Language Starter Scripts

Documentation for extending setup-project.ps1 with language-specific setup

This directory contains modular PowerShell scripts for generating language-specific starter files when creating a new project.

Overview

The setup-project.ps1 script automatically calls language starter scripts if they exist:

setup-starter-<language>.ps1

This allows projects to have:

• Language-specific configuration files (package.json, Cargo.toml, etc.)
• Starter source code and test stubs
• Build/development tool configurations
• Dependency specifications

Existing Starters

Node.js — setup-starter-node.ps1

Generates:

• package.json — Dependencies and scripts
• tsconfig.json — TypeScript configuration
• .eslintrc.json — Code linting rules
• jest.config.js — Test runner configuration
• .prettierrc.json — Code formatter settings
• src/index.js — Starter entry point
• tests/index.test.js — Starter test file

Usage:

.\scripts\setup-project.ps1 -ProjectPath 'D:\Projects\MyApp' -ProjectName 'MyApp' -Language 'node'

Python — setup-starter-python.ps1

Generates:

• requirements.txt — Production dependencies
• requirements-dev.txt — Development dependencies
• setup.py — Package installation script
• pyproject.toml — Modern Python project config
• pytest.ini — Test runner configuration
• .flake8 — Code style checker
• src/__init__.py — Package initialization
• src/main.py — Starter entry point
• tests/test_main.py — Starter test file

Usage:

.\scripts\setup-project.ps1 -ProjectPath 'D:\Projects\MyApp' -ProjectName 'MyApp' -Language 'python'

Creating a New Language Starter

To add support for a new language, create a script following this pattern:

Script Template

#Requires -Version 5.1
<#
.SYNOPSIS
Generate [Language] project starter files

.DESCRIPTION
Creates language-specific starter files for a [Language] project.
Called automatically by setup-project.ps1 if this script exists.

.PARAMETER ProjectPath
Project root directory.

.PARAMETER ProjectName
Project display name (used in configuration files).
#>

param(
    [Parameter(Mandatory)][string]$ProjectPath,
    [Parameter(Mandatory)][string]$ProjectName
)

# Import shared setup module functions
$modulePath = Join-Path $PSScriptRoot '..\modules\Setup.psm1'
Import-Module $modulePath -Force

Write-Step "Setting up [Language] starter files"

# ============================================================================
# Config File 1: [Description]
# ============================================================================

$content1 = @"
# Your configuration content here
"@

Set-Content -Path (Join-Path $ProjectPath 'config-file-1.ext') -Value $content1
Write-Success "Generated config-file-1.ext"

# ============================================================================
# Config File 2: [Description]
# ============================================================================

# ... create more files ...

Write-Success "[Language] starter setup complete"

Naming Convention

• Script name: setup-starter-<language>.ps1 where <language> matches the Language parameter value used in setup-project.ps1
  • Examples: setup-starter-csharp.ps1, setup-starter-rust.ps1, setup-starter-go.ps1

File Organization

Each starter should typically generate:

1. Build/Dependency Files

   • package.json (Node)
   • Cargo.toml (Rust)
   • setup.py / pyproject.toml (Python)
   • .csproj (C#)
   • pom.xml (Java)
   • go.mod (Go)

2. Config Files

   • Linting: .eslintrc, .pylintrc, etc.
   • Formatting: .prettierrc, black.toml, etc.
   • Testing: jest.config.js, pytest.ini, etc.

3. Source Stubs

   • src/index.js or src/main.rs or src/main.py
   • Typical "Hello World" or starter code

4. Test Stubs

   • tests/index.test.js or equivalent
   • Demonstrates test structure

Best Practices

1. Use shared setup module functions

   $modulePath = Join-Path $PSScriptRoot '..\modules\Setup.psm1'
   Import-Module $modulePath -Force
   Write-Step, Write-Success, Write-WarningMessage

2. Create directories first

   $srcDir = Join-Path $ProjectPath 'src'
   $null = New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $srcDir -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

3. Generate from templates

   • Use here-strings (@"..."@) for multi-line content
   • Keep formatting clear and production-ready

4. Report progress

   • Call Write-Success after each file
   • Help users see what was created

5. Handle errors gracefully

   • Use -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue where appropriate
   • The orchestrator catches errors and reports them

Example: C# Starter

#Requires -Version 5.1
param(
    [Parameter(Mandatory)][string]$ProjectPath,
    [Parameter(Mandatory)][string]$ProjectName
)

$modulePath = Join-Path $PSScriptRoot '..\modules\Setup.psm1'
Import-Module $modulePath -Force

Write-Step "Setting up C# starter files"

# .csproj
$csprojContent = @"
<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>net7.0</TargetFramework>
    <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
    <RootNamespace>$ProjectName</RootNamespace>
  </PropertyGroup>
</Project>
"@
Set-Content -Path (Join-Path $ProjectPath "$ProjectName.csproj") -Value $csprojContent
Write-Success "Generated .csproj"

# Program.cs
$programContent = @"
namespace $ProjectName;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        Console.WriteLine("Welcome to $ProjectName");
    }
}
"@
Set-Content -Path (Join-Path $ProjectPath 'src/Program.cs') -Value $programContent
Write-Success "Generated Program.cs"

# ... more files ...

Write-Success "C# starter setup complete"

Troubleshooting

Starter Script Not Found

If setup-starter-<language>.ps1 doesn't exist for your chosen language:

• The setup-project.ps1 will skip language-specific setup
• You'll need to manually create language config files
• Consider creating the starter script using the template above

Starter Script Fails

If a starter script errors during execution:

• The orchestrator catches and reports the error
• It continues with the rest of setup
• Check the error message for details
• Fix the starter script and re-run

Extending for New Languages

To add support for another language:

1. Create the starter script using the template
2. Name it setup-starter-<language>.ps1 where <language> matches a supported value in setup-project.ps1
3. Add the language to setup-project.ps1 parameter validation if needed
4. Test it:

   .\scripts\setup-project.ps1 -ProjectPath 'D:\Test\Project' -ProjectName 'Test' -Language '<language>'

5. Document it in this README

References

• scripts/modules/Setup.psm1 — Shared utility + core functions for file generation
• scripts/setup-project.ps1 — Main orchestrator
• Setup specification — Overall setup specification