Show HN: Starter Repo for Rust CLI with built in database

3 months ago 1

How to Build a Rust CLI with Built-In Data Persistence

If you’ve ever built a CLI tool in Rust, you know the usual setup: parse commands with Clap, write logic for each subcommand, and then figure out how to store data—maybe with SQLite, maybe with JSON files.

The Deeb CLI Starter streamlines that process by giving you a ready-to-use CLI template with data persistence baked in from the start.

Why This Starter Exists

When starting a CLI project, wiring up data storage often feels like unnecessary busywork—especially for quick tools or prototypes.
This starter repo handles that for you by pairing:

Clap → for intuitive command parsing
Deeb → for lightweight, fast, and developer-friendly data persistence

With it, you can focus on your commands and business logic, not on boilerplate setup.

Getting Started

Clone the repo:

git clone https://github.com/The-Devoyage/deeb-cli-starter.git cd deeb-cli-starter

Copy the example environment file:

Install dependencies and run the CLI:

You should see the starter help screen:

My awesome CLI with easy data persistence Usage: deeb-cli-starter <COMMAND> Commands: todo Manage Todos help Print this message or the help of the given subcommand(s) Options: -h, --help Print help

Features Out of the Box

Modular Command System
Easily extend or modify commands in the cli module. Clap handles parsing so you can focus on functionality.

#[derive(Subcommand)] pub enum RootCommands { /// Manage Todos #[command(subcommand)] Todo(TodoCommands), // Add more commands here... }

Built-In Persistence
Define a struct in the models module and store it instantly using Deeb’s insert_one or retrieve with find_many.

#[derive(Serialize, Deserialize, Collection)] pub struct Todo { name: String, task: String, } impl Todo { pub async fn new(db: &Deeb, name: String, task: String) -> CliResult<Self> { let todo = Todo::insert_one(db, Todo { name, task }, None) .await .map_err(|_e| TodoError::InsertFailed)?; Ok(todo) } ... }

⭐ Star on GitHub

Like Deeb? Star the repo to support the direction Deeb is going - or - Check out the Docs!

Environment-First Configuration
Environment variables are validated before runtime to avoid misconfiguration issues.
Logging Included
The log crate is set up and ready for use, so you can start logging debug and info messages immediately.