YTD - YouTube Downloader

What is YTD?

YTD (YouTube Downloader) is a simple, cross-platform command-line tool that lets you download YouTube videos directly from the terminal. Just pass a YouTube URL and the video starts downloading to your current directory.

Key Features

• Simple CLI Interface: Just run ytd <url> and you’re done
• Cross-Platform: Pre-built binaries for Windows, macOS, and Linux
• No Dependencies: Single executable, no runtime installation needed
• Lightweight: Built with Dart for fast performance
• CI/CD Pipeline: Automated builds via GitHub Actions

Installation

Download the latest release for your platform from the Releases page.

Optional: Add the executable path to your environment variables to access ytd from anywhere in the terminal.

Usage

Download a Video

ytd https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=your-video-id

Interactive Mode

ytd
# Then paste the URL when prompted

The video will be downloaded to your current working directory.

Supported Platforms

Platform	Status
Windows	Available
macOS	Available
Linux	Available

Technical Implementation

YTD is built with Dart, Google’s language for client-optimized applications. The project demonstrates:

• Dart CLI Development: Building command-line apps with Dart
• Cross-Platform Compilation: Compiling to native binaries for multiple OS
• GitHub Actions CI/CD: Automated build and release pipeline
• Release Management: Publishing platform-specific binaries

Why Dart?

Dart offers several advantages for CLI tools:

• Ahead-of-Time Compilation: Compile to native machine code
• No Runtime Required: Users don’t need Dart installed
• Fast Startup: Native binaries start instantly
• Cross-Platform: Single codebase for all platforms