Agent skill

Golang Spf13 Viper

by aiskillstore in aiskillstore/marketplace

Golang configuration library using spf13/viper — layered precedence (flag env file KV default), BindPFlag/BindPFlags, SetEnvPrefix + SetEnvKeyReplacer + AutomaticEnv, ReadInConfig +…

MITAuto-check passed

Install Golang Spf13 Viper

skills CLI
$ npx skills add aiskillstore/marketplace --skill golang-spf13-viper -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install aiskillstore/marketplace golang-spf13-viper --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/aiskillstore/marketplace.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/samber/golang-spf13-viper .claude/skills/golang-spf13-viper && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
golang-spf13-viper
GitHub stars
433
Used in
1 other repo
Token cost
~2.5k tokens
SKILL.md length
839 words
Files
8 (incl. references)
Skills in repo
1,044
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Golang configuration library using spf13/viper — layered precedence (flag env file KV default), BindPFlag/BindPFlags, SetEnvPrefix + SetEnvKeyReplacer + AutomaticEnv, ReadInConfig +…

  • Works in 5 steps: Set prefix + key replacer + AutomaticEnv… → Handle ConfigFileNotFoundError… → Always use mapstructure tags on config… → …
  • SKILL.md covers Viper vs. cobra, The precedence pipeline, Sources and config files and Env binding and key replacers, plus 9 more sections
  • Calls go

What it does

Golang Spf13 Viper is an agent skill from aiskillstore/marketplace. Golang configuration library using spf13/viper — layered precedence (flag env file KV default), BindPFlag/BindPFlags, SetEnvPrefix + SetEnvKeyReplacer + AutomaticEnv, ReadInConfig + ConfigFileNotFoundError, Unmarshal + mapstructure struct tags, Sub for sub-trees, WatchConfig + OnConfigChange for hot reload, viper.New() for test isolation, and remote KV integration. Apply when using or adopting spf13/viper, or when the codebase imports github.com/spf13/viper. For CLI command structure alongside viper, see the…

Its SKILL.md is about 2.5k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 9 other files, including reference files (for example `evals/evals.json`, `references/binding-and-env.md` and `references/sources-and-formats.md`). Compatibility notes: Designed for Claude Code, Codex or similar harness, and for projects using Golang.

It works with Go and GitHub. The repository describes itself as: Security-audited skills for Claude, Codex & Claude Code. One-click install, quality verified. The licence is MIT.

Example prompts

  • “/golang-spf13-viper”

Requirements

  • Compatibility (from SKILL.md): Designed for Claude Code, Codex or similar harness, and for projects using Golang.
  • Pre-approved tools (allowed-tools): Read, Edit, Write, Glob, Grep, Bash(go:*), Bash(golangci-lint:*), Bash(git:*), Agent, WebFetch, mcp__context7__resolve-library-id, mcp__context7__query-docs, Bash(godig:*), Bash(gopls:*), LSP, mcp__gopls__*

Workflow steps

5 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.

  1. Set prefix + key replacer + AutomaticEnv together — missing any one causes nested env keys to silently not resolve (database.host →…
  2. Handle ConfigFileNotFoundError gracefully — a missing config file should not crash a service that runs with only flags and env vars.
  3. Always use mapstructure tags on config structs — implicit mapping silently misses nested and underscore-named fields.
  4. Use viper.New() in tests, never the global — the global accumulates state across test runs; per-test instances are isolated.
  5. Bind flags before Execute() — binding in RunE is too late; cobra parses flags before RunE runs.

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 44923f3. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves these tools, so the agent can use them without asking each time:

    • Read
    • Edit
    • Write
    • Glob
    • Grep
    • Bash(go:*)
    • Bash(golangci-lint:*)
    • Bash(git:*)
    • Agent
    • WebFetch

    …and 6 more on the same allowed-tools line.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    Shell commands in SKILL.md call:

    • go

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    Links to these hosts (documentation or services it may open):

    • github.com
    • pkg.go.dev

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

  • Compatibility

    Designed for Claude Code, Codex or similar harness, and for projects using Golang.

    From compatibility in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

Context cost

Golang Spf13 Viper loads about 2.5k tokens when it runs, and up to ~7.6k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 167 tokens; SKILL.md has 839 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~167
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~2.5k
With references · SKILL.md plus every file in references/, read only if the agent opens them
~7.6k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from aiskillstore/marketplace at commit 44923f3, republished under its MIT licence (© aiskillstore). 839 words, ~2,543 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/golang-spf13-viper/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 7 other files; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
golang-spf13-viper
description
Golang configuration library using spf13/viper — layered precedence (flag > env > file > KV > default), BindPFlag/BindPFlags, SetEnvPrefix + SetEnvKeyReplacer + AutomaticEnv, ReadInConfig + ConfigFileNotFoundError, Unmarshal + mapstructure struct tags, Sub for sub-trees, WatchConfig + OnConfigChange for hot reload, viper.New() for test isolation, and remote KV integration. Apply when using or adopting spf13/viper, or when the codebase imports `github.com/spf13/viper`. For CLI command structure alongside viper, see the `samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-spf13-cobra` skill. For general CLI architecture, see `samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-cli`.
allowed-tools
Read, Edit, Write, Glob, Grep, Bash(go:*), Bash(golangci-lint:*), Bash(git:*), Agent, WebFetch, mcp__context7__resolve-library-id, mcp__context7__query-docs, Bash(godig:*), Bash(gopls:*), LSP, mcp__gopls__*
compatibility
Designed for Claude Code, Codex or similar harness, and for projects using Golang.
user-invocable
true
license
MIT
metadata.author
samber
metadata.version
1.1.2
paths
**/*.go

Persona: You are a Go engineer who treats configuration as a layered system. Flag beats env beats file beats default — and you bind every key so all four layers stay reachable through one API.

Using spf13/viper for layered configuration in Go

Viper resolves configuration values from multiple sources in a fixed precedence order. It has no user-facing surface — it doesn't define commands or flags. Its job is to answer "what is the value of key X right now?" by walking its source layers from highest to lowest priority.

Official Resources:

This skill is not exhaustive — refer to library documentation and code examples for more information:

  • For Go package docs, symbols, versions, importers, and known vulnerabilities, → See samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-pkg-go-dev skill (godig), preferred over Context7 for Go package facts.
  • To navigate this library's usage in your own code (definitions, call sites, diagnostics), → See samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-gopls skill (gopls).
  • Context7 remains a fallback for docs not indexed on pkg.go.dev.
bash
go get github.com/spf13/viper@latest

Viper vs. cobra

Cobra owns the command tree — subcommands, flags, arg validation, completions. Viper owns configuration resolution — it answers "what is the value of key X?" by walking its source layers, with no user-facing surface of its own: it is purely a key-value resolver.

  • Cobra alone — flag-only CLIs.
  • Viper alone — config-file daemons.
  • Both — bind flags at PersistentPreRunE via BindPFlag.

→ See samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-spf13-cobra for the cobra side of this integration.

The precedence pipeline

Viper resolves a key by walking sources in this order (first set value wins):

1. explicit Set()      — viper.Set("key", val)    highest priority
2. flag                — bound pflag.Flag
3. env var             — BindEnv / AutomaticEnv
4. config file         — ReadInConfig / MergeInConfig
5. KV remote           — etcd / Consul
6. default             — viper.SetDefault("key", val)   lowest priority

This pipeline is fixed and cannot be reordered. Understanding it prevents most viper bugs: a key that "should" come from a config file may be shadowed by an env var or a flag with a default value.

Sources and config files

go
viper.SetConfigName("config")
viper.AddConfigPath("$HOME/.myapp")
if err := viper.ReadInConfig(); err != nil {
    var notFound *viper.ConfigFileNotFoundError
    if !errors.As(err, &notFound) {
        return fmt.Errorf("reading config: %w", err) // propagate real errors only
    }
}

ConfigFileNotFoundError must be handled gracefully — config files are usually optional. An unhandled error from a missing file crashes programs that are perfectly valid when run with only flags or env vars.

For supported formats (JSON, TOML, YAML, HCL, INI, properties), MergeInConfig, and remote KV, see sources-and-formats.md.

Env binding and key replacers

This is the highest-bug-density area in viper. All three settings must be wired together — missing any one breaks nested key resolution:

go
// ✓ Good — all three wired together at startup
viper.SetEnvPrefix("MYAPP")                             // prevent collisions: PORT → MYAPP_PORT
viper.SetEnvKeyReplacer(strings.NewReplacer(".", "_"))  // database.host → MYAPP_DATABASE_HOST
viper.AutomaticEnv()

// ✗ Bad — without SetEnvKeyReplacer, viper looks for MYAPP_DATABASE.HOST (dot preserved)

For BindEnv, AllowEmptyEnv, and env-vs-default interaction, see binding-and-env.md.

Flag binding (the cobra seam)

Bind cobra flags to viper in init() or PersistentPreRunE — never in RunE (config loading in PersistentPreRunE already ran before RunE, so bindings set in RunE are missed):

go
func init() {
    rootCmd.PersistentFlags().Int("port", 8080, "listen port")
    viper.BindPFlag("port", rootCmd.PersistentFlags().Lookup("port"))
    // viper.BindPFlags(cmd.Flags()) — bind an entire FlagSet at once
}

For AllowEmptyEnv and flag/env interaction details, see binding-and-env.md.

Unmarshaling into structs

viper.Unmarshal maps the resolved configuration into a struct using mapstructure:

go
type Config struct {
    Port     int `mapstructure:"port"`
    Database struct {
        MaxConn int `mapstructure:"max_conn"` // explicit tag: mapstructure won't convert underscore→camelCase
    } `mapstructure:"database"`
}
var cfg Config
viper.Unmarshal(&cfg)

Always use mapstructure tags — implicit mapping is fragile for nested structs and underscore-named fields. Prefer UnmarshalKey("database", &dbCfg) over Sub("database").Unmarshal — it avoids the nil-check Sub requires when the key is missing.

For time.Duration / net.IP / slice decoders and custom DecodeHook registration, see unmarshal.md.

Sub-trees

viper.Sub("database") returns a new *viper.Viper scoped to the prefix, or nil if the key does not exist — always nil-check before calling methods on the result. Prefer UnmarshalKey("database", &dbCfg) which avoids the nil risk entirely.

Show full SKILL.md (349 more words)Show less

Hot reload

go
viper.WatchConfig()
viper.OnConfigChange(func(e fsnotify.Event) { /* re-apply changed values */ })

WatchConfig uses fsnotify and watches inodes, so editors that write atomically via rename (vim, neovim) replace the inode and the callback may not fire. Test hot-reload with echo >> config.yaml, not editor saves. For race-safe reload patterns, see watch-and-reload.md.

Test isolation

Never use the global viper in tests — state leaks across test cases. Use viper.New() per test so each instance is isolated:

go
v := viper.New()
v.SetConfigFile("testdata/config.yaml")
require.NoError(t, v.ReadInConfig())

For t.Setenv interactions and Reset() limitations, see testing-and-isolation.md.

Best Practices

  1. Set prefix + key replacer + AutomaticEnv together — missing any one causes nested env keys to silently not resolve (database.host → DATABASE.HOST instead of DATABASE_HOST).
  2. Handle ConfigFileNotFoundError gracefully — a missing config file should not crash a service that runs with only flags and env vars.
  3. Always use mapstructure tags on config structs — implicit mapping silently misses nested and underscore-named fields.
  4. Use viper.New() in tests, never the global — the global accumulates state across test runs; per-test instances are isolated.
  5. Bind flags before Execute() — binding in RunE is too late; cobra parses flags before RunE runs.

Common Mistakes

MistakeWhy it failsFix
AutomaticEnv without SetEnvKeyReplacerdatabase.host looks for MYAPP_DATABASE.HOST (dot preserved) — never matchesAdd SetEnvKeyReplacer(strings.NewReplacer(".", "_")) before AutomaticEnv
No mapstructure tags on struct fieldsSilently misses nested and underscore-named fieldsAdd mapstructure:"key_name" to every field
Using global viper in testsState from one test contaminates the next, causing flaky orderingCreate viper.New() per test
Missing ConfigFileNotFoundError checkMissing config file crashes a service that should run on flags/env aloneerrors.As(err, &notFound) — only propagate non-not-found errors

Further Reading

  • sources-and-formats.md — supported file formats, multi-path search, MergeInConfig, remote KV (etcd/Consul)
  • binding-and-env.md — BindEnv, AutomaticEnv, SetEnvPrefix, SetEnvKeyReplacer, AllowEmptyEnv, timing rules
  • unmarshal.md — Unmarshal, UnmarshalKey, mapstructure tags, custom DecodeHooks (Duration, IP, slice)
  • watch-and-reload.md — WatchConfig, OnConfigChange, fsnotify caveats, atomic-rename trap, race-safe patterns
  • testing-and-isolation.md — viper.New() per test, t.Setenv interactions, Reset() limitations, snapshot/restore

Cross-References

  • → See samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-cli skill for general CLI architecture — project layout, exit codes, signal handling, cobra+viper integration
  • → See samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-spf13-cobra skill for the cobra side of this integration (flag definition and binding)
  • → See samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-testing skill for general Go testing patterns

If you encounter a bug or unexpected behavior in spf13/viper, open an issue at https://github.com/spf13/viper/issues.

© aiskillstore, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

SKILL.md and 7 other files (references) in skills/samber/golang-spf13-viper of aiskillstore/marketplace.

  • SKILL.md
  • evals/evals.json
  • references/binding-and-env.md
  • references/sources-and-formats.md
  • references/testing-and-isolation.md
  • references/unmarshal.md
  • references/watch-and-reload.md
  • skill-report.json

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 44923f3

Used in 1 other repository

We found 1 copy of this SKILL.md (exact, near-identical or edited) in other folders, from 1 other GitHub owner. This page covers the copy in aiskillstore/marketplace, which our catalogue first saw on October 7, 2026.

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Works with

Questions about Golang Spf13 Viper

What does Golang Spf13 Viper do?

Golang configuration library using spf13/viper — layered precedence (flag env file KV default), BindPFlag/BindPFlags, SetEnvPrefix + SetEnvKeyReplacer + AutomaticEnv, ReadInConfig +…. Golang Spf13 Viper is an agent skill from aiskillstore/marketplace.New() for test isolation, and remote KV integration.

How do I install Golang Spf13 Viper in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add aiskillstore/marketplace --skill golang-spf13-viper -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/samber/golang-spf13-viper in aiskillstore/marketplace) into .claude/skills/golang-spf13-viper in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Golang Spf13 Viper in Codex?

Run `npx skills add aiskillstore/marketplace --skill golang-spf13-viper -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/samber/golang-spf13-viper in aiskillstore/marketplace) into .agents/skills/golang-spf13-viper in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Golang Spf13 Viper in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add aiskillstore/marketplace --skill golang-spf13-viper -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/golang-spf13-viper, .gemini/skills/golang-spf13-viper, .github/skills/golang-spf13-viper and .opencode/skills/golang-spf13-viper in your project.

What does Golang Spf13 Viper need to run?

Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Golang Spf13 Viper needs the command-line tools its instructions call (go). Its frontmatter pre-approves these tools: Read, Edit, Write, Glob, Grep, Bash(go:*), Bash(golangci-lint:*), Bash(git:*), Agent, WebFetch, mcp__context7__resolve-library-id, mcp__context7__query-docs, Bash(godig:*), Bash(gopls:*), LSP, mcp__gopls__*. Compatibility (from SKILL.md): Designed for Claude Code, Codex or similar harness, and for projects using Golang..

Does Golang Spf13 Viper access the network?

SKILL.md names 2 domains. As links in the text: github.com and pkg.go.dev. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Golang Spf13 Viper safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Golang Spf13 Viper use?

Golang Spf13 Viper is published under the MIT licence (declared in SKILL.md). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Golang Spf13 Viper use?

About 2.5k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 10k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full. Its references folder adds about 5.1k tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.

What are the alternatives to Golang Spf13 Viper?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Golang Spf13 Viper: Go-Redis Release Preparation (redis/go-redis, 22k stars), Machinist (owainlewis/machinist, 496 stars), Redis Test Image Update (redis/go-redis, 22k stars) and Browserwing (browserwing/browserwing, 1.4k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Golang Spf13 Viper?

aiskillstore (a GitHub organization) maintains it in aiskillstore/marketplace, which has 433 GitHub stars. The repository holds 1,044 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 10, 2026.

Source: aiskillstore/marketplace on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.