feat: switch default output format from text to json (12.14) #398

src/presentation/cli/input/cli/args.rs

@@ -72,20 +72,22 @@ pub struct GlobalArgs {
     #[arg(long, default_value = ".", global = true)]
     pub working_dir: PathBuf,
 
-    /// Output format for command results (default: text)
+    /// Output format for command results (default: json)
     ///
-    /// Controls the format of user-facing output (stdout channel).
-    /// - text: Human-readable formatted output with tables and sections (default)
-    /// - json: Machine-readable JSON for automation, scripts, and AI agents
+    /// Controls the format of result data written to stdout. Progress messages,
+    /// warnings, and status updates are always written to stderr regardless of
+    /// this setting.
+    /// - json: Machine-readable JSON for automation, scripts, and AI agents (default)
+    /// - text: Human-readable formatted output with tables and sections
     ///
     /// This is independent of logging format (--log-file-format, --log-stderr-format)
     /// which controls stderr/file output.
     ///
     /// Examples:
-    /// - Default: Text format for human consumption
-    /// - Automation: JSON format for programmatic parsing
+    /// - Default: JSON format for automation and AI agents
+    /// - Human output: Pass --output-format text for human-readable display
     /// - CI/CD: JSON piped to jq for field extraction
-    #[arg(long, value_enum, default_value = "text", global = true)]
+    #[arg(long, value_enum, default_value = "json", global = true)]
     pub output_format: OutputFormat,
 
     /// Increase verbosity of user-facing output

src/presentation/cli/input/cli/output_format.rs

@@ -14,16 +14,16 @@
 /// ```rust
 /// use torrust_tracker_deployer_lib::presentation::cli::input::cli::OutputFormat;
 ///
-/// // Default is text format
+/// // Default is JSON format
 /// let format = OutputFormat::default();
-/// assert!(matches!(format, OutputFormat::Text));
+/// assert!(matches!(format, OutputFormat::Json));
 ///
-/// // JSON format for automation
-/// let json_format = OutputFormat::Json;
+/// // Text format for human-readable output
+/// let text_format = OutputFormat::Text;
 /// ```
 #[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, Default, clap::ValueEnum)]
 pub enum OutputFormat {
-    /// Human-readable text output (default)
+    /// Human-readable text output
     ///
     /// Produces formatted text with tables, sections, and visual elements
     /// optimized for terminal display and human consumption.
@@ -38,10 +38,9 @@ pub enum OutputFormat {
     /// 3. Data directory: ./data/my-env
     /// 4. Build directory: ./build/my-env
     /// ```
-    #[default]
     Text,
 
-    /// JSON output for automation and programmatic parsing
+    /// JSON output for automation and programmatic parsing (default)
     ///
     /// Produces machine-readable JSON objects that can be parsed by tools
     /// like jq, scripts, and AI agents for programmatic extraction of data.
@@ -56,5 +55,6 @@ pub enum OutputFormat {
     ///   "created_at": "2026-02-16T14:30:00Z"
     /// }
     /// ```
+    #[default]
     Json,
 }

src/presentation/cli/views/commands/configure/views/json_view.rs

@@ -92,12 +92,16 @@ impl JsonView {
     #[must_use]
     pub fn render(data: &ConfigureDetailsData) -> String {
         serde_json::to_string_pretty(data).unwrap_or_else(|e| {
-            format!(
-                r#"{{
-  "error": "Failed to serialize configure details",
-  "message": "{e}"
-}}"#
-            )
+            serde_json::to_string_pretty(&serde_json::json!({
+                "error": "Failed to serialize configure details",
+                "message": e.to_string(),
+            }))
+            .unwrap_or_else(|_| {
+                r#"{
+  "error": "Failed to serialize error message"
+}"#
+                .to_string()
+            })
         })
     }
 }

src/presentation/cli/views/commands/destroy/views/json_view.rs

@@ -92,12 +92,16 @@ impl JsonView {
     #[must_use]
     pub fn render(data: &DestroyDetailsData) -> String {
         serde_json::to_string_pretty(data).unwrap_or_else(|e| {
-            format!(
-                r#"{{
-  "error": "Failed to serialize destroy details",
-  "message": "{e}"
-}}"#
-            )
+            serde_json::to_string_pretty(&serde_json::json!({
+                "error": "Failed to serialize destroy details",
+                "message": e.to_string(),
+            }))
+            .unwrap_or_else(|_| {
+                r#"{
+  "error": "Failed to serialize error message"
+}"#
+                .to_string()
+            })
         })
     }
 }

src/presentation/cli/views/commands/list/views/json_view.rs

@@ -96,12 +96,16 @@ impl JsonView {
     #[must_use]
     pub fn render(list: &EnvironmentList) -> String {
         serde_json::to_string_pretty(list).unwrap_or_else(|e| {
-            format!(
-                r#"{{
-  "error": "Failed to serialize environment list",
-  "message": "{e}"
-}}"#
-            )
+            serde_json::to_string_pretty(&serde_json::json!({
+                "error": "Failed to serialize environment list",
+                "message": e.to_string(),
+            }))
+            .unwrap_or_else(|_| {
+                r#"{
+  "error": "Failed to serialize error message"
+}"#
+                .to_string()
+            })
         })
     }
 }

src/presentation/cli/views/commands/purge/views/json_view.rs

@@ -70,12 +70,16 @@ impl JsonView {
     #[must_use]
     pub fn render(data: &PurgeDetailsData) -> String {
         serde_json::to_string_pretty(data).unwrap_or_else(|e| {
-            format!(
-                r#"{{
-  "error": "Failed to serialize purge details",
-  "message": "{e}"
-}}"#
-            )
+            serde_json::to_string_pretty(&serde_json::json!({
+                "error": "Failed to serialize purge details",
+                "message": e.to_string(),
+            }))
+            .unwrap_or_else(|_| {
+                r#"{
+  "error": "Failed to serialize error message"
+}"#
+                .to_string()
+            })
         })
     }
 }

src/presentation/cli/views/commands/register/views/json_view.rs

@@ -87,12 +87,16 @@ impl JsonView {
     #[must_use]
     pub fn render(data: &RegisterDetailsData) -> String {
         serde_json::to_string_pretty(data).unwrap_or_else(|e| {
-            format!(
-                r#"{{
-  "error": "Failed to serialize register details",
-  "message": "{e}"
-}}"#
-            )
+            serde_json::to_string_pretty(&serde_json::json!({
+                "error": "Failed to serialize register details",
+                "message": e.to_string(),
+            }))
+            .unwrap_or_else(|_| {
+                r#"{
+  "error": "Failed to serialize error message"
+}"#
+                .to_string()
+            })
         })
     }
 }

src/presentation/cli/views/commands/release/views/json_view.rs

@@ -92,12 +92,16 @@ impl JsonView {
     #[must_use]
     pub fn render(data: &ReleaseDetailsData) -> String {
         serde_json::to_string_pretty(data).unwrap_or_else(|e| {
-            format!(
-                r#"{{
-  "error": "Failed to serialize release details",
-  "message": "{e}"
-}}"#
-            )
+            serde_json::to_string_pretty(&serde_json::json!({
+                "error": "Failed to serialize release details",
+                "message": e.to_string(),
+            }))
+            .unwrap_or_else(|_| {
+                r#"{
+  "error": "Failed to serialize error message"
+}"#
+                .to_string()
+            })
         })
     }
 }

src/presentation/cli/views/commands/render/views/json_view.rs

@@ -83,12 +83,16 @@ impl JsonView {
     #[must_use]
     pub fn render(data: &RenderDetailsData) -> String {
         serde_json::to_string_pretty(data).unwrap_or_else(|e| {
-            format!(
-                r#"{{
-  "error": "Failed to serialize render details",
-  "message": "{e}"
-}}"#
-            )
+            serde_json::to_string_pretty(&serde_json::json!({
+                "error": "Failed to serialize render details",
+                "message": e.to_string(),
+            }))
+            .unwrap_or_else(|_| {
+                r#"{
+  "error": "Failed to serialize error message"
+}"#
+                .to_string()
+            })
         })
     }
 }

src/presentation/cli/views/commands/run/json_view.rs

@@ -122,8 +122,18 @@ impl JsonView {
             grafana,
         };
 
-        serde_json::to_string_pretty(&output)
-            .unwrap_or_else(|e| format!(r#"{{"error": "Failed to serialize: {e}"}}"#))
+        serde_json::to_string_pretty(&output).unwrap_or_else(|e| {
+            serde_json::to_string_pretty(&serde_json::json!({
+                "error": "Failed to serialize run details",
+                "message": e.to_string(),
+            }))
+            .unwrap_or_else(|_| {
+                r#"{
+  "error": "Failed to serialize error message"
+}"#
+                .to_string()
+            })
+        })
     }
 }
 

src/presentation/cli/views/commands/show/views/json_view.rs

@@ -90,8 +90,18 @@ impl JsonView {
     /// ```
     #[must_use]
     pub fn render(info: &EnvironmentInfo) -> String {
-        serde_json::to_string_pretty(info)
-            .unwrap_or_else(|e| format!(r#"{{"error": "Failed to serialize: {e}"}}"#))
+        serde_json::to_string_pretty(info).unwrap_or_else(|e| {
+            serde_json::to_string_pretty(&serde_json::json!({
+                "error": "Failed to serialize show details",
+                "message": e.to_string(),
+            }))
+            .unwrap_or_else(|_| {
+                r#"{
+  "error": "Failed to serialize error message"
+}"#
+                .to_string()
+            })
+        })
     }
 }
 

src/presentation/cli/views/commands/test/views/json_view.rs

@@ -62,12 +62,16 @@ impl JsonView {
     #[must_use]
     pub fn render(data: &TestResultData) -> String {
         serde_json::to_string_pretty(data).unwrap_or_else(|e| {
-            format!(
-                r#"{{
-  "error": "Failed to serialize test results",
-  "message": "{e}"
-}}"#
-            )
+            serde_json::to_string_pretty(&serde_json::json!({
+                "error": "Failed to serialize test results",
+                "message": e.to_string(),
+            }))
+            .unwrap_or_else(|_| {
+                r#"{
+  "error": "Failed to serialize error message"
+}"#
+                .to_string()
+            })
         })
     }
 }

src/presentation/cli/views/commands/validate/views/json_view.rs

@@ -95,12 +95,16 @@ impl JsonView {
     #[must_use]
     pub fn render(data: &ValidateDetailsData) -> String {
         serde_json::to_string_pretty(data).unwrap_or_else(|e| {
-            format!(
-                r#"{{
-  "error": "Failed to serialize validate details",
-  "message": "{e}"
-}}"#
-            )
+            serde_json::to_string_pretty(&serde_json::json!({
+                "error": "Failed to serialize validate details",
+                "message": e.to_string(),
+            }))
+            .unwrap_or_else(|_| {
+                r#"{
+  "error": "Failed to serialize error message"
+}"#
+                .to_string()
+            })
         })
     }
 }

tests/e2e/create_command.rs

@@ -197,3 +197,42 @@ fn it_should_fail_when_environment_already_exists() {
         "Error message should mention environment already exists, got: {stderr}"
     );
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn it_should_produce_json_by_default() {
+    // Verify dependencies before running tests
+    verify_required_dependencies().expect("Dependency verification failed");
+
+    // Arrange: Create a valid environment config file in a temp workspace
+    let temp_workspace = TempWorkspace::new().expect("Failed to create temp workspace");
+    let config = create_test_environment_config("test-create-json-default");
+    temp_workspace
+        .write_config_file("environment.json", &config)
+        .expect("Failed to write config file");
+    let config_path = temp_workspace.path().join("environment.json");
+
+    // Act: Run create command without --output-format
+    let result = process_runner()
+        .working_dir(temp_workspace.path())
+        .log_dir(temp_workspace.path().join("logs"))
+        .run_create_command(config_path.to_str().unwrap())
+        .expect("Failed to run create command");
+
+    // Assert: Command succeeds
+    assert!(
+        result.success(),
+        "Create command should succeed with a valid config, stderr: {}",
+        result.stderr()
+    );
+
+    // Assert: stdout is valid JSON
+    let stdout = result.stdout();
+    let json: serde_json::Value =
+        serde_json::from_str(&stdout).expect("Create command default output must be valid JSON");
+
+    // Assert: Expected field is present
+    assert!(
+        json.get("environment_name").is_some(),
+        "Expected `environment_name` field in create JSON output, got: {stdout}"
+    );
+}