Merge pull request #68 from constructive-io/devin/1772748045-add-skip-prompt

feat(inquirerer): add skipPrompt flag to skip prompting for optional fields

Author: pyramation

packages/inquirerer/README.md

@@ -146,8 +146,10 @@ interface BaseQuestion {
   default?: any;          // Default value
   defaultFrom?: string;   // Dynamic default from resolver (e.g., 'git.user.name')
   setFrom?: string;       // Auto-set value from resolver, bypassing prompt entirely
+  optionsFrom?: string;   // Dynamic options from another answer's value
   useDefault?: boolean;   // Skip prompt and use default
   required?: boolean;     // Validation requirement
+  skipPrompt?: boolean;   // Skip prompting entirely (field still in man pages / CLI flags)
   validate?: (input: any, answers: any) => boolean | Validation;
   sanitize?: (input: any, answers: any) => any;
   pattern?: string;       // Regex pattern for validation
@@ -156,6 +158,40 @@ interface BaseQuestion {
 }
 ```
 
+#### Skipping Prompts
+
+Use `skipPrompt: true` to skip interactive prompting for a question entirely. The field is omitted from the answers object unless the user explicitly passes it via a CLI flag. This is useful for fields with backend-managed defaults where the CLI should not prompt, but should still allow overrides.
+
+```typescript
+const questions: Question[] = [
+  {
+    type: 'text',
+    name: 'username',
+    message: 'Username',
+    required: true
+  },
+  {
+    type: 'text',
+    name: 'status',
+    message: 'Account status',
+    skipPrompt: true  // Won't prompt, but user can pass --status active
+  }
+];
+
+const result = await prompter.prompt({}, questions);
+// { username: 'john' }  — status is not included
+
+const result2 = await prompter.prompt({ status: 'active' }, questions);
+// { username: 'john', status: 'active' }  — CLI flag override works
+```
+
+Key behaviors:
+- The question still appears in generated man pages
+- CLI flag overrides (e.g. `--status active`) still work
+- The field is simply left out of the answers if not provided
+- Different from `when`: `skipPrompt` is unconditional, while `when` depends on other answers
+- Different from `useDefault`: `skipPrompt` does not apply a default value
+
 ### Non-Interactive Mode
 
 When running in CI/CD or without a TTY, inquirerer automatically falls back to default values:

packages/inquirerer/__tests__/prompt.test.ts

@@ -232,6 +232,108 @@ describe('Inquirerer', () => {
     snap(result);
   });
 
+  describe('skipPrompt', () => {
+    it('should skip question with skipPrompt: true and not include it in result', async () => {
+      enqueueInputResponse({ type: 'read', value: 'my name' });
+
+      const prompter = new Inquirerer({
+        input: mockInput,
+        output: mockOutput,
+        noTty: false
+      });
+      const questions: Question[] = [
+        { name: 'name', type: 'text' },
+        { name: 'status', type: 'text', skipPrompt: true },
+      ];
+
+      const result = await prompter.prompt({}, questions);
+
+      // 'status' should not be in the result since it was skipped
+      expect(result).toEqual({ name: 'my name' });
+      expect('status' in result).toBe(false);
+    });
+
+    it('should still allow CLI flag override when skipPrompt is true', async () => {
+      enqueueInputResponse({ type: 'read', value: 'my name' });
+
+      const prompter = new Inquirerer({
+        input: mockInput,
+        output: mockOutput,
+        noTty: false
+      });
+      const questions: Question[] = [
+        { name: 'name', type: 'text' },
+        { name: 'status', type: 'text', skipPrompt: true },
+      ];
+
+      // Pass status via argv (simulating --status "active")
+      const result = await prompter.prompt({ status: 'active' }, questions);
+
+      expect(result).toEqual({ name: 'my name', status: 'active' });
+    });
+
+    it('should skip question in noTty mode with skipPrompt: true', async () => {
+      const prompter = new Inquirerer({
+        input: mockInput,
+        output: mockOutput,
+        noTty: true
+      });
+      const questions: Question[] = [
+        { name: 'name', type: 'text', required: true },
+        { name: 'status', type: 'text', skipPrompt: true },
+      ];
+
+      const result = await prompter.prompt({ name: 'test' }, questions);
+
+      expect(result).toEqual({ name: 'test' });
+      expect('status' in result).toBe(false);
+    });
+
+    it('should include skipPrompt question in man page', () => {
+      const prompter = new Inquirerer({
+        input: mockInput,
+        output: mockOutput,
+        noTty: false
+      });
+      const questions: Question[] = [
+        { name: 'name', type: 'text', required: true },
+        { name: 'status', type: 'text', skipPrompt: true },
+      ];
+
+      const manPage = prompter.generateManPage({
+        commandName: 'test-cmd',
+        questions,
+      });
+
+      // Both fields should appear in the man page
+      expect(manPage).toContain('NAME');
+      expect(manPage).toContain('STATUS');
+    });
+
+    it('should skip multiple skipPrompt questions and only prompt remaining', async () => {
+      enqueueInputResponse({ type: 'read', value: 'hello' });
+
+      const prompter = new Inquirerer({
+        input: mockInput,
+        output: mockOutput,
+        noTty: false
+      });
+      const questions: Question[] = [
+        { name: 'greeting', type: 'text' },
+        { name: 'createdAt', type: 'text', skipPrompt: true },
+        { name: 'updatedAt', type: 'text', skipPrompt: true },
+        { name: 'internalId', type: 'text', skipPrompt: true },
+      ];
+
+      const result = await prompter.prompt({}, questions);
+
+      expect(result).toEqual({ greeting: 'hello' });
+      expect('createdAt' in result).toBe(false);
+      expect('updatedAt' in result).toBe(false);
+      expect('internalId' in result).toBe(false);
+    });
+  });
+
   it('handles readline inputs', async () => {
 
     const prompter = new Inquirerer({

packages/inquirerer/src/prompt.ts

@@ -475,6 +475,15 @@ export class Inquirerer {
         continue;
       }
 
+      // Skip prompt entirely if skipPrompt is set.
+      // The question still appears in man pages and CLI flag overrides still work
+      // (handled by the `question.name in obj` check above), but no interactive
+      // prompt is shown. The field is simply left out of the answers object.
+      if (question.skipPrompt) {
+        ctx.nextQuestion();
+        continue;
+      }
+
       // Apply default value if applicable
       // this is if useDefault is set, rare! not typical defaults which happen AFTER
       // this is mostly to avoid a prompt for "hidden" options

packages/inquirerer/src/question/types.ts

@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ export interface BaseQuestion {
     pattern?: string;
     dependsOn?: string[];
     when?: (answers: any) => boolean;
+    skipPrompt?: boolean;
   }
 
   export interface ConfirmQuestion extends BaseQuestion {