[Feature Request] Add a command-line parameter so cookiecutter just replace the cached cookiecutter repository

• Cookiecutter version: 1.6.0
• Template project url: None
• Python version: 3.7
• Operating System: macOS

Description:

I’m proposing a feature here to add a command-line parameter, so cookiecutter will automatically update the cached cookiecutter repository.

So, we can enforce everyone to have the cookiecutter repository updated.

Proposed Behaviour

Previously

Cookiecutter will ask whether to update the cache or not.

$ cookiecutter [REPO]
You've downloaded /home/nieltg/.cookiecutters/skeleton-ruby before. Is it okay to delete and re-download it? [yes]: 
Enter passphrase for key '/home/nieltg/.ssh/id_rsa': 

Proposed

We can put a command-line parameter so cookiecutter just updates the cache.

$ cookiecutter --refresh [REPO]
Enter passphrase for key '/home/nieltg/.ssh/id_rsa': 

Thank you very much! If that’s possible, I’m willing to make a pull request in my free time.

[svermeulen]

Yes I find this prompt annoying every time I use cookiecutter with a URL. I would much prefer that it use the cache by default unless it gets over-ridden with --refresh

[glumia]

But in this case, it would be sufficient to provide the following command to those less technical people (suppose the template is cookiecutter-pypackage):

rm -rf ~/.cookiecutters/cookiecutter-pypackage && cookiecutter gh:audreyfeldroy/cookiecutter-pypackage

Is it really worth maintaining a new feature just to not use this compound command?

Do not underestimate the maintenance effort: it is true that the implementation is trivial and that it has some value (cookiecutter --refresh gh:audreyfeldroy/cookiecutter-pypackage is definitely prettier than the command above) but after that it’s added we would have to take care of it forever. Breaking retro compatibility is way worse than not providing a feature in the first place. And think of what happens when ‘smaller features’ like this one are added one after the other: in no time you find yourself with an enormous codebase where even the smallest change is expensive.

So, in my opinion, this feature is not worth it. (you can ask other maintainers a feedback if you don’t agree)

PS: Please don’t take it personally, I’m really sorry to block this request but it’s to prevent cookiecutter from growing indefinitely!