Scaffold

/scaffold — Project-Aware File Generator

Orientation

Use when: Creating a new component, module, service, route, hook, domain, or utility with existing examples in the project.

Do NOT use when: The file has no precedent (use /marshal for unconstrained generation), you're modifying existing files (use /refactor), or the project has no conventions yet.

Needs: target type, name, and optional description.

Protocol

Step 1: IDENTIFY THE TARGET

Parse the user's request into:

• type: component | module | service | route | hook | domain | utility | custom
• name: the name the user gave (e.g., "UserProfile", "auth-service", "settings route")
• description: what it does, if provided (otherwise leave blank for now)

If the type is ambiguous, ask ONE clarifying question. Do not ask more than one.

Step 2: FIND EXEMPLARS

Search the codebase for 2-3 existing files of the same type.

Search strategy by type:

For each exemplar, extract:

1. File naming convention (PascalCase, kebab-case, camelCase, snake_case)
2. Directory placement (co-located with component? separate hooks/ dir?)
3. Import style (path aliases? relative? named imports? default exports?)
4. Export style (named exports? default? re-exported from barrel/index file?)
5. Internal patterns (how state is managed, how errors are handled, JSDoc or no)
6. Test co-location (.test.ts next to file? __tests__/ directory? separate tests/ tree?)
7. Types pattern (inline? separate .types.ts? shared types file?)

Output a brief analysis (3-5 lines) summarizing the conventions you found.

Step 3: DETERMINE THE FILE SET

Based on the exemplars, determine which files to generate. Not every project needs every file. Only generate what the project's conventions call for.

Decision matrix:

Do NOT generate:

• Empty placeholder files with only a TODO comment
• Test files that only contain describe('...', () => { it.todo('...') })
• Types files that only re-export from elsewhere
• Any file type the project doesn't already use

Step 4: GENERATE THE FILES

For each file in the set, generate content by adapting the closest exemplar.

Rules:

1. Match the exemplar's structure exactly — same section order, same patterns
2. Replace names and specific logic, keep structural patterns
3. Every generated file must be syntactically valid and importable
4. No placeholder comments (// TODO: implement, // Add logic here)
5. No empty function bodies unless the exemplar has them
6. Minimal but functional — renders something, has at least one real method, returns a typed value
7. Match the project's TypeScript strictness

Match the exemplar's props pattern, state management, utility imports, async patterns, and error handling exactly.

Step 5: WIRE IT IN

Find every registration point the exemplars use and add the new file there.

Common wiring points (check which ones the project uses):

Rules:

1. Only wire into registration points that the exemplars actually use
2. Match the exact format — same spacing, same trailing commas, same comments
3. If a registration point uses alphabetical ordering, maintain it
4. Never create new registration points — only add to existing ones

Step 6: VERIFY

Run typecheck — every generated file must pass. Fix failures before exiting. If typecheck is unavailable, do a manual read-through for syntax and import correctness.

Fringe Cases

• Target directory or file already exists: Do not silently overwrite. Confirm with the user before proceeding. Output: "A file at {path} already exists. Overwrite it?" and wait for confirmation.
• Template or exemplar not found: List the available file types in the codebase and ask which one to use as the exemplar. Never scaffold from memory if no exemplar exists.
• Language or framework not detected: Ask the user directly rather than guessing. One question: "What type of file should this be? (e.g., React component, Express route, utility function)"
• Typecheck fails after generation: Fix the issue before exiting — do not leave the user with broken generated files.
• No wiring point found: Note the missing registration explicitly in the exit summary rather than silently leaving the file unwired.

Contextual Gates

Reversibility: Amber — creates new files and modifies registration points; git checkout to undo. Cost: No cost actions — file generation only; no agents spawned, no confirmation needed. Trust: No gates — safe at all trust levels; overwrite confirmation is in Fringe Cases.

Quality Gates

All of these must be true before the skill exits:

• Found 2+ exemplar files of the same type in the project
• Generated files match the project's naming convention exactly
• Generated files match the project's import/export style exactly
• No placeholder comments, TODO stubs, or empty function bodies
• Every generated file is syntactically valid TypeScript/JavaScript
• Main file is wired into the project (barrel export, route, registry, etc.)
• Test file exists IF AND ONLY IF the project co-locates tests for this type
• Types file exists IF AND ONLY IF the project separates types for this type
• Typecheck passes (or manual verification if typecheck unavailable)

Exit Protocol

Output a summary in this format:

SCAFFOLD COMPLETE

Created:
  - path/to/MainFile.tsx (component)
  - path/to/MainFile.test.tsx (test)
  - path/to/MainFile.types.ts (types)

Wired into:
  - path/to/index.ts (barrel export)
  - path/to/routes.ts (route registration)

Conventions matched from:
  - path/to/ExemplarA.tsx
  - path/to/ExemplarB.tsx

Typecheck: PASS

---HANDOFF---
- Scaffolded: {name} ({type})
- Created: {N} files, wired into {N} registration points
- Conventions matched from: {exemplar names}
- Reversibility: green -- new files only, delete to undo
---