Jul 17, 2025 · Jul 17, 2025 · Jul 17, 2025 · Jul 17, 2025
diff --git a/cli/create.go b/cli/create.go
 "github.com/coder/serpent"
 )

 // DefaultPresetName is used when a user runs `create --preset default`.
 // It instructs the CLI to use the default preset defined for the template version, if one exists.
 const DefaultPresetName = "default"

 func (r *RootCmd) create() *serpent.Command {
 var (
 templateName    string
 templateVersion string
 presetName      string
 startAt         string
 stopAfter       time.Duration
 workspaceName   string
 }
 }

 // If a preset name is provided, resolve the preset to use.
 var preset *codersdk.Preset
 var presetParameters []codersdk.WorkspaceBuildParameter
 isDefaultPreset := false
 if len(presetName) > 0 {
 tvPresets, err := client.TemplateVersionPresets(inv.Context(), templateVersionID)
 if err != nil {
 return xerrors.Errorf("failed to get presets: %w", err)
 }

 for _, tvPreset := range tvPresets {
 // If the preset name is the special "default" keyword,
 // fetch the template version's default preset (if any).
 if presetName == DefaultPresetName && tvPreset.Default {
 preset = &tvPreset
 isDefaultPreset = true
 break
 }
 if tvPreset.Name == presetName {
 preset = &tvPreset
 break
 }
 }

 if preset == nil {
 return xerrors.Errorf("preset %q not found", presetName)
 }

 // Convert preset parameters into workspace build parameters.
 presetBuildParameters, err := presetParameterAsWorkspaceBuildParameters(preset.Parameters)
 if err != nil {
 return xerrors.Errorf("failed to parse preset parameters: %w", err)
 }
 presetParameters = append(presetParameters, presetBuildParameters...)

 // Inform the user which preset was applied and its parameters.
 presetLabel := fmt.Sprintf("Preset '%s'", preset.Name)
 if isDefaultPreset {
 presetLabel += " (default)"
 }
 _, _ = fmt.Fprintf(inv.Stdout, "%s applied:", cliui.Bold(presetLabel))
 for _, p := range presetParameters {
 _, _ = fmt.Fprintf(inv.Stdout, "  %s: '%s'\n", cliui.Bold(p.Name), p.Value)
 }
 }

 richParameters, err := prepWorkspaceBuild(inv, client, prepWorkspaceBuildArgs{
 Action:            WorkspaceCreate,
 TemplateVersionID: templateVersionID,
 NewWorkspaceName:  workspaceName,

 PresetParameters:      presetParameters,
 RichParameterFile:     parameterFlags.richParameterFile,
 RichParameters:        cliBuildParameters,
 RichParameterDefaults: cliBuildParameterDefaults,
 ttlMillis = ptr.Ref(stopAfter.Milliseconds())
 }

 workspace, err := client.CreateUserWorkspace(inv.Context(), workspaceOwner, codersdk.CreateWorkspaceRequest{
 req := codersdk.CreateWorkspaceRequest{
 TemplateVersionID:   templateVersionID,
 Name:                workspaceName,
 AutostartSchedule:   schedSpec,
 TTLMillis:           ttlMillis,
 RichParameterValues: richParameters,
 AutomaticUpdates:    codersdk.AutomaticUpdates(autoUpdates),
 })
 }

 // If a preset exists, update the create workspace request's preset ID
 if preset != nil {
 req.TemplateVersionPresetID = preset.ID
 }

 workspace, err := client.CreateUserWorkspace(inv.Context(), workspaceOwner, req)
 if err != nil {
 return xerrors.Errorf("create workspace: %w", err)
 }
 Description: "Specify a template version name.",
 Value:       serpent.StringOf(&templateVersion),
 },
 serpent.Option{
 Flag:        "preset",
 Env:         "CODER_PRESET_NAME",
 Description: "Specify a template version preset name. Use 'default' to apply the default preset defined in the template version, if available.",
 Value:       serpent.StringOf(&presetName),
 },
 serpent.Option{
 Flag:        "start-at",
 Env:         "CODER_WORKSPACE_START_AT",
 PromptEphemeralParameters bool
 EphemeralParameters       []codersdk.WorkspaceBuildParameter

 PresetParameters      []codersdk.WorkspaceBuildParameter
 PromptRichParameters  bool
 RichParameters        []codersdk.WorkspaceBuildParameter
 RichParameterFile     string
 WithSourceWorkspaceParameters(args.SourceWorkspaceParameters).
 WithPromptEphemeralParameters(args.PromptEphemeralParameters).
 WithEphemeralParameters(args.EphemeralParameters).
 WithPresetParameters(args.PresetParameters).
 WithPromptRichParameters(args.PromptRichParameters).
 WithRichParameters(args.RichParameters).
 WithRichParametersFile(parameterFile).
Original file line number	Diff line number	Diff line change
Expand Up		@@ -21,10 +21,15 @@ import (
		"github.com/coder/serpent"
		)

		// DefaultPresetName is used when a user runs `create --preset default`.
		// It instructs the CLI to use the default preset defined for the template version, if one exists.
		const DefaultPresetName = "default"
Copy link ContributorAuthor ssncferreiraJul 17, 2025• edited Loading Choose a reason for hiding this comment The reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others.Learn more. To preserve current behavior, if no`--preset` is provided, the CLI does not apply any preset. I added support for a special`default` value to allow users to explicitly use the default preset (if one exists). However, this approach might not be ideal, as it introduces ambiguity, e.g., what if a preset is literally named "default"? Another approach I considered was assigning a default value (like`default`) to the`--preset` flag itself. But that could lead to unexpected behavior: the user may not realize a preset is being applied at all. A potentially better UX would be: If the template has presets and none is specified via`--preset`, prompt the user to select one. If there’s a default preset, it should appear as the first option (as in the UI). Add a`none` option to explicitly skip using a preset (as in the UI). This means that instead of having a default value for the preset, we can have a none value that explicitly indicates no preset should be used. This would bring the CLI experience closer to the web interface and make it more intuitive. However, the downside is that this would break existing automation/scripts that rely on creating workspaces silently when presets exist. Those scripts would now hang, waiting for input. Let me know what you think Copy link Contributor SasSwartJul 17, 2025 Choose a reason for hiding this comment The reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others.Learn more. You've summarised the trade-offs well. My assessment of them is that without a`--preset` flag specified, it should use the default as defined in the template. This use case is what we allow a default to be defined for. I see you've already added a line to the command output to inform the user which preset was chosen, so that should help make it more visible. Like with the frontend, we can allow for a "None" preset. In fact it might be a good idea to move that from the frontend to the API so that we have it here without any additional trouble.

		func (r RootCmd) create() serpent.Command {
		var (
		templateName string
		templateVersion string
		presetName string
		startAt string
		stopAfter time.Duration
		workspaceName string
Expand DownExpand Up		@@ -263,11 +268,58 @@ func (r RootCmd) create() serpent.Command {
		}
		}

		// If a preset name is provided, resolve the preset to use.
		var preset *codersdk.Preset
		var presetParameters []codersdk.WorkspaceBuildParameter
		isDefaultPreset := false
		if len(presetName) > 0 {
		tvPresets, err := client.TemplateVersionPresets(inv.Context(), templateVersionID)
		if err != nil {
		return xerrors.Errorf("failed to get presets: %w", err)
		}

		for _, tvPreset := range tvPresets {
		// If the preset name is the special "default" keyword,
		// fetch the template version's default preset (if any).
		if presetName == DefaultPresetName && tvPreset.Default {
		preset = &tvPreset
		isDefaultPreset = true
		break
		}
		if tvPreset.Name == presetName {
		preset = &tvPreset
		break
		}
		}

		if preset == nil {
		return xerrors.Errorf("preset %q not found", presetName)
		}

		// Convert preset parameters into workspace build parameters.
		presetBuildParameters, err := presetParameterAsWorkspaceBuildParameters(preset.Parameters)
		if err != nil {
		return xerrors.Errorf("failed to parse preset parameters: %w", err)
		}
		presetParameters = append(presetParameters, presetBuildParameters...)

		// Inform the user which preset was applied and its parameters.
		presetLabel := fmt.Sprintf("Preset '%s'", preset.Name)
		if isDefaultPreset {
		presetLabel += " (default)"
		}
		_, _ = fmt.Fprintf(inv.Stdout, "%s applied:", cliui.Bold(presetLabel))
		for _, p := range presetParameters {
		_, _ = fmt.Fprintf(inv.Stdout, " %s: '%s'\n", cliui.Bold(p.Name), p.Value)
		}
		}

		richParameters, err := prepWorkspaceBuild(inv, client, prepWorkspaceBuildArgs{
		Action: WorkspaceCreate,
		TemplateVersionID: templateVersionID,
		NewWorkspaceName: workspaceName,

		PresetParameters: presetParameters,
		RichParameterFile: parameterFlags.richParameterFile,
		RichParameters: cliBuildParameters,
		RichParameterDefaults: cliBuildParameterDefaults,
Expand All		@@ -291,14 +343,21 @@ func (r RootCmd) create() serpent.Command {
		ttlMillis = ptr.Ref(stopAfter.Milliseconds())
		}

		workspace, err := client.CreateUserWorkspace(inv.Context(), workspaceOwner, codersdk.CreateWorkspaceRequest{
		req := codersdk.CreateWorkspaceRequest{
		TemplateVersionID: templateVersionID,
		Name: workspaceName,
		AutostartSchedule: schedSpec,
		TTLMillis: ttlMillis,
		RichParameterValues: richParameters,
		AutomaticUpdates: codersdk.AutomaticUpdates(autoUpdates),
		})
		}

		// If a preset exists, update the create workspace request's preset ID
		if preset != nil {
		req.TemplateVersionPresetID = preset.ID
		}

		workspace, err := client.CreateUserWorkspace(inv.Context(), workspaceOwner, req)
		if err != nil {
		return xerrors.Errorf("create workspace: %w", err)
		}
Expand DownExpand Up		@@ -333,6 +392,12 @@ func (r RootCmd) create() serpent.Command {
		Description: "Specify a template version name.",
		Value: serpent.StringOf(&templateVersion),
		},
		serpent.Option{
		Flag: "preset",
		Env: "CODER_PRESET_NAME",
		Description: "Specify a template version preset name. Use 'default' to apply the default preset defined in the template version, if available.",
		Value: serpent.StringOf(&presetName),
		},
		serpent.Option{
		Flag: "start-at",
		Env: "CODER_WORKSPACE_START_AT",
Expand DownExpand Up		@@ -377,6 +442,7 @@ type prepWorkspaceBuildArgs struct {
		PromptEphemeralParameters bool
		EphemeralParameters []codersdk.WorkspaceBuildParameter

		PresetParameters []codersdk.WorkspaceBuildParameter
		PromptRichParameters bool
		RichParameters []codersdk.WorkspaceBuildParameter
		RichParameterFile string
Expand DownExpand Up		@@ -411,6 +477,7 @@ func prepWorkspaceBuild(inv serpent.Invocation, client codersdk.Client, args p
		WithSourceWorkspaceParameters(args.SourceWorkspaceParameters).
		WithPromptEphemeralParameters(args.PromptEphemeralParameters).
		WithEphemeralParameters(args.EphemeralParameters).
		WithPresetParameters(args.PresetParameters).
Copy link Contributor SasSwartJul 17, 2025 Choose a reason for hiding this comment The reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others.Learn more. Should this not be last in the list? Otherwise we allow preset parameters to be overwritten.
		WithPromptRichParameters(args.PromptRichParameters).
		WithRichParameters(args.RichParameters).
		WithRichParametersFile(parameterFile).
Expand Down