nsheaps/plugins/bash-command-rejection/skills/bash-chaining-alternatives

Bash Chaining Alternatives

This skill teaches you how to work around the bash command chaining restriction enforced by this plugin.

Why Chaining is Blocked

The bash-command-rejection plugin blocks these operators:

| Operator | Name | Why Blocked | | -------- | ---------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | && | AND chain | Runs cmd2 only if cmd1 succeeds - can't check permissions for conditional execution | | \| | Pipe | Streams output to another command - can't review what the receiving command does | | ; | Sequential | Runs multiple commands - each should be reviewed separately |

Allowed: || (OR/fallback) is permitted because it's error handling, not output chaining.

Alternative Approaches

1. Run Commands Separately

Instead of:

npm install && npm run build

Do:

npm install

Then in a separate call:

npm run build

2. Redirect Output to File

Instead of:

cat file.txt | grep "pattern"

Do:

cat file.txt > /tmp/output.txt

Then use the Grep tool or Read tool to examine the output.

Or if you must use bash:

grep "pattern" /tmp/output.txt

3. Use Built-in Claude Code Tools

Claude Code has dedicated tools that are safer than bash pipes:

| Instead of | Use | | --------------------------- | ---------------------------- | | cat file \| grep pattern | Grep tool with file path | | find . -name "*.js" | Glob tool with pattern | | cat file.txt | Read tool | | sed -i 's/old/new/g' file | Edit tool |

4. Write a Reviewable Script

For complex multi-step operations, write a shell script:

#!/bin/bash
# deploy.sh - Production deployment script

set -euo pipefail

echo "Running tests..."
npm test

echo "Building..."
npm run build

echo "Deploying..."
rsync -av ./dist/ server:/var/www/app/

Save the script, let the user review it, then:

bash deploy.sh

5. Acknowledge and Bypass (Last Resort)

If chaining is truly necessary and safe, add an acknowledgment comment:

# CHAINED: Building inside docker container, both commands needed atomically
docker build -t myapp . && docker run myapp

Only use this when:

• Commands must run atomically
• You can explain why it's safe
• The user understands the combined behavior

Best Practices

1. Prefer sequential separate calls - Most readable and safest
2. Use output files as intermediaries - Creates audit trail
3. Leverage Claude Code tools - They're designed for these tasks
4. Write scripts for complex operations - Allows human review
5. Reserve bypass for edge cases - Document why it's needed

Examples

Git Operations

Instead of:

git add . && git commit -m "message" && git push

Do each step separately:

git add .

git commit -m "message"

git push

Testing and Building

Instead of:

npm test && npm run build

Run tests:

npm test

If tests pass, build:

npm run build

Checking Command Output

Instead of:

ls -la | grep "\.js$"

Use the Glob tool with pattern *.js, or:

ls -la > /tmp/files.txt

Then use Grep tool to search /tmp/files.txt.