Dasel CLI
The CLI selects and changes JSON, YAML and other structured values so agents can transform data with one query language.
- 8,054 ★ on the repository
- Last commit
- MIT
Extended access
Why this level
- The CLI reads configuration and can update or delete values in source files.
Install
In your terminal, with SkillFoxx CLI
npx skillfoxx add cli/daselDetects the agents on your machine, shows the access level and pins the version.
Other ways to install
Access and checks
How we reviewExtended accessThe tool runs code or makes network calls and only reads external data.
- The CLI reads configuration and can update or delete values in source files.
This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.
What it does
Dasel lets agents extract fields, locate nested objects and transform structured data in the terminal. A common query syntax covers formats including JSON, YAML, TOML, XML and CSV. Users can inspect a value before preparing a document change. The CLI inserts, updates and deletes values and converts output to another format. Recursive traversal and conditions support deeper searches. Agents can use it to prepare inspectable export-processing or configuration scripts.
Who it is for. Data-processing engineers receiving several configuration formats and delegating consistent transformations to an agent.
Good fit when
- A nested JSON field needs extraction without reading the full file manually.
- An agent converts an export to another supported format.
- The same key must be located at different document depths.
- After changing a value, the user needs the entire transformed document before saving it.
Not a fit when
- You need syntax-tree rewrites of source code.
- The input is an unsupported binary format.
- You expect automatic validation of a changed value’s business meaning.
Example request
Select the required JSON field, prepare its new value and show the whole modified document without overwriting the source.Limitations
Queries use Dasel’s own syntax, so expressions from jq or another tool require separate verification. By default the CLI prints the final selector result; use `--root` to return the whole document after a change. Choose suitable input and output formats when converting so the intended structure is explicit. In-place updates alter source data, so test the expression on a copy and retain the original file for comparison before saving changes.
How to disable. Stop calling Dasel from agent scripts. Restore a backup or Git version if transformed output overwrote the source.
FAQ
Why does output contain only one value?
Dasel prints the final expression result. Add `--root` for the whole document.
Can I convert JSON into YAML?
Yes. The example is `cat data.json | dasel -i json -o yaml`.
How do I select a nested field?
Use a path selector such as the documented `foo.bar` example.
How do I find a key at any depth?
The recursive selector `..bar` finds nested occurrences of `bar`.
Is shell completion available?
Yes. Completion commands cover Bash, Zsh, Fish and PowerShell.
Discussion
No questions or reviews yet.
Related
CLI toolsThe Go CLI reads and edits YAML, JSON and related formats for targeted agent-assisted configuration transformations.
The CLI runs SQL over CSV, JSON and other tabular files so agents can join exports and select output formats.
The CLI imports CSV and JSON into SQLite, runs SQL and reshapes tables for agent-assisted local data preparation.
jc converts command output, files and strings into JSON with dedicated parsers for use in scripts and downstream tools.
SearchCLI is a Volcengine AI Search tool that evaluates results against test queries and retains an experiment plan and report.
The interactive viewer explores JSON with field suggestions so users can verify an agent’s expression and returned data.
README in short
The project also provides a Go library. It can generate a manual page, and the documentation covers more complex expressions.