---
sidebar_label: CLI output
---

# CLI output (experimental)

The structured output implementation is being developed incrementally.
Currently these global options apply to diagnostics emitted through the logger:

```sh
dcr --output plain build
dcr --output json build
dcr --color never build
dcr --quiet build
dcr --verbose build
```

`--output` accepts `human` (default), `plain`, or `json`.
Diagnostics are written to stderr. JSON diagnostics are newline-delimited objects
with `schema_version: 1`, `event`, and `message` fields. Command statuses use the
shared output helpers, build reporting emits structured lifecycle events, and
compiler output is represented as JSON events with its original stream and text.
The protocol is still experimental: some raw command data and subprocess stdout
remain unstructured.

`--color` accepts `auto`, `always`, or `never`. Automatic coloring requires a
terminal and respects `NO_COLOR`. Plain and JSON diagnostics never add colors.
Quiet mode preserves warnings, errors, and compiler diagnostics; verbose mode
enables debug and trace logging. Arguments following `--` are passed through
unchanged.

Remaining work includes migrating the remaining raw command data and subprocess
stdout, improving progress rendering and contextual errors, and expanding
integration coverage for stdout/stderr and closed pipes.