Fabr

A command line utility for scaffolding new development projects

Quick Start

Create a new project from a template:

npx fabr init

List available templates:

npx fabr list

Get help:

npx fabr help

Available Commands

• npx fabr init - Create a new project from a template
• npx fabr list - List all available templates
• npx fabr help - Show help information

Features

🗂️ File-Based Templates

Traditional templates that copy files from a repository and replace placeholders:

• Copy template files to your project
• Replace placeholders like {{PROJECT_NAME}} in file contents
• Support for placeholder validation, transformations, and defaults

⚡ Command-Based Templates

Execute shell commands to set up projects programmatically:

• Run commands like npm init, create-react-app, etc.
• Use placeholders in commands: npm pkg set name={{PROJECT_NAME}}
• Perfect for CLI-based project setup workflows
• Control command output visibility and working directories

🔧 Advanced Placeholder System

• Validation: Regex patterns, min/max length
• Transformations: Convert between naming conventions (camelCase, kebab-case, etc.)
• Defaults: Computed defaults from other placeholders
• Interactive prompts: Guided project setup

🌍 Environment Variable Management

• Automatic .env creation: Generate .env and .env.local files from prompts
• Sensitive data handling: Separate local variables from shared config
• Validation & defaults: Same powerful validation as placeholders
• Template integration: Derive environment values from project placeholders

📝 Template Configuration

Templates use fabr.config.json to define:

• Placeholder prompts and validation
• Environment variable configuration
• Pre/post setup commands
• File processing rules
• Command sequences for setup

Template Types

File-Based Template

{
    "name": "React App Template",
    "placeholders": [
        {
            "key": "PROJECT_NAME",
            "prompt": "Project name",
            "required": true
        }
    ],
    "environmentVariables": [
        {
            "key": "API_URL",
            "prompt": "Enter API URL",
            "default": "http://localhost:3000/api"
        }
    ]
}

Command-Based Template

{
    "type": "commands",
    "name": "Node.js Setup",
    "placeholders": [
        {
            "key": "PROJECT_NAME",
            "prompt": "Project name",
            "required": true
        }
    ],
    "environmentVariables": [
        {
            "key": "PORT",
            "prompt": "Server port",
            "default": "3000"
        },
        {
            "key": "JWT_SECRET",
            "prompt": "JWT secret",
            "local": true,
            "required": true
        }
    ],
    "commands": [
        {
            "command": "npm init -y",
            "description": "Initialize package.json"
        },
        {
            "command": "npm pkg set name={{PROJECT_NAME}}",
            "description": "Set project name"
        }
    ]
}

Documentation

• Command-Based Templates Guide - Detailed guide for command templates
• Environment Variables Guide - Complete guide for .env file generation
• Release Process - Guide for maintainers on releasing new versions
• JSON Schema - Complete configuration schema
• Examples - Sample configurations

Contributing

Development Setup

1. Clone the repository
2. Install dependencies: npm install
3. Build the project: npm run build
4. Test the CLI: npm run test:cli

Release Process

For maintainers releasing new versions:

# Quick release using helper script
npm run release patch    # 1.0.0 -> 1.0.1
npm run release minor    # 1.0.0 -> 1.1.0
npm run release major    # 1.0.0 -> 2.0.0

# Or manually create a tag
git tag v1.0.0
git push origin v1.0.0

See RELEASE.md for detailed release instructions.