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Overview

Shell mode provides an interactive REPL (Read-Eval-Print Loop) environment for the CoinPaprika CLI, allowing you to run multiple commands without repeatedly typing the CLI name.

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Starting Shell Mode

coinpaprika-cli shell
You’ll see a welcome message and the interactive prompt: 
coinpaprika-cli interactive shell — type commands without 'coinpaprika-cli' prefix
Type 'exit' or 'quit' to leave. Ctrl+D also exits.

coinpaprika>

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Using the Shell

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Running Commands

Type any CLI command without the coinpaprika-cli prefix: 
coinpaprika> ticker btc-bitcoin
coinpaprika> global
coinpaprika> tickers --limit 5
coinpaprika> coin eth-ethereum --output json

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Command History

The shell maintains a command history that you can navigate using arrow keys:
  • Up Arrow: Previous command
  • Down Arrow: Next command
History is preserved within the session and can be recalled at any time.

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Quoted Arguments

The shell supports both single and double quotes for arguments containing spaces: 
coinpaprika> search "bitcoin cash"
coinpaprika> search 'decentralized finance'
Implementation detail: The shell’s split_args function (src/shell.rs:61-92) handles quote parsing to ensure proper argument separation.

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Exiting the Shell

There are multiple ways to exit shell mode:
  1. Type exit: 
    coinpaprika> exit
  2. Type quit: 
    coinpaprika> quit
  3. Press Ctrl+D (EOF signal)
  4. Press Ctrl+C (will show a reminder): 
    (Ctrl+C — type 'exit' to quit)
    Note: Ctrl+C does not exit the shell, only interrupts the current input.

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Shell Behavior

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Empty Lines

Pressing Enter on an empty line is ignored — the shell will simply display the prompt again.

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Command Parsing

All commands are parsed using the same argument parser as the main CLI. This means:
  • All global flags work (--output, --api-key, --raw)
  • All subcommands and their options are supported
  • Invalid commands show the same error messages as the regular CLI
Source reference: Command execution happens in src/shell.rs:34-43, where the shell constructs full argument vectors and passes them to the CLI parser.

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Error Handling

If a command fails, the error is displayed, but the shell continues running: 
coinpaprika> ticker invalid-coin-id
Error: API request failed: 404 Not Found
coinpaprika> ticker btc-bitcoin
# Success — shell continues

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Use Cases

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Interactive Data Exploration

coinpaprika> global
# Review market overview

coinpaprika> tickers --limit 10
# Check top coins

coinpaprika> ticker btc-bitcoin --quotes USD,BTC
# Dive into Bitcoin details

coinpaprika> coin-events btc-bitcoin --limit 3
# Check recent events

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Testing API Queries

Shell mode is ideal for testing and refining queries before using them in scripts: 
coinpaprika> search bitcoin --categories currencies --limit 5
# Test search parameters

coinpaprika> coin-markets btc-bitcoin --quotes USD --limit 10
# Verify market data structure

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Switching Output Formats

coinpaprika> ticker eth-ethereum
# View table output

coinpaprika> ticker eth-ethereum --output json
# Switch to JSON for the same command

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Technical Details

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Implementation

The shell is built using the rustyline library, which provides:
  • Line editing capabilities
  • Command history
  • Keyboard shortcuts (Ctrl+C, Ctrl+D)
  • Cross-platform terminal support
Source: src/shell.rs:1-93

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Global Flags in Shell Mode

All global flags can be used with any command in the shell: 
coinpaprika> ticker btc-bitcoin --output json --raw
coinpaprika> global --api-key YOUR_KEY
These flags are parsed the same way as in regular CLI usage (src/main.rs:29-39).

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Tips

  1. Use shell mode for experimentation — it’s faster than typing the full CLI name repeatedly
  2. Combine with --output json to inspect full API responses
  3. Use arrow keys to quickly re-run previous commands with modifications
  4. Shell mode respects your config — API keys from config.toml are automatically loaded

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