Project Initialization Best Practices
When creating new projects, always prefer official CLI tools and scaffolding commands over manually creating files and directories. These tools:
- •Set up correct project structure and config
- •Install dependencies with compatible versions
- •Configure build tools, linting, testing
- •Follow framework best practices
JavaScript/TypeScript
| Framework | Command |
|---|---|
| Vite | bun create vite or npm create vite@latest |
| Next.js | bunx create-next-app or npx create-next-app@latest |
| Remix | bunx create-remix or npx create-remix@latest |
| Astro | bun create astro or npm create astro@latest |
| SvelteKit | bun create svelte or npm create svelte@latest |
| Nuxt | bunx nuxi init or npx nuxi@latest init |
| React Native | npx @react-native-community/cli init |
| Expo | bunx create-expo-app or npx create-expo-app |
| Electron | npm init electron-app@latest |
| Tauri | bun create tauri-app or npm create tauri-app@latest |
Python
| Tool | Command |
|---|---|
| uv (recommended) | uv init or uv init --lib for libraries |
| Poetry | poetry new <name> or poetry init |
| PDM | pdm init |
| Hatch | hatch new <name> |
| Django | django-admin startproject <name> |
| Flask | Use cookiecutter or manual (minimal structure) |
| FastAPI | Use cookiecutter or fastapi-cli |
Other Languages
| Language/Framework | Command |
|---|---|
| Rust | cargo new <name> or cargo init |
| Go | go mod init <module> |
| Ruby on Rails | rails new <name> |
| .NET | dotnet new <template> |
| Java (Spring) | Use start.spring.io or Spring CLI |
| Kotlin | gradle init or IntelliJ |
Monorepo Tools
| Tool | Command |
|---|---|
| Turborepo | bunx create-turbo or npx create-turbo@latest |
| Nx | bunx create-nx-workspace or npx create-nx-workspace |
| Lerna | npx lerna init |
Key Principles
- •Don't manually create config files - Let the CLI generate them
- •Use interactive prompts - Most CLIs ask about TypeScript, linting, testing
- •Check framework docs - Commands change; verify current syntax
- •Prefer bun/bunx when available - Faster than npm/npx
- •Use templates - Many CLIs offer starter templates (e.g.,
--template react-ts)
When Manual Setup is OK
- •Adding to existing monorepo with specific conventions
- •Learning how tools work under the hood
- •Very minimal projects (single script)
- •Custom build requirements not covered by templates