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# Command Line Interface
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Full-featured command-line interface providing comprehensive JavaScript minification capabilities with extensive configuration options, file processing, and build system integration.
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## Capabilities
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### CLI Runner Function
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Programmatic interface for running the Terser CLI with custom configuration.
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```typescript { .api }
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/**
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 * Run the Terser command-line interface programmatically
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 * @param config - CLI configuration object
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 */
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async function run_cli(config: {
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  program: import('commander').Command;
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  packageJson: { name: string; version: string; [key: string]: any };
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  fs: typeof import('fs');
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  path: typeof import('path');
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}): Promise<void>;
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```
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### Command Usage
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Basic command syntax for processing JavaScript files:
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```bash
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terser [input files] [options]
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```
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**Usage Examples:**
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```bash
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# Single file minification
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terser input.js -o output.min.js
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# Multiple files
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terser file1.js file2.js -o bundle.min.js
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# Compression with console removal
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terser app.js --compress drop_console=true -o app.min.js
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# Mangling with reserved names
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terser lib.js --mangle reserved=['$','jQuery'] -o lib.min.js
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# Source map generation
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terser src.js --source-map filename=src.js.map -o src.min.js
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```
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### Core Options
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Essential command-line options for controlling minification behavior:
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```bash
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# Parsing Options
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-p, --parse <options>       # Parser configuration
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                           # bare_returns, html5_comments, shebang
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# Compression Options  
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-c, --compress [options]    # Enable compression with optional config
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                           # pure_funcs, drop_console, dead_code, etc.
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# Mangling Options
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-m, --mangle [options]      # Enable name mangling with optional config
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                           # reserved, keep_fnames, toplevel
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# Property Mangling
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--mangle-props [options]    # Mangle property names
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                           # builtins, debug, keep_quoted, regex
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# Output Options
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-f, --format [options]      # Output formatting configuration
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-b, --beautify [options]    # Alias for --format
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-o, --output <file>         # Output file (default: STDOUT)
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```
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### Advanced Options
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Comprehensive configuration options for specialized use cases:
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```bash
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# ECMAScript Version
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--ecma <version>            # Target ES version: 5, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
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# Compatibility Options
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--ie8                       # Internet Explorer 8 support
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--safari10                  # Safari 10 compatibility
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# Name Preservation
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--keep-classnames           # Preserve class names
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--keep-fnames              # Preserve function names
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# Module Options
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--module                    # Treat input as ES6 module
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--toplevel                  # Process top-level scope
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# Code Wrapping
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-e, --enclose [args]        # Wrap in function with configurable args
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--wrap <name>              # Wrap as exports object
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# Optimization Control
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--rename                    # Force symbol expansion
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--no-rename                # Disable symbol expansion
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# Debug and Performance
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--timings                   # Display operation timing on STDERR
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```
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### Source Map Options
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Source map generation and configuration:
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```bash
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--source-map [options]      # Enable source map generation
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                           # content, filename, includeSources, url
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# Examples:
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--source-map filename=output.js.map
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--source-map url=inline
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--source-map includeSources=true
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```
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### Configuration File
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Load options from JSON configuration file:
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```bash
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--config-file <file>        # Read minify() options from JSON file
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```
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**Example config file:**
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```json
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{
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  "compress": {
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    "drop_console": true,
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    "dead_code": true,
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    "unused": true
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  },
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  "mangle": {
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    "reserved": ["$", "jQuery"],
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    "toplevel": true
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  },
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  "format": {
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    "comments": false,
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    "beautify": false
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  }
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}
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```
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### Global Definitions
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Define global constants for conditional compilation:
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```bash
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-d, --define <expr>[=value] # Define global constants
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# Examples:
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--define DEBUG=false
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--define API_URL="https://api.example.com"
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--define VERSION=1.2.3
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```
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### Name Cache
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Persistent name caching for consistent mangling across builds:
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```bash
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--name-cache <file>         # File to store mangled name mappings
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# Example:
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terser src.js --mangle --name-cache names.json -o output.js
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```
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### Comment Preservation
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Control comment output in minified code:
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```bash
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--comments [filter]         # Preserve comments with optional filtering
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# Options:
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--comments all             # Keep all comments
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--comments false           # Remove all comments  
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--comments /license/       # Keep comments matching regex
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--comments                 # Keep JSDoc-style comments (default)
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```
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### Development and Debugging
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Options for debugging and development workflow:
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```bash
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--timings                   # Display operation timing on STDERR
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-h, --help                 # Show usage information
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-V, --version              # Print version number
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# Special help topics:
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terser --help options      # Show all available options with defaults
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terser --help ast          # Show AST node types and structure
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```
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### Input/Output Handling
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Flexible input and output processing:
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```bash
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# Multiple input methods:
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terser file.js                    # Single file
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terser file1.js file2.js         # Multiple files
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terser *.js                      # Glob patterns
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cat file.js | terser             # STDIN input
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# Output options:
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terser input.js                  # Output to STDOUT
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terser input.js -o output.js     # Output to file
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terser input.js -o ast           # Output AST as JSON
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terser input.js -o spidermonkey  # Output SpiderMonkey AST
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```
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### Error Handling
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The CLI provides detailed error reporting for various failure conditions:
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- **Parse Errors**: Syntax errors with line/column information
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- **Option Validation**: Invalid option values or combinations
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- **File System**: Missing input files or write permission errors
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- **Source Map**: Invalid source map configurations
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### Integration Examples
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Common integration patterns for build systems:
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```bash
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# Webpack build script
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terser dist/*.js --compress --mangle --source-map -o dist/bundle.min.js
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# npm scripts
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"scripts": {
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  "minify": "terser src/**/*.js --compress --mangle -d",
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  "build": "terser src/app.js --config-file terser.config.json -o dist/app.min.js"
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}
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# Make target
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minify:
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	terser $(wildcard src/*.js) --compress drop_console=true --mangle -o dist/bundle.min.js
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```