nushell-plugins/api_nu_plugin_kcl/key_diff_api_cli_kcl.md

key differences between api_nu_plugin_kcl and nu_plugin_kcl:

api_nu_plugin_kcl vs nu_plugin_kcl

api_nu_plugin_kcl (API-based approach):

• Uses KCL Rust API directly via kcl-lang crate
• Commands: kcl-exec, kcl-run (inline code execution)
• Dependencies: kcl-lang = { git = "https://github.com/kcl-lang/lib" }
• Functionality: Direct API integration with KCL library
• Advanced features: Dependency resolution from kcl.mod, external packages support
• File execution: Can execute multiple KCL files with project management
• Status: Not tracked in plugin registry (likely experimental/development)

nu_plugin_kcl (CLI wrapper approach):

• Uses KCL CLI wrapper via system command execution
• Commands: kcl-run, kcl-format, kcl-validate
• Dependencies: Only nushell plugin dependencies (no direct KCL API)
• Functionality: Wraps KCL CLI commands through subprocess execution
• Mature features: Full CLI integration with formatting and validation
• File operations: Single file execution with comprehensive CLI options
• Status: Tracked in plugin registry, has upstream repository

Key Architectural Differences:

1. Integration Method: - api_nu_plugin_kcl: Direct Rust API integration - nu_plugin_kcl: CLI subprocess wrapper
2. Capabilities: - api_nu_plugin_kcl: Project-aware, dependency management, inline code execution - nu_plugin_kcl: Complete CLI feature set (run/format/validate)
3. Dependencies: - api_nu_plugin_kcl: Requires KCL Rust library compilation - nu_plugin_kcl: Requires KCL CLI installed on system
4. Maturity: - api_nu_plugin_kcl: Experimental, more complex but potentially more powerful - nu_plugin_kcl: Production-ready with comprehensive documentation

The @ prefix likely indicates that api_nu_plugin_kcl is a variant or experimental version focusing on direct API integration rather than CLI wrapping.