CLI: Scaffolding with igniter init

The Igniter.js Command-Line Interface (CLI) includes a powerful scaffolding tool, igniter init, designed to get you up and running with a new, production-ready project in minutes.

It handles all the boilerplate setup, including directory structure, package installation, and initial configuration files, allowing you to focus immediately on building your application's features.

1. How to Use

To create a new Igniter.js project, open your terminal and run the following command:

Code
npx @igniter-js/cli init my-awesome-api

This will create a new directory named my-awesome-api, and the CLI will guide you through an interactive setup process.

2. The Interactive Setup

The init command asks a series of questions to tailor the project to your specific needs.

Project Name

It will first confirm the name of the project based on what you provided in the command.

Framework Selection

It will then detect if you are inside an existing project (like a Next.js monorepo) or ask you to choose a framework. This step is crucial as it sets up the correct adapters and entry points.

Code
? Which framework are you using?
❯ Next.js
  Express
  Hono
  Standalone

Feature Selection

Next, it will prompt you to enable optional, first-class Igniter.js features. You can select them using the spacebar.

Code
? Which Igniter.js features would you like to enable?
❯ ◯ Igniter.js Store (for Caching, Sessions, Pub/Sub via Redis)
  ◯ Igniter.js Queues (for Background Jobs via BullMQ)

Enabling these features will automatically install the necessary dependencies (like ioredis or bullmq) and create the corresponding service files (e.g., src/services/store.ts, src/services/jobs.ts).

Database and Docker

Finally, it can set up a docker-compose.yml file with services like PostgreSQL and Redis, giving you a complete, isolated development environment with a single command.

3. What It Generates

After the setup is complete, igniter init produces a well-organized project based on the Feature-Based Architecture.

A typical project structure looks like this:

Code
my-awesome-api/
├── src/
│   ├── app/
│   │   └── api/
│   │       └── v1/
│   │           └── [[...all]]/
│   │               └── route.ts        # Next.js API route handler
│   ├── features/                       # Your application features live here
│   ├── services/                       # Service initializations (Prisma, Redis, etc.)
│   ├── igniter.ts                      # Core Igniter.js initialization
│   ├── igniter.client.ts               # Type-safe client for the frontend
│   ├── igniter.context.ts              # Global application context
│   └── igniter.router.ts               # Main application router
├── prisma/
│   └── schema.prisma                   # Prisma schema if a database is chosen
├── .env.example                        # Example environment variables
├── docker-compose.yml                  # Docker services (DB, Redis)
└── package.json

This structured approach ensures your project is scalable, maintainable, and easy for new developers to understand.

Next Steps

Now that you've scaffolded your project, the next step is to run it: