute in several ways:

• 📦 Create New Component Packs
  Design Packs for specific domains, workflows, or industries and share them with the community.

• 🧱 Add or Improve Components
  Enhance existing components or introduce reusable ones.

• 🐞 Report Bugs & Suggest Features
  Help improve stability and propose new ideas.

• 📚 Improve Documentation
  Add examples, clarify concepts, and expand guides.

📜 License

This project is licensed under the GPL-3.0 - see the LICENSE file for details.