A Unified CLI Tool for All Your LLMs That Promises Improved UX (www.infoq.com)

Will McGugan, known for his work on the Rich and Textual frameworks, has introduced Toad, a unified command-line interface (CLI) tool designed to enhance user experience (UX) for various AI coding agents. Launched during his sabbatical, Toad aims to provide a visually appealing GUI that streamlines interactions with multiple AI agents, such as OpenHands and Claude Code, through the Agent Communication Protocol (ACP). This tool not only supports 12 agent CLIs but also facilitates seamless onboarding, allowing users to dive right in if they have existing installations of the relevant AI tools. Toad significantly improves usability by incorporating features typically found in graphical coding assistants. It supports advanced functionalities like fuzzy search for project files, comprehensive Markdown rendering, and interactive TUI capabilities—including inline command execution and tab completion, familiar to users of typical shells. Drawing inspiration from popular environments like Jupyter, Toad allows users to navigate through and reuse previous interactions, further enhancing the coding workflow. Released as an open-source project under the AGPL 3.0 license, McGugan is looking to secure user support through sponsorships to continue its development. This initiative addresses a growing need for improved UX in the AI/ML space, making it easier for developers to harness AI tools effectively in their workflows.