Create Better-T-Stack CLI

A modern CLI tool for scaffolding end-to-end type-safe TypeScript projects with best practices and customizable configurations

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Quick Start

Run without installing globally:

# Using bun (recommended)
bun create better-t-stack@latest

# Using pnpm
pnpm create better-t-stack@latest

# Using npm
npx create-better-t-stack@latest

Follow the prompts to configure your project or use the --yes flag for defaults.

Features

MCP (Model Context Protocol) Support

The CLI now supports the Model Context Protocol, allowing AI assistants to scaffold projects programmatically. This enables seamless integration with AI coding assistants like Claude, Cursor, and others.

Quick Start with MCP

# Start the MCP server
npx create-better-t-stack --mcp

MCP Client Configuration

Add to your MCP client configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "better-t-stack": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "create-better-t-stack", "--mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Available MCP Tools

• create_project - Create a new Better-T Stack project with specified configuration
• list_configurations - List all available configuration options
• get_project_info - Get information about an existing project

For detailed MCP documentation, see MCP_README.md.

Usage

Usage: create-better-t-stack [project-directory] [options]

Options:
  -V, --version                   Output the version number
  -y, --yes                       Use default configuration
  --database <type>               Database type (none, sqlite, postgres, mysql, mongodb)
  --orm <type>                    ORM type (none, drizzle, prisma, mongoose)
  --auth                          Include authentication
  --no-auth                       Exclude authentication
  --frontend <types...>           Frontend types (tanstack-router, react-router, tanstack-start, next, nuxt, svelte, solid, native-nativewind, native-unistyles, none)
  --addons <types...>             Additional addons (pwa, tauri, starlight, biome, husky, turborepo, fumadocs, ultracite, oxlint, none)
  --examples <types...>           Examples to include (todo, ai, none)
  --git                           Initialize git repository
  --no-git                        Skip git initialization
  --package-manager <pm>          Package manager (npm, pnpm, bun)
  --install                       Install dependencies
  --no-install                    Skip installing dependencies
  --db-setup <setup>              Database setup (turso, d1, neon, supabase, prisma-postgres, mongodb-atlas, docker, none)
  --web-deploy <setup>            Web deployment (workers, alchemy, none)
  --server-deploy <setup>         Server deployment (workers, alchemy, none)
  --backend <framework>           Backend framework (hono, express, elysia, next, convex, fastify, none)
  --runtime <runtime>             Runtime (bun, node, workers, none)
  --api <type>                    API type (trpc, orpc, none)
  -h, --help                      Display help

Telemetry

This CLI collects anonymous usage data to help improve the tool. The data collected includes:

• Configuration options selected
• CLI version
• Node.js version
• Platform (OS)

Telemetry is enabled by default in published versions to help us understand usage patterns and improve the tool.

Disabling Telemetry

You can disable telemetry by setting the BTS_TELEMETRY_DISABLED environment variable:

# Disable telemetry for a single run
BTS_TELEMETRY_DISABLED=1 npx create-better-t-stack my-app

# Disable telemetry globally in your shell profile (.bashrc, .zshrc, etc.)
export BTS_TELEMETRY_DISABLED=1

Examples

Create a project with default configuration:

npx create-better-t-stack my-app --yes

Create a project with specific options:

npx create-better-t-stack my-app --database postgres --orm drizzle --auth --addons pwa biome

Create a project with Elysia backend and Node.js runtime:

npx create-better-t-stack my-app --backend elysia --runtime node

Create a project with multiple frontend options (one web + one native):

npx create-better-t-stack my-app --frontend tanstack-router native-nativewind

Create a project with examples:

npx create-better-t-stack my-app --examples todo ai

Create a project with Turso database setup:

npx create-better-t-stack my-app --database sqlite --orm drizzle --db-setup turso

Create a project with Supabase PostgreSQL setup:

npx create-better-t-stack my-app --database postgres --orm drizzle --db-setup supabase --auth

Create a project with Convex backend:

npx create-better-t-stack my-app --backend convex --frontend tanstack-router

Create a project with documentation site:

npx create-better-t-stack my-app --addons starlight

Create a minimal TypeScript project with no backend:

npx create-better-t-stack my-app --backend none --frontend tanstack-router

Create a backend-only project with no frontend:

npx create-better-t-stack my-app --frontend none --backend hono --database postgres --orm drizzle

Create a simple frontend-only project:

npx create-better-t-stack my-app --backend none --frontend next --addons none --examples none

Create a Cloudflare Workers project:

npx create-better-t-stack my-app --backend hono --runtime workers --database sqlite --orm drizzle --db-setup d1

Create a minimal API-only project:

npx create-better-t-stack my-app --frontend none --backend hono --api trpc --database none --addons none

Compatibility Notes

• Convex backend: Automatically disables authentication, database, ORM, and API options
• Backend 'none': If selected, this option will force related options like API, ORM, database, authentication, and runtime to 'none'. Examples will also be disabled (set to none/empty).
• Frontend 'none': Creates a backend-only project. When selected, PWA, Tauri, and certain examples may be disabled.
• API 'none': Disables tRPC/oRPC setup. Can be used with backend frameworks for REST APIs or custom API implementations.
• Database 'none': Disables database setup. Automatically sets ORM to 'none' and disables authentication.
• ORM 'none': Can be used when you want to handle database operations manually or use a different ORM.
• Runtime 'none': Only available with Convex backend or when backend is 'none'.
• Cloudflare Workers runtime: Only compatible with Hono backend, Drizzle ORM (or no ORM), and SQLite database (with D1 setup). Not compatible with MongoDB.
• Addons 'none': Skips all addons (PWA, Tauri, Starlight, Biome, Husky, Turborepo).
• Examples 'none': Skips all example implementations (todo, AI chat).
• SvelteKit, Nuxt, and SolidJS frontends are only compatible with oRPC API layer
• PWA support requires React with TanStack Router, React Router, or SolidJS
• Tauri desktop app requires React (TanStack Router/React Router), Nuxt, SvelteKit, or SolidJS
• AI example is not compatible with Elysia backend or SolidJS frontend

Project Structure

The created project follows a clean monorepo structure:

my-better-t-app/
├── apps/
│   ├── web/          # Frontend application
│   ├── server/       # Backend API
│   ├── native/       # (optional) Mobile application
│   └── docs/         # (optional) Documentation site
├── packages/         # Shared packages
└── README.md         # Auto-generated project documentation

After project creation, you'll receive detailed instructions for next steps and additional setup requirements.