My Kit

For this challenge, I created the Neon Scaffolder, a Node.js CLI tool that goes beyond a single starter kit. Instead of focusing on one specific starting template, I wanted to build a dynamic system that can accommodate multiple starter kits, giving developers the flexibility to choose the setup that best fits their needs. With Neon Scaffolder, you can easily create and set up new projects that are instantly connected to a Neon database, using a variety of predefined templates like Laravel, Astro, and more.

This tool is designed to save developers time by handling the boilerplate setup and configuration, allowing you to focus on what really matters—building your application. The templates are stored in a centralized GitHub organization, making it easy to manage, update, and add new templates as the ecosystem evolves.

Try it out!

If you want to try it out, all you need is NodeJS installed (version >= 18.0), and run the following commands:

$ npm install -g neon-scaffolder
$ neon-scaffolder

This will install the scaffolder, and run the set up project.

Demo

To demonstrate the dynamic capabilities of this application, I created two scaffolding templates, one for Laravel and one for Astro.

Laravel

Astro

How It Works

Here’s a quick overview of how Neon Scaffolder works:

1. Creating a Neon Project

When you run the CLI tool, it first interacts with the Neon API to create a new Neon project. This step sets up the necessary infrastructure in the Neon database, so you don’t have to worry about manual setup.

2. Downloading the Template

After creating the Neon project, the CLI will prompt you to select a template from the available options. Templates are stored in a centralized GitHub organization, which makes it easy to manage and update them.
Once you choose a template, the CLI downloads the corresponding scaffold from the GitHub repository to your local machine.

3. Templating the Project

With the scaffold downloaded, Neon Scaffolder uses Mustache templating to configure the project. This step replaces placeholders in the template with the necessary configuration details, such as database connection strings and other project-specific settings.
The result is a fully-configured project, ready to start development right away.

Link to Kit

You can find the Neon Scaffolder on GitHub: Neon Scaffolder Repository

The repository includes a comprehensive README with detailed instructions on how to get started, including installation, usage, and how to contribute by adding new templates.

Your Journey

When I started this project, I didn’t want to limit myself to creating just one starter kit. Instead, I envisioned a system that could grow and adapt, offering multiple starter kits to suit a wide range of projects and developer preferences. The idea was to build something dynamic—where adding a new template is as simple as updating the centralized repository, without the need for heavy lifting on the user’s part.

I learned a lot about creating flexible, user-friendly CLI applications (using NodeJS Commander library), as well as the power of templating engines like Mustache for dynamic configuration.

Creating Neon Scaffolder has been a rewarding journey. I'm excited to see how others in the community will use this tool, and I’m hopeful that it will evolve with new templates and features, making it even more valuable to developers who want to hit the ground running with their projects with Neon.