Update GH CLI Extensions article to mention precompiled extensions (#23192)

* Update GH CLI Extensions article to mention precompiled extensions * minor fixes * typo fix * Apply suggestions from code review Co-authored-by: Ethan Palm <56270045+ethanpalm@users.noreply.github.com>
2025-12-19 18:10:59 -05:00 · 2021-12-03 17:50:36 -06:00
parent a2a0569c84
commit 1b00f1e33d
1 changed files with 141 additions and 13 deletions
--- a/content/github-cli/github-cli/creating-github-cli-extensions.md
+++ b/content/github-cli/github-cli/creating-github-cli-extensions.md
@@ -14,15 +14,21 @@ topics:

 {% data reusables.cli.cli-extensions %} For more information about how to use {% data variables.product.prodname_cli %} extensions, see "[Using {% data variables.product.prodname_cli %} extensions](/github-cli/github-cli/using-github-cli-extensions)."

-You need a repository for each extension that you create. The repository name must start with `gh-`. The rest of the repository name is the name of the extension. At the root of the repository, there must be an executable file with the same name as the repository. This file will be executed when the extension is invoked.
+You need a repository for each extension that you create. The repository name must start with `gh-`. The rest of the repository name is the name of the extension. The repository must have an executable file at its root with the same name as the repository or a set of precompiled binary executables attached to a release.

 {% note %}

-**Note**: We recommend that the executable file is a bash script because bash is a widely available interpreter. You may use non-bash scripts, but the user must have the necessary interpreter installed in order to use the extension.
+**Note**: When relying on an executable script, we recommend using a bash script because bash is a widely available interpreter. You may use non-bash scripts, but the user must have the necessary interpreter installed in order to use the extension. If you would prefer to not rely on users having interpreters installed, consider a precompiled extension.

 {% endnote %}

-## Creating an extension with `gh extension create`
+## Creating an interpreted extension with `gh extension create`
+
+{% note %}
+
+**Note**: Running `gh extension create` with no arguments will start an interactive wizard.
+
+{% endnote %}

 You can use the `gh extension create` command to create a project for your extension, including a bash script that contains some starter code.

@@ -34,7 +40,35 @@ You can use the `gh extension create` command to create a project for your exten

 1. Follow the printed instructions to finalize and optionally publish your extension.

-## Creating an extension manually
+## Creating a precompiled extension in Go with `gh extension create`
+
+You can use the `--precompiled=go` argument to create a Go-based project for your extension, including Go scaffolding, workflow scaffolding, and starter code.
+
+1. Set up a new extension by using the `gh extension create` subcommand. Replace `EXTENSION-NAME` with the name of your extension and specify `--precompiled=go`.
+
+    ```shell
+    gh extension create --precompiled=go <em>EXTENSION-NAME</em>
+    ```
+
+1. Follow the printed instructions to finalize and optionally publish your extension.
+
+## Creating a non-Go precompiled extension with `gh extension create`
+
+You can use the `--precompiled=other` argument to create a project for your non-Go precompiled extension, including workflow scaffolding.
+
+1. Set up a new extension by using the `gh extension create` subcommand. Replace `EXTENSION-NAME` with the name of your extension and specify `--precompiled=other`.
+
+    ```shell
+    gh extension create --precompiled=other <em>EXTENSION-NAME</em>
+    ```
+
+1. Add some initial code for your extension in your compiled language of choice.
+
+1. Fill in `script/build.sh` with code to build your extension to ensure that your extension can be built automatically.
+
+1. Follow the printed instructions to finalize and optionally publish your extension.
+
+## Creating an interpreted extension manually

 1. Create a local directory called `gh-EXTENSION-NAME` for your extension. Replace `EXTENSION-NAME` with the name of your extension. For example, `gh-whoami`.

@@ -56,7 +90,7 @@ You can use the `gh extension create` command to create a project for your exten

 1. From your directory, install the extension as a local extension.

-   ```bash
+   ```shell
   gh extension install .
   ```

@@ -70,13 +104,13 @@ You can use the `gh extension create` command to create a project for your exten

   ```shell
   git init -b main
-   git add . && git commit -m "initial commit" 
-   gh repo create gh-<em>EXTENSION-NAME</em> --source=. --public --push 
+   git add . && git commit -m "initial commit"
+   gh repo create gh-<em>EXTENSION-NAME</em> --source=. --public --push
   ```

 1. Optionally, to help other users discover your extension, add the repository topic `gh-extension`. This will make the extension appear on the [`gh-extension` topic page](https://github.com/topics/gh-extension). For more information about how to add a repository topic, see "[Classifying your repository with topics](/github/administering-a-repository/managing-repository-settings/classifying-your-repository-with-topics)."

-## Tips for writing {% data variables.product.prodname_cli %} extensions
+## Tips for writing interpreted {% data variables.product.prodname_cli %} extensions

 ### Handling arguments and flags

@@ -120,34 +154,128 @@ fi

 ### Calling core commands in non-interactive mode

-Some {% data variables.product.prodname_cli %} core commands will prompt the user for input. When scripting with those commands, a prompt is often undesirable. To avoid prompting, supply the necessary information explicitly via arguments. 
+Some {% data variables.product.prodname_cli %} core commands will prompt the user for input. When scripting with those commands, a prompt is often undesirable. To avoid prompting, supply the necessary information explicitly via arguments.

 For example, to create an issue programmatically, specify the title and body:

-```bash
+```shell
 gh issue create --title "My Title" --body "Issue description"
 ```

 ### Fetching data programatically

 Many core commands support the `--json` flag for fetching data programatically. For example, to return a JSON object listing the number, title, and mergeability status of pull requests:
-```bash
+
+```shell
 gh pr list --json number,title,mergeStateStatus
 ```

 If there is not a core command to fetch specific data from GitHub, you can use the [`gh api`](https://cli.github.com/manual/gh_api) command to access the GitHub API. For example, to fetch information about the current user:
-```bash
+
+```shell
 gh api user
 ```

 All commands that output JSON data also have options to filter that data into something more immediately usable by scripts. For example, to get the current user's name:

-```bash
+```shell
 gh api user --jq '.name'
 ```

 For more information, see [`gh help formatting`](https://cli.github.com/manual/gh_help_formatting).

+## Creating a precompiled extension manually
+
+1. Create a local directory called `gh-EXTENSION-NAME` for your extension. Replace `EXTENSION-NAME` with the name of your extension. For example, `gh-whoami`.
+
+1. In the directory you created, add some source code. For example:
+
+    ```go
+    package main
+    import (
+      "github.com/cli/go-gh"
+      "fmt"
+    )
+
+    func main() {
+      args := []string{"api", "user", "--jq", `"You are @\(.login) (\(.name))"` }
+      stdOut, _, err := gh.Exec(args...)
+      if err != nil {
+        fmt.Println(err)
+        return
+      }
+      fmt.Println(stdOut.String())
+    }
+    ```
+
+1. From your directory, install the extension as a local extension.
+
+    ```shell
+    gh extension install .
+    ```
+
+1. Build your code. For example, with Go, replacing `YOUR-USERNAME` with your GitHub username:
+
+    ```shell
+    go mod init github.com/<em>YOUR-USERNAME</em>/gh-whoami
+    go mod tidy
+    go build
+    ```
+
+1. Verify that your extension works. Replace `EXTENSION-NAME` with the name of your extension. For example, `whoami`.
+
+    ```shell
+    gh <em>EXTENSION-NAME</em>
+    ```
+
+1. From your directory, create a repository to publish your extension. Replace `EXTENSION-NAME` with the name of your extension.
+
+  {% note %}
+
+  **Note:** Be careful not to commit the binary produced by your compilation step to version control.
+
+  {% endnote %}
+
+    ```shell
+    git init -b main
+    echo "gh-<em>EXTENSION-NAME</em>" >> .gitignore
+    git add main.go go.* .gitignore && git commit -m'Initial commit'
+    gh repo create "gh-<em>EXTENSION-NAME</em>"
+    ```
+
+1. Create a release to share your precompiled extension with others. Compile for each platform you want to support, attaching each binary to a release as an asset. Binary executables attached to releases must follow a naming convention and have a suffix of <em>OS-ARCHITECTURE\[EXTENSION\]</em>.
+
+  For example, an extension named `whoami` compiled for Windows 64bit would have the name `gh-whoami-windows-amd64.exe` while the same extension compiled for Linux 32bit would have the name `gh-whoami-linux-386`. To see an exhaustive list of OS and architecture combinations recognized by `gh`, see [this source code](https://github.com/cli/cli/blob/14f704fd0da58cc01413ee4ba16f13f27e33d15e/pkg/cmd/extension/manager.go#L696).
+
+  {% note %}
+
+  **Note:** For your extension to run properly on Windows, its asset file must have a `.exe` extension. No extension is needed for other operating systems.
+
+  {% endnote %}
+
+  Releases can be created from the command line. For example:
+
+  ```shell
+  git tag v1.0.0
+  git push origin v1.0.0
+  GOOS=windows GOARCH=amd64 go build -o gh-<em>EXTENSION-NAME</em>-windows-amd64.exe
+  GOOS=linux GOARCH=amd64 go build -o gh-<em>EXTENSION-NAME</em>-linux-amd64
+  GOOS=darwin GOARCH=amd64 go build -o gh-<em>EXTENSION-NAME</em>-darwin-amd64
+  gh release create v1.0.0 ./*amd64*
+
+1. Optionally, to help other users discover your extension, add the repository topic `gh-extension`. This will make the extension appear on the [`gh-extension` topic page](https://github.com/topics/gh-extension). For more information about how to add a repository topic, see "[Classifying your repository with topics](/github/administering-a-repository/managing-repository-settings/classifying-your-repository-with-topics)."
+
+
+## Tips for writing precompiled {% data variables.product.prodname_cli %} extensions
+
+### Automating releases
+
+Consider adding the [gh-extension-precompile](https://github.com/cli/gh-extension-precompile) action to a workflow in your project. This action will automatically produce cross-compiled Go binaries for your extension and supplies build scaffolding for non-Go precompiled extensions.
+
+### Using {% data variables.product.prodname_cli %} features from Go-based extensions
+
+Consider using [go-gh](https://github.com/cli/go-gh), a Go library that exposes pieces of `gh` functionality for use in extensions.
+
 ## Next steps

 To see more examples of {% data variables.product.prodname_cli %} extensions, look at [repositories with the `gh-extension` topic](https://github.com/topics/gh-extension).