CLI Command Builder
Build curl, grep, tar and kubectl commands by ticking options, with an explanation of every flag.
About this tool
CLI Command Builder
Build curl, grep, tar and kubectl commands by ticking options, with an explanation of every flag.
Pick the command, choose options and copy a command you understand. This page brings together 4 separate cli command builder pages (curl, grep, kubectl, tar) so you can compare them without hunting for the right one.
How to use CLI Command Builder
- 1
Open CLI Command Builder on AltFTool — it loads instantly in your browser.
- 2
Choose your command at the top: curl, grep, kubectl, tar. On a phone it is a drop-down list.
- 3
Fill in the cli command builder for that command; each of the 4 options keeps its own rules, data and defaults.
- 4
Read the result, then switch command to compare. The page link keeps your command (?v=curl), so you can bookmark or share it.
Why use CLI Command Builder
All 4 in one place
curl, grep, kubectl and the rest sit behind one picker, so switching command takes a tap instead of a new search.
Built for each option
Every command keeps its own rules, numbers and defaults rather than one generic template.
Shareable view
The link remembers the command you picked, so a bookmark or a shared link opens straight on it.
Common use cases
- Reproducing an API call from documentation before writing the equivalent client code
- Searching a JavaScript repo for TODO or FIXME comments while excluding node_modules and limiting matches to *.js and *.jsx files
- Building a safe delete: kubectl delete pods -l app=web --dry-run=client to preview exactly what would be removed
- Packing a website directory into a gzip tarball while skipping node_modules and log files
Frequently asked questions
Which command options does this tool cover?
4: curl, grep, kubectl, tar. Pick one at the top of the tool; the page link updates (for example ?v=curl) so you can bookmark or share that exact view.
How do I send JSON with curl?
Add -H 'Content-Type: application/json' and pass the payload with -d, for example curl -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{"name":"Ada"}' https://api.example.com/users. curl 7.82 and newer can shorten this to --json, which sets both the Content-Type and Accept headers.
How do I grep recursively but only in certain file types?
Use grep -r --include='*.ext' PATTERN DIR, or with ripgrep rg -g '*.ext' PATTERN DIR. GNU grep's --include and --exclude filters only apply while it is descending directories, so they need -r to have any effect; ripgrep recurses and respects .gitignore by default.
What is the difference between kubectl --dry-run=client and --dry-run=server?
client validates and prints the object locally without contacting the cluster, while server sends the request through the full API path — authentication, admission webhooks, validation — but persists nothing. Server dry-run catches problems client mode cannot, such as admission policy rejections; the bare boolean --dry-run flag was removed in kubectl 1.18.
What is the difference between tar -czf and tar -cJf?
-z pipes the archive through gzip and -J through xz. gzip is faster and available everywhere; xz usually produces a file 20-40% smaller but takes far longer and needs much more memory to compress.