Project Bootstrapping

Overview

Sets up new projects or improves existing projects with development best practices, tooling, documentation, and workflow automation.

When to Use

• "set up a new project"
• "bootstrap this project"
• "add best practices"
• "improve project structure"
• "set up development tooling"
• "initialize project properly"

What It Sets Up

1. Project Structure

• Standard directories (docs/, .github/, .cursor/, .claude/)
• Logical file organization
• Structure improvements

2. Git Configuration

• Comprehensive .gitignore
• .gitattributes for line endings/diffs
• Git hooks (pre-commit, commit-msg)
• Branch protection patterns

3. Documentation

• Comprehensive README.md
• CONTRIBUTING.md
• Code documentation (JSDoc, docstrings)
• CHANGELOG.md structure
• Architecture docs if complex
• MIT License file

4. Testing Setup

• Identify/suggest testing framework
• Test structure and conventions
• Example/template tests
• Configure test runners
• Coverage reporting
• Testing scripts/commands

5. Code Quality Tools

• Linters (ESLint, Pylint, etc.)
• Formatters (Prettier, Black, etc.)
• Type checking (TypeScript, mypy, etc.)
• Pre-commit hooks for quality
• Editor configs (.editorconfig)
• Code quality badges

6. Dependencies Management

• Package manager configuration
• Organize dependencies
• Check security vulnerabilities
• Set up dependency updates (Dependabot, Renovate)
• Create lock files
• Document dependency choices

7. Development Workflow

• Useful npm scripts / Makefile targets
• Environment variable templates (.env.example)
• Docker configuration if appropriate
• Development startup scripts
• Hot-reload / watch modes
• Document development workflow

8. CI/CD Setup

• GitHub Actions / GitLab CI config
• Automated testing
• Automated deployment (if applicable)
• Status badges
• Release automation
• Branch protection

Approach

Discovery Phase

Ask clarifying questions:

1. Project type: New or existing?
2. Primary purpose: Web app, library, CLI tool?
3. Language/framework: JS/TS, Python, Go, etc.?
4. Collaboration: Personal or team?
5. Deployment target: Server, cloud, mobile, desktop?
6. Preferences: Specific tools/frameworks?
7. Scope: Full setup or specific areas?

Implementation Phase

1. Analyze existing structure (if existing project)
2. Create plan based on answers
3. Show plan and get approval
4. Implement systematically (one area at a time)
5. Verify completeness
6. Provide handoff documentation

Customization

Adapts to:

• Language ecosystem: Node.js vs Python vs Go vs Rust
• Project size: Small script vs large app
• Team size: Solo vs collaborative
• Maturity: Startup speed vs enterprise standards

Success Criteria

• All standard files present and configured
• Clear and complete documentation
• Documented development workflow
• Automated quality tooling (pre-commit hooks)
• Easy test execution
• Follows language/framework conventions
• Quick developer onboarding
• No obvious best practices missing

Templates

• Node.js/TypeScript web app
• Python CLI tool
• Python web API (FastAPI/Flask)
• React/Next.js app
• Go service
• Rust CLI/library

Scope Control

• Full bootstrap: Everything from scratch
• Partial setup: Specific areas only (e.g., "just add testing")
• Improvement pass: Enhance existing project
• Audit + fix: Check what's missing and add it