🐛 fix(cli): version subcommand pretty output

cmd/cmd.go

@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ func Run() {
 
 	c, err := cli.New(
 		cli.WithCommandName("kubebuilder"),
-		cli.WithVersion(versionString()),
+		cli.WithVersion(versionStruct()),
 		cli.WithCliVersion(getKubebuilderVersion()),
 		cli.WithPlugins(
 			golangv4.Plugin{},

cmd/version.go

@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"golang.org/x/mod/semver"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/kubebuilder/v4/pkg/cli"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -48,28 +49,20 @@ var (
 	buildDate = "1970-01-01T00:00:00Z" // build date in ISO8601 format, output of $(date -u +'%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ')
 )
 
-// version contains all the information related to the CLI version
-type version struct {
-	KubeBuilderVersion string `json:"kubeBuilderVersion"`
-	KubernetesVendor   string `json:"kubernetesVendor"`
-	GitCommit          string `json:"gitCommit"`
-	BuildDate          string `json:"buildDate"`
-	GoOs               string `json:"goOs"`
-	GoArch             string `json:"goArch"`
-}
-
 // versionString returns the Full CLI version
-func versionString() string {
+func versionStruct() *cli.Version {
 	kubeBuilderVersion = getKubebuilderVersion()
 
-	return fmt.Sprintf("Version: %#v", version{
-		kubeBuilderVersion,
-		kubernetesVendorVersion,
-		gitCommit,
-		buildDate,
-		goos,
-		goarch,
-	})
+	version := cli.Version{
+		KubeBuilderVersion: kubeBuilderVersion,
+		KubernetesVendor:   kubernetesVendorVersion,
+		GitCommit:          gitCommit,
+		BuildDate:          buildDate,
+		GoOs:               goos,
+		GoArch:             goarch,
+	}
+
+	return &version
 }
 
 // getKubebuilderVersion returns only the CLI version string

pkg/cli/cli.go

@@ -48,8 +48,8 @@ type CLI struct {
 
 	// Root command name. It is injected downstream to provide correct help, usage, examples and errors.
 	commandName string
-	// Full CLI version string.
-	version string
+	// Full CLI version struct.
+	version *Version
 	// CLI version string (just the CLI version number, no extra information).
 	cliVersion string
 	// CLI root's command description.
@@ -526,8 +526,8 @@ func (c *CLI) addSubcommands() {
 	c.cmd.AddCommand(c.newInitCmd())
 
 	// kubebuilder version
-	// Only add version if a version string was provided
-	if c.version != "" {
+	// Only add version if a version struct was provided
+	if c.version != nil {
 		c.cmd.AddCommand(c.newVersionCmd())
 	}
 }

pkg/cli/cli_test.go

@@ -623,11 +623,18 @@ plugins:
 
 		When("providing a version string", func() {
 			It("should create a valid CLI", func() {
-				const version = "version string"
+				version := Version{
+					KubeBuilderVersion: "123",
+					KubernetesVendor:   "123",
+					GitCommit:          "0123fasdf0123",
+					BuildDate:          "2025-12-3",
+					GoOs:               "os123",
+					GoArch:             "arch123",
+				}
 				c, err = New(
 					WithPlugins(&golangv4.Plugin{}),
 					WithDefaultPlugins(projectVersion, &golangv4.Plugin{}),
-					WithVersion(version),
+					WithVersion(&version),
 				)
 				Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 				Expect(hasSubCommand(c.cmd, "version")).To(BeTrue())
@@ -648,7 +655,11 @@ plugins:
 				Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 				printed, _ := io.ReadAll(r)
 				Expect(string(printed)).To(Equal(
-					fmt.Sprintf("%s\n", version)))
+					fmt.Sprintf("Kubebuilder:\t123\n" +
+						"Kubernetes:\t123\n" +
+						"Git Commit:\t0123fasdf0123\n" +
+						"Build Date:\t2025-12-3\n" +
+						"OS/Arch:\tos123/arch123\n")))
 			})
 		})
 

pkg/cli/options.go

@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ func WithCommandName(name string) Option {
 }
 
 // WithVersion is an Option that defines the version string of the CLI.
-func WithVersion(version string) Option {
+func WithVersion(version *Version) Option {
 	return func(c *CLI) error {
 		c.version = version
 		return nil

pkg/cli/options_test.go

@@ -539,12 +539,19 @@ var _ = Describe("CLI options", func() {
 	})
 
 	Context("WithVersion", func() {
-		It("should use the provided version string", func() {
-			version := "Version: 0.0.0"
-			c, err = newCLI(WithVersion(version))
+		It("should use the provided version struct", func() {
+			version := Version{
+				KubeBuilderVersion: "123",
+				KubernetesVendor:   "123",
+				GitCommit:          "asdf1324",
+				BuildDate:          "2025-11-19",
+				GoOs:               "os123",
+				GoArch:             "arch123",
+			}
+			c, err = newCLI(WithVersion(&version))
 			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 			Expect(c).NotTo(BeNil())
-			Expect(c.version).To(Equal(version))
+			Expect(c.version).To(Equal(&version))
 		})
 	})
 

pkg/cli/version.go

@@ -22,6 +22,32 @@ import (
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
 
+// Version contains all the information related to the CLI version
+type Version struct {
+	KubeBuilderVersion string `json:"kubeBuilderVersion"`
+	KubernetesVendor   string `json:"kubernetesVendor"`
+	GitCommit          string `json:"gitCommit"`
+	BuildDate          string `json:"buildDate"`
+	GoOs               string `json:"goOs"`
+	GoArch             string `json:"goArch"`
+}
+
+// String implements Stringer for Version so we can format the output as needed
+func (v Version) String() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf(
+		"Kubebuilder:\t%v\n"+
+			"Kubernetes:\t%v\n"+
+			"Git Commit:\t%v\n"+
+			"Build Date:\t%v\n"+
+			"OS/Arch:\t%v/%v",
+		v.KubeBuilderVersion,
+		v.KubernetesVendor,
+		v.GitCommit,
+		v.BuildDate,
+		v.GoOs,
+		v.GoArch)
+}
+
 func (c CLI) newVersionCmd() *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:     "version",