Multi Command Runner (multi-cmd)

A powerful bash script that executes any command with multiple combinations of variables, providing comprehensive logging, pre/post command execution, and automated output file management.

Features

• Universal Command Execution: Run any command with variable combinations
• Comprehensive Logging: Optional detailed logging of all command outputs
• Pre/Post Commands: Execute setup and cleanup commands automatically
• Output File Management: Automatically copy and organize output files
• Detailed Reporting: Beautiful failure reports with formatted tables
• Flexible Configuration: Customizable output directories and file handling
• Cross-Platform: Works on Linux, macOS, and Windows (with bash)

Table of Contents

• Installation
• Usage
• Options
• Examples
• How Combinations Work
• Output Structure
• Contributing
• License

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/shriram-m/multi-cmd.git
   cd multi-cmd

2. Make the script executable (For Linux):

   chmod +x multi_cmd.sh

3. Optional: Add to PATH for global access: For Linux:

   sudo cp multi_cmd.sh /usr/local/bin/multi_cmd

   For Windows (Git Bash): Add the script directory to your PATH environment variable.

   export PATH=$PATH:/path/to/multi_cmd

Usage

multi_cmd.sh [OPTIONS] VAR1=VAL1,VAL2 VAR2=VAL3,VAL4 ...

The script requires at least one command to execute (-c option) and variable combinations to iterate through.

Options

Option	Description
-c, --command="command"	Required. The main command to execute for each combination
-x, --command-suffix="suffix"	Fixed suffix to append to every command execution (after variable combinations)
-l, --log	Enable logging mode - saves command logs for each combination
-p, --pre-command="command"	Command to run before each main command execution
-s, --post-command="command"	Command to run after each successful main command execution
-f, --output-file="path"	Path to output file to copy after successful execution
-d, --output-dir="path"	Custom output directory for copied files
-h, --help	Display help information

Examples

Build System (Make)

# Build with different toolchains and configurations
multi_cmd.sh -c "make build" -x "-j" -l -f "build/app.hex" -p "make clean" \
    TOOLCHAIN=GCC_ARM,ARM CONFIG=Debug,Release

Web Development (npm)

# Build for different environments and Node versions
multi_cmd.sh -c "npm run build" -x "--verbose" -l -f "dist/bundle.js" \
    --pre-command="npm install" ENV=dev,prod NODE_VERSION=16,18

Containerization (Docker)

# Build Docker images for multiple architectures
multi_cmd.sh -c "docker build -t myapp ." -x "--no-cache" --log \
    --output-file="myapp.tar" --post-command="docker save myapp > myapp.tar" \
    ARCH=amd64,arm64 VERSION=latest,v1.0

Testing (pytest)

# Run tests with different Python versions and configurations
multi_cmd.sh -c "python -m pytest tests/" -l \
    PYTHON_VERSION=3.8,3.9,3.10 TEST_CONFIG=unit,integration

How Combinations Work

The script generates all possible combinations of the provided variables. Here's how it works:

Input:

multi_cmd.sh -c "echo Processing" \
    TOOLCHAIN=GCC,CLANG CONFIG=Debug,Release ARCH=x86,x64

Generated Combinations:

Execution	TOOLCHAIN	CONFIG	ARCH	Command Executed
1	GCC	Debug	x86	echo Processing TOOLCHAIN=GCC CONFIG=Debug ARCH=x86
2	GCC	Debug	x64	echo Processing TOOLCHAIN=GCC CONFIG=Debug ARCH=x64
3	GCC	Release	x86	echo Processing TOOLCHAIN=GCC CONFIG=Release ARCH=x86
4	GCC	Release	x64	echo Processing TOOLCHAIN=GCC CONFIG=Release ARCH=x64
5	CLANG	Debug	x86	echo Processing TOOLCHAIN=CLANG CONFIG=Debug ARCH=x86
6	CLANG	Debug	x64	echo Processing TOOLCHAIN=CLANG CONFIG=Debug ARCH=x64
7	CLANG	Release	x86	echo Processing TOOLCHAIN=CLANG CONFIG=Release ARCH=x86
8	CLANG	Release	x64	echo Processing TOOLCHAIN=CLANG CONFIG=Release ARCH=x64

Total combinations: 2 × 2 × 2 = 8 executions

Formula: If you have variables with n1, n2, n3... values respectively, total combinations = n1 × n2 × n3 × ...

Output Structure

When logging is enabled, the script creates an organized output directory as shown below:

../myproject_run_17-09-25_14-30-45/
├── run_GCC_ARM_Debug.log
├── run_GCC_ARM_Release.log
├── run_ARM_Debug.log
├── run_ARM_Release.log
├── output_GCC_ARM_Debug.hex
├── output_GCC_ARM_Release.hex
├── output_ARM_Debug.hex
└── output_ARM_Release.hex

File Naming Convention

• Log files: run_{variable_combination}.log
• Output files: output_{variable_combination}.{extension}
• Directory: {project_name}_run_{date}_{time}

Failure Reporting

The script provides detailed failure reports in a formatted table:

============================= [Failed Configs] ==============================

  The following command executions failed:

    +----------+---------+
    | COMPILER | CONFIG  |
    +----------+---------+
    | clang    | Debug   |
    | gcc      | Release |
    +----------+---------+

=============================================================================

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request. For major changes, please open an issue first to discuss what you would like to change.

Development

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature)
5. Open a Pull Request

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Changelog

See CHANGELOG.md for version history and changes.

Acknowledgments

• Inspired by the need for systematic testing across multiple configurations
• Built for the developer community to simplify complex build and test workflows
• Special thanks to all contributors and users who provide feedback

Support

If you encounter any issues or have questions:

1. Check the Issues page
2. Create a new issue with detailed information
3. Include your command, expected behavior, and actual behavior

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Made with ❤️ for the developer community