repl ☆

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Description:
Wrap non-interactive programs with a REPL

Type: Formula | Tracked Since: Dec 28, 2025

Links: Homepage | formulae.brew.sh

Category: Developer tools

Tags: repl cli developer-tools shell productivity

Install: brew install repl

About:
Repl is a utility that wraps any non-interactive command-line program and transforms it into an interactive Read-Eval-Print Loop (REPL). This allows users to repeatedly execute the same command with different arguments or inputs without needing to retype the full command each time. It is particularly useful for testing APIs, debugging command-line tools, or exploring data through repetitive shell commands.

Key Features:

Wraps any non-interactive CLI tool into an interactive session
Maintains command history for easy recall and editing
Lightweight and language-agnostic (works with any executable)
Simple, minimal interface that requires no code changes to the wrapped tool

Use Cases:

Interactive testing of CLI tools that normally require arguments passed via flags
Exploring APIs or data sources using curl or grep in a loop
Rapid prototyping of shell commands without rewriting them repeatedly

Alternatives:

rlwrap – Provides readline editing and history for any command; more focused on input editing than creating a structured REPL.
bash – Built-in shell loops (e.g., while read) can achieve similar results but require more manual scripting and lack an interactive prompt.

Version History

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