Smaqit Project Init

Project Init

Bootstrap a new smaqit project by generating .github/copilot-instructions.md from the smaqit template.

Steps

1. Check for existing file

   • Check whether .github/copilot-instructions.md already exists.
   • If it does exist, stop immediately and inform the user:

     .github/copilot-instructions.md already exists. Aborting to avoid overwriting your project instructions. Delete or rename the existing file and run this skill again if you want to reinitialise.

   • Do not proceed past this step if the file exists.

2. Read the template

   • Read .smaqit/templates/copilot-instructions.template.md in full.
   • If the template file does not exist, stop and inform the user:

     Template not found at .smaqit/templates/copilot-instructions.template.md. Run smaqit-extensions init to install the required scaffolding files.

3. Assess the repository to infer project details

   • Scan the repository to gather as much context as possible without making assumptions. Read in parallel (whichever exist):
     • README.md — project name, purpose, description
     • CONTRIBUTING.md — conventions, branching strategy, contribution guidelines
     • Build/dependency manifests: package.json, go.mod, Cargo.toml, pyproject.toml, pom.xml, build.gradle — tech stack, dependencies, scripts
     • Makefile — build, test, and lint commands; inferred conventions
     • Any docs/ or documentation/ index files
   • For each # Project placeholder field, derive the value only if the evidence is clear and unambiguous:
     • Project name — from the root README.md title, package.json "name", or repository name
     • Purpose / goal — from the README.md introduction or description section
     • Tech stack — from manifest files (language runtimes, frameworks, key libraries)
     • Key conventions — from CONTRIBUTING.md, linting config files, or clearly documented patterns
     • Domain context — from README.md or docs/ files that describe the business or architectural domain
   • If the evidence for a field is absent, ambiguous, or insufficient, leave the original placeholder text exactly as it appears in the template. Do NOT invent or assume values.

4. Populate the # Project section

   • Take the template content from Step 2.
   • Replace only the placeholders for which clear evidence was found in Step 3.
   • Keep the # Scaffolding section exactly as it appears in the template — do not modify it.

5. Write the output file

   • Write the populated content to .github/copilot-instructions.md.
   • Confirm success to the user and list which fields were filled in and which were left as placeholders:

     ✓ .github/copilot-instructions.md created successfully. Review and commit the file to include it in your project.

Requirements

• Never overwrite an existing .github/copilot-instructions.md (Step 1 is a hard guard).
• The # Scaffolding section must be copied verbatim from the template — it is static and must not be altered.
• Never assume or invent values for placeholder fields — only fill in what can be directly inferred from existing repo files.
• Placeholders must remain for any field that cannot be confidently inferred.
• Do not create any additional files beyond .github/copilot-instructions.md.

Source: ruifrvaz/smaqit-extensions — distributed by TomeVault.