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‎DEVLOG.md‎

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# Devlog
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This devlog covers the work done after the `v2.1.3` release of Project Creator.
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## After v2.1.3
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### 2026-04-19 to 2026-04-29
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After the last release, I turned Project Creator from a mostly functional CLI into a much more complete project scaffolding tool.
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## What Changed
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### Documentation overhaul
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- Rewrote the main `README.md` into a more useful project overview
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- Added a full software guide in `docs/Documentation.md`
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- Added a polished documentation landing page in `docs/index.html`
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- Added `CONTRIBUTING.md` so template contributions are easier
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- Added `CHANGELOG.md` to track release history more clearly
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### CLI improvements
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- Expanded the CLI into a clearer numbered project scaffolding flow
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- Added support for multiple setup modes:
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- Manual Setup
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- Load Templates
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- Empty Repository
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- Added support for:
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- `web`
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- `venv`
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- `api`
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- `firm`
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- `docs`
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- `tests`
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- Added generation of `.env.example`
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- Added generation of `blueprint.json`
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- Improved Git initialization and push behavior
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- Switched the generated Git branch flow to `main`
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### Template system
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- Added bundled starter templates:
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- `basic-web`
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- `npm-package`
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- `python-pypi`
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- Added template documentation for the bundled templates
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- Added support for downloading templates from GitHub
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- Added external template loading through `source:https://...`
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### Project structure cleanup
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- Expanded the repo layout to separate docs, templates, and CLI code more clearly
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- Marked the old GUI version as discontinued and moved it into an archive-style folder
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- Cleaned up older release-era code and documentation so the project feels more consistent
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## Why It Mattered
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The biggest improvement was making the project feel like a real reusable tool instead of just a small script.
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Before this stretch of work, the project was mostly about creating folders and doing a basic Git push. After this stretch, it can:
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- scaffold different kinds of projects
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- generate starter files
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- download templates from GitHub
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- document itself properly
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- present itself more cleanly to new users
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## Challenges
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- Keeping the CLI simple while adding more setup options
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- Making template downloads feel reliable
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- Making Git automation less fragile
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- Writing documentation that explains the tool clearly without overwhelming people
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## Current Status
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Project Creator now has:
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- a clearer CLI workflow
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- better docs
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- reusable templates
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- a more complete release structure
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## Next Ideas
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- add more templates
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- improve validation for project names
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- make generated metadata files optional
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- keep polishing the docs and release notes

‎README.md‎

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## Documentation
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For the full software documentation, see [`docs/Documentation.md`](docs/Documentation.md).
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The full software guide now lives on the documentation site:
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[`Project Creator Documentation`](https://devx-dragon.github.io/project-creator/docs/)
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If you are browsing the repo locally, the source markdown is still in [`docs/documentation.md`](docs/documentation.md).
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## Contributing
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If you want to add or improve templates, read [`CONTRIBUTING.md`](CONTRIBUTING.md) first.
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Template contribution guidance now lives on the contribution site:
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[`Project Creator Contributing`](https://devx-dragon.github.io/project-creator/contributing/)
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If you are browsing the repo locally, the published markdown copy is in [`docs/contributing.md`](docs/contributing.md), and the root guide stays in [`CONTRIBUTING.md`](CONTRIBUTING.md).

‎docs/Documentation.md‎

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When `firm` is enabled:
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- `firmware/<project-name>.ino`
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### Docs and tests
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When selected:
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- `docs/`
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- `tests/`
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## 11. Error Handling
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The CLI is designed to keep going where possible, but there are a few important failure points:
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- Missing required system tools cause an immediate exit.
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- Git push can fail if the remote is empty, unavailable, or authentication is not configured.
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- Cloud template downloads can fail if the GitHub API is unavailable or the repository layout does not match expectations.
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- External source mode depends on the repository exposing a `templates/` directory.
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Most runtime errors are caught and printed to the console instead of crashing with a full traceback.
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## 12. Implementation Notes
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The key functions in [`src/prj_creator/main.py`](../src/prj_creator/main.py) are:
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- `check_system_health()`
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- Verifies `git`, `python`, and `pip` are available
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- `fix_terminal()`
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- Applies Windows console fixes for UTF-8 and ANSI color output
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- `get_next_num()`
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- Scans the current directory and computes the next folder number
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- `download_remote_folder()`
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- Recursively downloads a GitHub repository folder
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- `handle_git_logic()`
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- Writes `.gitignore`, initializes Git, commits, and pushes
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- `generate_env_example()`
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- Writes `.env.example` based on selected features
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- `run_wizard()`
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- Drives the interactive CLI flow
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- `handle_external_source()`
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- Loads a template from a `source:` repository URL
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## 13. Behavior Summary
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At a high level, Project Creator does three things:
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1. Creates a numbered project folder.
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2. Scaffolds files and directories based on your chosen mode.
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3. Optionally turns the folder into a Git repository and pushes it.
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That makes it suitable for quickly starting a new repo without repeating the same setup work every time.
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## 14. Current Limitations
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The current implementation has a few practical limitations worth knowing:
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- The project name is converted by replacing spaces with hyphens only. It does not perform deep sanitization.
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- `handle_external_source()` expects a `source:` string in a very specific format.
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- Cloud template mode assumes the GitHub repository structure matches the hardcoded `templates/` layout.
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- The code checks for `python` on `PATH`, which is fine on many systems but can vary by platform installation.
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These are not necessarily bugs, but they are important implementation details for users and contributors.
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## 15. License
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See [`LICENSE`](../LICENSE).
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‎docs/contributing.md‎

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# Contributing Templates
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Thanks for helping improve Project Creator.
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This repo accepts template contributions through pull requests, especially for the `templates/` folder that powers the cloud template workflow.
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## What To Contribute
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You can open a pull request with:
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- A new template folder
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- An improvement to an existing template
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- Fixes to generated starter files
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- Small documentation updates that help explain a template
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## Template Folder Rules
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Please keep each template self-contained inside `templates/`.
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Recommended layout:
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```text
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templates/
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your-template-name/
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files...
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```
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Guidelines:
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- Use lowercase names with hyphens if possible
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- Keep the folder name descriptive
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- Include only the files needed for that template
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- Make sure the template works when copied into a fresh project folder
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- Avoid committing secrets, tokens, or machine-specific files
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## Good Template Examples
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A template may contain things like:
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- starter HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files
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- a Python app skeleton
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- an Arduino or firmware scaffold
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- documentation or test folders
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- placeholder config files
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## Before You Open a Pull Request
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Please check that:
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- The template opens and runs correctly after being downloaded
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- File paths are correct
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- File names are consistent
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- The template does not depend on local-only setup
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- The README or documentation needs are covered if the template has special steps
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## Pull Request Tips
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- Add a short description of what the template is for
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- Include screenshots if the template has a visual result
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- Mention any special setup or dependencies
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- Say whether the template is new or an update to an existing one
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## Reporting Problems
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If a template is broken or downloads incorrectly, open an issue or a pull request with:
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- The template name
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- What you expected to happen
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- What actually happened
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- Any error message you saw
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## Code Style
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If you are editing project code as part of your contribution:
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- Keep changes focused
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- Follow the existing Python style
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- Avoid unrelated cleanup in the same pull request
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## Thank You
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Template contributions help keep Project Creator useful for more kinds of projects. Small, well-made templates are especially welcome.

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