project-scaffolder
Generates complete starter repositories for various tech stacks (Next.js, Vite, Nest, FastAPI, etc.) with best-practice conventions, folder structure, baseline code, configs, scripts, and setup documentation. Use when users request to "scaffold a project", "create a starter repo", "initialize a new project", or specify a tech stack to begin with.
When & Why to Use This Skill
The Project Scaffolder is a high-performance Claude skill designed to accelerate the software development lifecycle by automating the creation of production-ready starter repositories. It generates comprehensive project structures for popular tech stacks like Next.js, Vite, NestJS, and FastAPI, incorporating industry best practices, essential configurations (TypeScript, ESLint, Docker), and baseline code. This tool eliminates the manual overhead of project initialization, ensuring a consistent and robust foundation for any new application.
Use Cases
- Rapid Prototyping: Instantly bootstrap a new web or backend application with a complete folder tree and working 'Hello World' examples to test ideas quickly.
- Standardizing Development Workflows: Create consistent project templates for teams to ensure all new microservices or frontend apps follow the same architectural patterns and linting rules.
- Automated Boilerplate Setup: Save hours of manual configuration by automatically generating package files, environment templates, CI/CD workflows, and Docker containers.
- Tech Stack Onboarding: Quickly set up a functional environment for unfamiliar frameworks (e.g., switching from Express to FastAPI) with best-practice directory structures already in place.
| name | project-scaffolder |
|---|---|
| description | Generates complete starter repositories for various tech stacks (Next.js, Vite, Nest, FastAPI, etc.) with best-practice conventions, folder structure, baseline code, configs, scripts, and setup documentation. Use when users request to "scaffold a project", "create a starter repo", "initialize a new project", or specify a tech stack to begin with. |
Project Scaffolder
Generate production-ready starter repositories with best-practice conventions for any tech stack.
Core Workflow
- Determine stack: Ask user to specify or infer from context (Next.js, Vite, Nest, FastAPI, etc.)
- Select template: Use references/templates.md to choose the appropriate project structure
- Generate structure: Create complete folder tree with all necessary files
- Add baseline code: Include working "hello world" route/page as proof of concept
- Configure tooling: Add package.json/requirements.txt, tsconfig, linting, formatting configs
- Create scripts: Include dev, build, test, and deployment scripts
- Document setup: Generate comprehensive README with setup steps and next actions
Key Deliverables
Every scaffolded project must include:
- Folder tree: Well-organized src/, lib/, config/, tests/ structure
- Baseline code: Working hello world endpoint or page
- Package files: package.json, requirements.txt, Cargo.toml, etc.
- Configs: TypeScript, ESLint, Prettier, environment files (.env.example)
- Scripts: npm scripts or Makefile for common tasks
- README: Setup instructions, tech stack overview, next steps
- Git setup: .gitignore configured for the stack
Stack-Specific Patterns
See references/templates.md for detailed patterns per stack:
- Next.js App Router
- Vite + React
- NestJS
- FastAPI
- Express + TypeScript
- Vue + Vite
- SvelteKit
Best Practices
- Use absolute imports (@/ alias) where supported
- Include environment variable templates
- Add basic error handling and logging setup
- Configure path mappings in tsconfig
- Include Docker files for containerization (optional)
- Add GitHub Actions or CI workflow templates (optional)
Progressive Enhancement
Start with minimal viable structure, then add:
- Database setup (Prisma, TypeORM, SQLAlchemy)
- Auth scaffolding (NextAuth, Passport, JWT)
- API client setup (Axios, Fetch wrapper)
- State management (Zustand, Redux, Pinia)
- Testing setup (Jest, Vitest, Pytest)
Output Structure
Present the complete project tree first, then create all files in proper locations. Always provide a summary of what was created and next steps to run the project.