Scaffold

Automate the setup of new framework or language projects with current best practices, dependency installation, and git initialization.

Core Workflow

Follow this sequence for every scaffolding request:

1. Detect Existing Context

Check the current working directory for existing configuration files that inform setup decisions:

• Version managers: .mise.toml, .tool-versions, .nvmrc, .python-version, rust-toolchain.toml, etc.
• Existing configs: package.json, pyproject.toml, go.mod, Cargo.toml, etc.
• Git: Check if git status works (already initialized)

Use this context to inform tool choices and avoid conflicts.

2. Search for Latest Best Practices

CRITICAL: Always search the web for current official information. Tools and frameworks evolve rapidly, and documentation becomes outdated quickly. Use the official documentation as a reference.

Search queries should include the current year. Examples:

"Next.js setup 2026 official"
"Python project structure 2026"
"FastAPI project setup best practices"

Focus on:

• Latest stable version numbers
• Current recommended tooling
• Modern best practices
• Breaking changes from previous versions

3. Identify Decision Points

Determine what choices need user input. Common decision points:

Frameworks (typically have CLI tools with options):

• Next.js: App Router vs Pages Router
• React: Vite vs Create React App vs Next.js
• Python web: FastAPI vs Django vs Flask
• React Native: Expo vs bare workflow

Language projects (more tooling choices):

• Python: uv vs Poetry vs pip-tools vs hatch
• Node.js: npm vs pnpm vs yarn vs bun
• Go: standard module vs specific project layout (cmd/pkg, monorepo, etc.)
• Rust: binary vs library, workspace setup

Additional choices:

• TypeScript vs JavaScript
• Testing framework preferences
• Linting/formatting tools
• CI/CD setup

4. Surface Choices to User

When multiple valid approaches exist, ask the user for their preference. Use AskUserQuestion tool with:

• Clear descriptions of each option
• Recommendations based on latest best practices when appropriate
• Context from the web search

Example:

"I found that Next.js 15.2 (latest) uses the App Router by default. Which would you prefer?"
- App Router (Recommended for new projects) - Modern routing with Server Components
- Pages Router - Traditional routing, more examples available

5. Execute Scaffolding

Run the appropriate commands based on user choices:

Framework CLI tools:

# Next.js
npx create-next-app@latest

# Vite
npm create vite@latest

# FastAPI (no official CLI, create structure)
mkdir -p app tests

Language initialization:

# Python with uv
uv init

# Go
go mod init

# Rust
cargo init

Follow the framework's recommended setup flow. Pay attention to prompts from CLI tools.

6. Create README.md

Generate a project-specific README with:

• Project name and brief description
• Setup instructions (how to install dependencies)
• How to run development server
• How to run tests (if testing is set up)
• Tech stack summary

Keep it concise and immediately useful.

7. Create .gitignore

Create an appropriate .gitignore for the language/framework

• Choose the correct template from https://github.com/github/gitignore

Alternatively:

• Use framework CLI's generated .gitignore if provided
• Otherwise, generate one covering:
  • Language-specific patterns (node_modules/, pycache/, target/, etc.)
  • IDE files (.vscode/, .idea/, *.swp)
  • Environment files (.env, .env.local)
  • Build outputs (dist/, build/, *.pyc)
  • OS files (.DS_Store, Thumbs.db)

8. Initialize Git

git init

Skip if git is already initialized (detected in step 1).

9. Install Dependencies

Run the appropriate dependency installation command:

# Node.js
npm install  # or pnpm install, yarn, bun install

# Python
uv sync  # or poetry install, pip install -e .

# Go
go mod tidy

# Rust
cargo build

Monitor output for errors. If installation fails, troubleshoot before proceeding.

10. Verify Setup

Run a quick verification that the setup works:

Web frameworks:

# Start dev server briefly, then stop it
npm run dev  # or equivalent
# Check that it starts without errors, then Ctrl+C

CLI tools/libraries:

# Run tests if any
npm test  # or pytest, go test, cargo test

# Or verify build
npm run build  # or cargo build

Confirm no errors before proceeding.

11. Make Initial Commit

git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit: scaffold <framework/language> project

Set up <framework/language> project with <key tools/features>.

12. Provide Next Steps

Give the user clear, actionable next steps:

✅ Project scaffolded successfully!

Next steps:
1. Start development: npm run dev
2. Open http://localhost:3000 in your browser
3. Edit app/page.tsx to start building
4. Run tests: npm test

Tech stack:
- Next.js 15.2 (App Router)
- TypeScript
- Tailwind CSS
- ESLint

Framework-Specific Patterns

Next.js

• Use create-next-app with latest version
• Ask about App Router vs Pages Router
• Ask about TypeScript (usually yes)
• Ask about Tailwind CSS
• Ask about ESLint

React (non-Next.js)

• Recommend Vite over Create React App
• Ask about TypeScript
• Consider if they need a framework (suggest Next.js for full apps)

Python Web (FastAPI/Django/Flask)

• No official scaffolding CLI for FastAPI - create structure manually
• Django has django-admin startproject
• Ask about project structure preferences
• Ask about package manager (uv is fastest and modern)

Python (general project)

• Detect existing version managers (.mise.toml, etc.)
• Ask about package manager: uv (recommended), Poetry, pip-tools, hatch
• Create minimal structure: src/ layout or flat layout
• Set up pyproject.toml

Go

• Use go mod init <module-path>
• Ask if they want standard layout (cmd/, pkg/, internal/)
• No dependency installation needed (go mod tidy handles it)

Rust

• Use cargo init (binary) or cargo init --lib (library)
• Ask binary vs library
• Ask about workspace setup if multiple crates

Important Considerations

Stay Current: Search for latest versions and practices every time. Don't rely on cached knowledge.

Respect Existing Setup: If the directory already has configuration files, integrate with them rather than overwriting.

Minimal by Default: Don't over-engineer. Set up what's requested, not every possible feature.

User Preferences: Always surface meaningful choices rather than making assumptions.

Verification: Always verify the setup works before committing. Catch errors early.

Clear Communication: Keep the user informed at each step. Show what's being installed, what choices were made, and what the next steps are.