From Idea to Terminal: How I Built My First LLM-Powered CLI Tool (And What I'd Do Differently)

Short summary

A developer walks through building an LLM-powered CLI tool that lives in the terminal, starting with a simple OpenAI API call and evolving to include project context, streaming responses, and multi-backend support. Key lessons include starting with open-source models via Ollama, designing for focused prompts, and adding conversation history. The post includes real code snippets and honest reflections on what went wrong.

• •Built an LLM CLI tool: started simple with OpenAI API, added project context and streaming
• •Recommends starting with open-source models (Ollama, LM Studio) for privacy and cost
• •Lessons: support multiple backends early, design for small focused prompts, add conversation history

Generated with AI, which can make mistakes.