cfn-utilities

Reusable bash utility functions for CFN Loop - logging, error handling, retry, file operations. Use when you need structured logging, atomic file operations, retry logic with exponential backoff, or standardized error handling in bash scripts.

14 stars

Best use case

cfn-utilities is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.

Reusable bash utility functions for CFN Loop - logging, error handling, retry, file operations. Use when you need structured logging, atomic file operations, retry logic with exponential backoff, or standardized error handling in bash scripts.

Teams using cfn-utilities should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.

When to use this skill

  • You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.

When not to use this skill

  • You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
  • You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.

Installation

Claude Code / Cursor / Codex

$curl -o ~/.claude/skills/cfn-utilities/SKILL.md --create-dirs "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/masharratt/claude-flow-novice/main/.claude/skills/cfn-utilities/SKILL.md"

Manual Installation

  1. Download SKILL.md from GitHub
  2. Place it in .claude/skills/cfn-utilities/SKILL.md inside your project
  3. Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill

How cfn-utilities Compares

Feature / Agentcfn-utilitiesStandard Approach
Platform SupportNot specifiedLimited / Varies
Context Awareness High Baseline
Installation ComplexityUnknownN/A

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this skill do?

Reusable bash utility functions for CFN Loop - logging, error handling, retry, file operations. Use when you need structured logging, atomic file operations, retry logic with exponential backoff, or standardized error handling in bash scripts.

Where can I find the source code?

You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.

SKILL.md Source

# CFN Utilities Skill

## Description

Reusable bash utility functions for the CFN Loop system. Provides standardized logging, error handling, retry logic, and atomic file operations with zero external dependencies.

## Purpose

- **Structured Logging**: JSON-formatted logs compatible with TypeScript logging system
- **Error Handling**: Consistent error management across bash scripts
- **Retry Logic**: Exponential backoff for transient failures
- **File Operations**: Atomic writes and file locking primitives

## Dependencies

- POSIX-compliant bash (4.0+)
- Coreutils (standard Linux/macOS utilities)
- No external dependencies required

## Usage

### Direct Function Invocation

```bash
# Source all utilities
source ./.claude/skills/cfn-utilities/execute.sh

# Use individual functions
log_info "Task started" '{"task_id":"abc123"}'
retry_with_backoff 3 2 curl https://api.example.com
atomic_write "/path/to/file.txt" "content here"
```

### Via Execute Script

```bash
# Execute specific function
./.claude/skills/cfn-utilities/execute.sh log_json "info" "Message" '{"key":"value"}'

# Source and call
source ./.claude/skills/cfn-utilities/execute.sh
log_error "Operation failed" '{"error_code":"E001"}'
```

## Available Functions

### Logging (lib/logging.sh)

**log_json(level, message, context)**
```bash
log_json "info" "Task started" '{"task_id":"abc123","agent":"backend-dev"}'
# Output: {"timestamp":"2025-11-15T20:00:00Z","level":"info","message":"Task started","context":{"task_id":"abc123","agent":"backend-dev"}}
```

**log_info(message, context)**
```bash
log_info "Processing file" '{"file":"data.txt"}'
```

**log_warn(message, context)**
```bash
log_warn "Deprecated function used" '{"function":"old_func"}'
```

**log_error(message, context)**
```bash
log_error "Failed to connect" '{"host":"api.example.com","code":500}'
```

**log_debug(message, context)**
```bash
export LOG_LEVEL=debug
log_debug "Variable state" '{"var":"value"}'
```

### Error Handling (lib/errors.sh)

**error_exit(message, exit_code, context)**
```bash
error_exit "Database connection failed" 1 '{"db":"postgres"}'
```

**error_handle(message, context)**
```bash
if ! validate_input "$data"; then
    error_handle "Invalid input" '{"input":"'$data'"}'
    return 1
fi
```

**is_error_code(expected_code)**
```bash
curl https://api.example.com
if is_error_code 7; then
    echo "Connection failed"
fi
```

### Retry Logic (lib/retry.sh)

**retry_with_backoff(max_attempts, base_delay_sec, command, args...)**
```bash
# Retry curl with exponential backoff (2s, 4s, 8s)
retry_with_backoff 3 2 curl -f https://api.example.com/data

# Retry custom command
retry_with_backoff 5 1 cfn-spawn agent "backend-developer" --task "task"
```

### File Operations (lib/file-ops.sh)

**atomic_write(filepath, content)**
```bash
atomic_write "/tmp/data.json" '{"status":"complete"}'
```

**acquire_lock(lockfile, timeout_sec)**
```bash
if acquire_lock "/tmp/resource.lock" 30; then
    # Critical section
    release_lock "/tmp/resource.lock"
fi
```

**release_lock(lockfile)**
```bash
release_lock "/tmp/resource.lock"
```

**with_lock(lockfile, timeout_sec, command, args...)**
```bash
with_lock "/tmp/database.lock" 60 ./scripts/migrate-db.sh
```

## Integration Points

### TypeScript Compatibility

**Logging Format**:
- JSON output compatible with `src/utils/logging.ts`
- Correlation ID format matches TypeScript UUID generation
- Timestamp format: ISO 8601 (UTC)

**Error Codes**:
- Error codes align with `src/utils/errors.ts`
- Exit codes: 0=success, 1=general error, 2=usage error, 130=timeout

**File Locking**:
- Lock files use `.lock` extension (same as `src/utils/file-operations.ts`)
- Timeout behavior matches TypeScript implementation

### CFN System Integration

**Used By**:
- `.claude/hooks/cfn-invoke-pre-edit.sh` - atomic backup creation
- `.claude/skills/cfn-coordination/` - structured logging
- `.claude/skills/cfn-loop-orchestration-v2/cli/orchestrate.sh` - retry logic
- All CFN agents - standardized error handling

**Correlation IDs**:
```bash
# Generate correlation ID (compatible with TypeScript)
CORRELATION_ID=$(uuidgen 2>/dev/null || echo "$(date +%s)-$$-$RANDOM")
log_info "Request started" '{"correlation_id":"'$CORRELATION_ID'"}'
```

## Testing

```bash
# Run all tests
./.claude/skills/cfn-utilities/test.sh

# Expected output:
# PASS: log_json outputs valid JSON
# PASS: retry_with_backoff succeeds after failures
# PASS: atomic_write creates file atomically
# PASS: with_lock prevents concurrent execution
# All tests passed (15/15)
```

## Implementation Patterns

### Safe Script Template

```bash
#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -euo pipefail

SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
source "$SCRIPT_DIR/.claude/skills/cfn-utilities/execute.sh"

main() {
    log_info "Script started" '{"script":"'$(basename "$0")'"}'

    retry_with_backoff 3 2 risky_operation || {
        error_exit "Operation failed after retries" 1
    }

    atomic_write "/tmp/result.txt" "Success"
    log_info "Script completed" '{"status":"success"}'
}

main "$@"
```

### Critical Section Pattern

```bash
#!/usr/bin/env bash
source ./.claude/skills/cfn-utilities/execute.sh

# Ensure only one instance modifies shared resource
with_lock "/tmp/shared-resource.lock" 30 bash -c '
    log_info "Updating shared resource"
    echo "new data" >> /tmp/shared-resource.txt
    log_info "Update complete"
'
```

## Best Practices

1. **Always use structured logging** - Include context objects for debugging
2. **Set strict mode** - Use `set -euo pipefail` in all scripts
3. **Use atomic operations** - Prevent partial writes with atomic_write()
4. **Implement retries** - Handle transient failures gracefully
5. **Lock shared resources** - Prevent race conditions with file locks

## Version History

- **1.0.0** (2025-11-15): Initial release with logging, errors, retry, and file ops

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