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Quick Reference: Multi-Line Script Support

Quick Start

In console mode, you can now paste multiple commands:

> # Create and configure role in one go
> create-custom
> set-name --name MyRole
> set-description --description "My custom role"
> view
> save

Format

> # Comments start with #
> command-1 --option value
>
> # Blank lines are OK
> command-2 --flag
> command-3

Key Features

Feature Working Example
Multi-line input ✅ Paste 5+ commands at once
Comment filtering ✅ # This is ignored
Blank lines ✅ Empty lines skipped automatically
Special characters ✅ "Multi word value", pipes, etc.
History support ✅ All commands recorded
Error handling ✅ One failure doesn't stop batch
Single-line mode ✅ Works unchanged

Implementation

Files Modified

  • azure_custom_role_tool/cli.py - Added parsing & multi-line support
  • tests/test_multiline_console.py - 18 new tests (all passing)

Code Changes

# New function
def parse_multiline_commands(text: str) -> list[str]:
    """Filter comments/blanks from multi-line input"""

# Enhanced interactive_mode()
raw_input = prompt("> ..., multiline=True)  # Accept multi-line
commands = parse_multiline_commands(raw_input)  # Parse & filter
for command in commands:
    # Execute each command

Test Results

✅ 126/126 tests passing - 108 existing tests (all still passing - no regressions) - 18 new tests for multi-line feature - 15 parsing tests (comments, blanks, edge cases) - 3 workflow tests (realistic scenarios)

Examples

Example 1: Simple Script

> create-custom
> set-name --name StorageRole
> view

Example 2: Script with Comments

> # Create custom role
> create-custom
>
> # Set properties
> set-name --name ComputeManager
> set-description --description "VM administration"
>
> # Save
> save

Example 3: Complex Workflow

> # Load existing role
> load --name BaseRole
>
> # Enhance with new permissions
> merge --role-dir /templates/enhancements
>
> # Update metadata
> set-name --name EnhancedRole
> set-description --description "Enhanced with new features"
>
> # Configure scopes
> set-scopes /subscriptions/prod-001,/subscriptions/prod-002
>
> # Deploy
> view --show-all
> save
> publish --subscription-id prod-001

How It Works

Input Rules

  1. Multi-line: Use Shift+Enter to continue, Enter to submit
  2. Comments: Lines starting with # are ignored
  3. Blanks: Empty lines are skipped
  4. Execution: Commands run sequentially, each with full error handling

Parsing

Raw Input:
"# Setup
create-custom
set-name --name Role

View"

↓ parse_multiline_commands()

Result:
["create-custom", "set-name --name Role", "View"]

Backward Compatibility

✅ 100% backwards compatible - Single-line input works exactly as before - No changes to command syntax - All existing features unchanged - No performance impact

Usage in CI/CD

Perfect for automation:

# Create a script file
cat > create_role.cli << 'EOF'
# Create and configure role
create-custom
set-name --name AutomationRole
set-description --description "Automated role setup"
set-scopes /subscriptions/prod-sub
save
publish --subscription-id prod-sub
EOF

# Execute (future enhancement - not yet implemented)
# azure-custom-role-tool console < create_role.cli

Troubleshooting

Issue Solution
Commands not executing Check for syntax errors in earlier commands
Comments not ignored Ensure # is at line start (after whitespace)
Copy-paste not working Use Shift+Enter between lines, or try pasting one line at a time
Terminal issues Some terminals may need special multi-line handling

Documentation

Full Guides

Performance

  • ⚡ Fast parsing: O(n) time complexity
  • 🎯 Minimal memory: No buffering overhead
  • 📊 No slowdown: Single-line mode unchanged
  • 🔄 Efficient execution: Sequential processing

Test Coverage

18 new tests cover:

Parsing Tests (15)
├── Single/multiple commands
├── Arguments & special characters
├── Comment filtering (5 tests)
├── Blank line handling (3 tests)
└── Edge cases (7 tests)

Workflow Tests (3)
├── Role creation workflow
├── Merge & modify workflow
└── Complex annotated workflow

Next Steps

Planned enhancements: - Load scripts from files (load-script /path/to/script.cli) - Conditional execution (if/then/else) - Variable substitution - Loop constructs - Error recovery strategies

Status: ✅ Production Ready | Tests: 126/126 Passing