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Clearer Help Sections and Error Explanations

· One min read
Erik Osterman
Erik Osterman
Founder @ Cloud Posse

Atmos help output now separates built-in commands from custom commands, and error output now makes explanations easier to scan without adding extra headings.

What Changed​

Command help now groups native Atmos commands under BUILT-IN COMMANDS and commands defined in atmos.yaml under CUSTOM COMMANDS. Teams with project-specific runbooks can now see what Atmos provides out of the box and what their repository adds locally.

Error formatting also got cleaner. Explanations render as a styled callout when color is enabled, while hints stay as direct, actionable lines. The formatter reserves room for callout padding before wrapping text, so long explanations stay aligned instead of reflowing inside the box.

Why It Matters​

  • Faster command discovery. Built-in commands and custom shortcuts no longer compete in one flat list.
  • Cleaner troubleshooting. Error explanations are visually distinct from hints without adding extra section headers.
  • More consistent output. Snapshot comparisons and stderr formatting now preserve intentional whitespace unless a test opts into trailing-whitespace tolerance.

Get Involved​

Run atmos --help or any command-specific --help page in a repository with custom commands to see the new grouping.