Add flexible CLI output flags: -T/--tree-only, short aliases, and column control

New flags:
- -T/--tree-only: Show only path column (minimum output)
- -t: Short alias for --tree
- -n: Short alias for --numbered-indent
- --show-word-count: Override --skip-word-count to show word count column
- -S/--short: Alias for --tree-only --show-word-count

Features:
- Tree-only mode can add date column back with --date-format [seconds|day]
- Date appears before path as requested when re-added
- Short flags work in combinations (-nT, -Tn, etc.)
- Conflict detection for mutually exclusive flags
- All existing functionality preserved

Implementation:
- Refactored column formatting with DisplayConfig class
- Centralized format_data_row() function eliminates duplication
- Updated both manual and Click CLI parsers
- Enhanced flat and tree renderers
- Updated documentation with examples

🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)

Co-Authored-By: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>

Author: elifarley

README.md

@@ -56,6 +56,18 @@ cedarmapper ls --skip-date
 # Skip word counting for faster analysis
 cedarmapper ls --skip-word-count
 
+# Tree-only output (paths only)
+cedarmapper ls --tree-only
+
+# Short output with word counts and paths
+cedarmapper ls --short
+
+# Tree-only with date re-added
+cedarmapper ls --tree-only --date-format day
+
+# Use short aliases
+cedarmapper ls -t -n  # equivalent to --tree --numbered-indent
+
 # Follow symbolic links during traversal
 cedarmapper ls --follow-symlinks
 
@@ -67,8 +79,13 @@ cedarmapper ls src/ --tree --max-depth 3 --sort -s
 
 - `--max-depth, -d` - Display max depth: 0=root only, 1=root+children, etc.
 - `--tree` - Show tree-like nested output (human-friendly)
+- `--tree-only, -T` - Show only path column (tree-only mode)
+- `-t` - Alias for `--tree`
+- `-n` - Alias for `--numbered-indent`
 - `--follow-symlinks` - Follow symbolic links during traversal
 - `--skip-word-count` - Skip word counting for speed
+- `--show-word-count` - Show word count column (overrides `--skip-word-count`)
+- `--short, -S` - Alias for `--tree-only --show-word-count`
 - `--date-format` - Date format: 'seconds' (default) or 'day'
 - `--skip-date` - Skip date display entirely
 - `--numbered-indent` - Show depth as number prefix (tree only)

src/cedarmapper/cli/main.py

@@ -28,11 +28,15 @@ def run_cli(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> tuple[int, str]:
     follow_symlinks = False
     skip_word_count = False
     date_format = "seconds"  # seconds | day
+    explicit_date_format = False  # Whether user explicitly set --date-format
     skip_date = False
     numbered_indent = False
     sort_spec = None
     skip_header = False
     skip_totals = False
+    tree_only = False
+    show_word_count = False
+    short_flag = False
 
     it = iter(argv)
     for token in it:
@@ -52,12 +56,23 @@ def run_cli(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> tuple[int, str]:
         elif token == "--date-format":
             try:
                 date_format = next(it)
+                explicit_date_format = True  # User explicitly set date format
                 if date_format not in ("seconds", "day"):
                     return 2, "Error: --date-format must be one of seconds|day"
             except StopIteration:
                 return 2, "Error: --date-format expects a value"
         elif token == "--numbered-indent":
             numbered_indent = True
+        elif token in ("--tree-only", "-T"):
+            tree_only = True
+        elif token == "-t":
+            tree = True  # alias for --tree
+        elif token == "-n":
+            numbered_indent = True  # alias for --numbered-indent
+        elif token == "--show-word-count":
+            show_word_count = True
+        elif token in ("--short", "-S"):
+            short_flag = True
         elif token == "--sort":
             try:
                 sort_spec = next(it)
@@ -74,6 +89,19 @@ def run_cli(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> tuple[int, str]:
             # positional path (first one)
             path = token
 
+    # Apply aliases and resolve conflicts
+    if short_flag:
+        tree_only = True
+        show_word_count = True
+
+    # tree_only implies tree mode for consistency
+    if tree_only and not tree:
+        tree = True
+
+    # Validate conflicting flags
+    if show_word_count and skip_word_count:
+        return 2, "Error: --show-word-count and --skip-word-count are mutually exclusive"
+
     start = Path(path)
     if not start.exists():
         return 2, f"Error: Path not found: {start}"
@@ -93,6 +121,9 @@ def run_cli(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> tuple[int, str]:
             skip_header=skip_header,
             skip_totals=skip_totals,
             skip_word_count=skip_word_count,
+            tree_only=tree_only,
+            show_word_count=show_word_count,
+            explicit_date_format=explicit_date_format,
         )
     else:
         out = render_flat(
@@ -104,6 +135,9 @@ def run_cli(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> tuple[int, str]:
             skip_header=skip_header,
             skip_totals=skip_totals,
             skip_word_count=skip_word_count,
+            tree_only=tree_only,
+            show_word_count=show_word_count,
+            explicit_date_format=explicit_date_format,
         )
 
     return 0, out
@@ -171,6 +205,40 @@ def cli() -> None:
     default=False,
     help="Skip totals footer display.",
 )
+@click.option(
+    "--tree-only",
+    "-T",
+    is_flag=True,
+    default=False,
+    help="Show only path column (tree-only mode).",
+)
+@click.option(
+    "-t",
+    "tree_alias",
+    is_flag=True,
+    default=False,
+    help="Alias for --tree.",
+)
+@click.option(
+    "-n",
+    "numbered_indent_alias",
+    is_flag=True,
+    default=False,
+    help="Alias for --numbered-indent.",
+)
+@click.option(
+    "--show-word-count",
+    is_flag=True,
+    default=False,
+    help="Show word count column (overrides --skip-word-count).",
+)
+@click.option(
+    "--short",
+    "-S",
+    is_flag=True,
+    default=False,
+    help="Alias for --tree-only --show-word-count.",
+)
 def ls(
     path: str,
     max_depth: int,
@@ -183,8 +251,30 @@ def ls(
     sort_spec: str | None,
     skip_header: bool,
     skip_totals: bool,
+    tree_only: bool,
+    tree_alias: bool,
+    numbered_indent_alias: bool,
+    show_word_count: bool,
+    short: bool,
 ) -> None:
     """List repository contents with analysis for LLM consumption."""
+    # Apply aliases
+    tree = tree or tree_alias
+    numbered_indent = numbered_indent or numbered_indent_alias
+
+    # Apply short flag alias
+    if short:
+        tree_only = True
+        show_word_count = True
+
+    # Validate conflicting flags
+    if show_word_count and skip_word_count:
+        raise click.BadParameter("--show-word-count and --skip-word-count are mutually exclusive")
+
+    # tree_only implies tree mode for consistency
+    if tree_only and not tree:
+        tree = True
+
     argv = [path]
     if max_depth:
         argv.extend(["--max-depth", str(max_depth)])
@@ -206,6 +296,12 @@ def ls(
         argv.append("--skip-header")
     if skip_totals:
         argv.append("--skip-totals")
+    if tree_only:
+        argv.append("--tree-only")
+    if show_word_count:
+        argv.append("--show-word-count")
+    if short:
+        argv.append("--short")
 
     code, out = run_cli(argv)
 

src/cedarmapper/render/flat.py

@@ -8,25 +8,15 @@
 from cedarmapper.core.model import DirInfo, FileInfo
 from cedarmapper.render.sort import make_comparator, parse_sort_spec
 from cedarmapper.render.utils import (
+    DisplayConfig,
+    format_data_row,
     format_header_row,
     format_separator_row,
     format_totals_row,
     get_column_specs,
 )
 
 
-def _fmt_count(c: int | None) -> str:
-    return "-" if c is None else str(c)
-
-
-def _fmt_mtime(dt: datetime, mode: str) -> str:
-    if mode == "none":
-        return ""
-    if mode == "day":
-        return dt.date().isoformat()
-    return dt.replace(microsecond=0).isoformat()
-
-
 class _DisplayRow:
     """Container for a displayable row; used for sorting."""
 
@@ -64,6 +54,9 @@ def render_flat(
     skip_header: bool = False,
     skip_totals: bool = False,
     skip_word_count: bool = False,
+    tree_only: bool = False,
+    show_word_count: bool = False,
+    explicit_date_format: bool = False,
 ) -> str:
     """
     Render all nodes (dirs and files) that are at display depth <= max_depth.
@@ -126,36 +119,55 @@ def _render_node(node: DirInfo | FileInfo, depth: int, parent_path: str) -> None
         comp = make_comparator(specs)
         rows.sort(key=cmp_to_key(comp))
 
+    # Create display configuration
+    config = DisplayConfig(
+        tree_only=tree_only,
+        show_word_count=show_word_count,
+        skip_word_count=skip_word_count,
+        skip_date=skip_date,
+        date_format=date_format,
+        explicit_date_format=explicit_date_format,
+    )
+
     # Build lines
     lines: list[str] = []
 
     # Add header if not skipped
     if not skip_header:
-        column_specs = get_column_specs(date_format, skip_word_count, skip_date)
-        lines.append(format_header_row(column_specs))
+        # For backward compatibility with existing tests, use original column specs
+        # but adjusted for new tree_only logic
+        effective_skip_word_count = skip_word_count and not show_word_count
+        effective_skip_date = skip_date or (tree_only and date_format == "none")
+
+        column_specs = get_column_specs(date_format, effective_skip_word_count, effective_skip_date)
+
+        # Special case: tree_only with date re-added
+        if tree_only and not skip_date and date_format != "none":
+            column_specs = [spec for spec in column_specs if spec.name != "Size"]
+
+        # Show path column unless tree_only with no other columns
+        show_path = not (tree_only and not column_specs and date_format == "none")
+        lines.append(format_header_row(column_specs, show_path=show_path))
 
     # Add data rows
     for r in rows:
-        date_str = _fmt_mtime(r.mtime, date_format)
-        if skip_word_count and skip_date:
-            # Size + Path
-            lines.append(f"{r.size_bytes:>12} {r.path}")
-        elif skip_word_count and not skip_date:
-            # Size + Modified + Path
-            lines.append(f"{r.size_bytes:>12} {date_str:>19} {r.path}")
-        elif not skip_word_count and skip_date:
-            # Words + Size + Path
-            lines.append(f"{_fmt_count(r.word_count):>7} {r.size_bytes:>12} {r.path}")
-        else:
-            # Words + Size + Modified + Path
-            lines.append(
-                f"{_fmt_count(r.word_count):>7} {r.size_bytes:>12} {date_str:>19} {r.path}"
-            )
+        line = format_data_row(config, r.obj, r.path)
+        lines.append(line)
 
     # Add totals footer if not skipped and we have multiple data rows
     if not skip_totals and len(rows) >= 2:
-        column_specs = get_column_specs(date_format, skip_word_count, skip_date)
-        lines.append(format_separator_row(column_specs))
-        lines.append(format_totals_row(column_specs, root))
+        effective_skip_word_count = skip_word_count and not show_word_count
+        effective_skip_date = skip_date or (tree_only and date_format == "none")
+
+        column_specs = get_column_specs(date_format, effective_skip_word_count, effective_skip_date)
+
+        # Special case: tree_only with date re-added
+        if tree_only and not skip_date and date_format != "none":
+            column_specs = [spec for spec in column_specs if spec.name != "Size"]
+
+        # Show path column unless tree_only with no other columns
+        show_path = not (tree_only and not column_specs and date_format == "none")
+        lines.append(format_separator_row(column_specs, show_path=show_path))
+        lines.append(format_totals_row(column_specs, root, show_path=show_path))
 
     return "\n".join(lines)