Project Scaffolding Skill

Overview

Standardized project initialization workflow with templates, boilerplate generation, and structure patterns. Ensures new projects start with consistent, well-organized foundations.

Type

workflow

When to Invoke

Trigger keywords: scaffold, new project, boilerplate, template, initialize, project structure, bootstrap, starter, setup

Trigger phrases:

• "create a new project"
• "set up a new app"
• "initialize the project"
• "bootstrap a new..."
• "scaffold a..."

Project Type Selection

Type	Use When	Key Files
Web App	Frontend/fullstack, browser-based	package.json, index.html, src/, public/
API/Backend	REST/GraphQL services	app.py or main.ts, routes/, models/
CLI Tool	Command-line applications	cli.py or index.ts, commands/
Library	Reusable package/module	lib/, src/, package.json or pyproject.toml
Microservice	Distributed service	Dockerfile, kubernetes/, src/
Monorepo	Multiple packages	packages/, apps/, turbo.json or nx.json

Essential Files Checklist

Every project MUST have:

Root Files

• .gitignore - Appropriate for language/framework
• README.md - Project overview, setup, usage
• LICENSE - If open source

Configuration

• Language config (pyproject.toml, package.json, cargo.toml)
• Editor config (.editorconfig or IDE settings)
• Linter/formatter config (eslint, prettier, ruff, black)

Development

• ./tmp/ - For temporary/test files
• ./docs/ - Documentation folder (invoke documentation-standards skill)
• Test directory (tests/, __tests__/, spec/)

Optional but Recommended

• Dockerfile - Container definition
• docker-compose.yml - Local development
• .env.example - Environment variable template
• Makefile or justfile - Common commands

Directory Structures

Python Project

project/
├── src/
│   └── project/
│       ├── __init__.py
│       ├── main.py
│       └── modules/
├── tests/
│   ├── __init__.py
│   ├── test_main.py
│   └── fixtures/
├── docs/
├── tmp/
├── pyproject.toml
├── README.md
└── .gitignore

TypeScript/Node Project

project/
├── src/
│   ├── index.ts
│   ├── types/
│   └── modules/
├── tests/
│   └── *.test.ts
├── docs/
├── tmp/
├── package.json
├── tsconfig.json
├── README.md
└── .gitignore

API Project

project/
├── src/
│   ├── app.ts (or main.py)
│   ├── routes/
│   ├── controllers/
│   ├── models/
│   ├── services/
│   ├── middleware/
│   └── utils/
├── tests/
├── docs/
│   ├── API_REFERENCE.md
│   └── SCHEMAS.md
├── tmp/
├── Dockerfile
├── docker-compose.yml
└── README.md

Technology Selection Framework

When choosing tech stack, consider:

Language Selection

Factor	Python	TypeScript	Go	Rust
Rapid prototyping	Excellent	Good	Moderate	Slow
Performance	Moderate	Moderate	Excellent	Excellent
Type safety	Optional	Excellent	Good	Excellent
Ecosystem	Massive	Massive	Growing	Growing
Learning curve	Low	Low	Moderate	High

Framework Selection

Use Case	Python	TypeScript	Go
REST API	FastAPI, Flask	Express, Fastify	Gin, Echo
Web App	Django, FastAPI	Next.js, Nuxt	-
CLI	Click, Typer	Commander, Yargs	Cobra
Data	Pandas, Polars	-	-

Database Selection

Type	Options	Use When
Relational	PostgreSQL, SQLite	Structured data, transactions
Document	MongoDB	Flexible schemas, rapid iteration
Key-Value	Redis	Caching, sessions
Graph	Neo4j	Relationship-heavy data

Initialization Workflow

Step 1: Define Project Type

• What problem does this solve?
• Who is the user?
• What's the deployment target?

Step 2: Select Technology

• Language based on requirements
• Framework based on use case
• Database based on data model

Step 3: Create Structure

• Use appropriate directory template
• Create all essential files
• Initialize version control

Step 4: Configure Development

• Set up linting/formatting
• Configure testing framework
• Create development environment

Step 5: Document

• Write README with setup instructions
• Invoke documentation-standards skill
• Create initial architecture docs

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

Anti-Pattern	Why Bad	Do Instead
No .gitignore	Commits secrets, artifacts	Always create appropriate .gitignore
Flat structure	Doesn't scale	Use module/feature folders
No tests folder	Testing becomes afterthought	Create tests/ from start
Hardcoded config	Environment-specific	Use .env files
No docs folder	Documentation neglected	Create docs/ immediately

Integration

Works with:

• documentation-standards - For project documentation
• tdd-workflow - For test setup
• architecture-patterns - For design decisions
• /newapp command - Invokes this skill automatically

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Ensures consistent, well-structured project initialization