Starters

Starters

Starters are project templates that bootstrap a working Igniter.js application. Each starter targets a specific framework and runtime, and includes the core Igniter.js wiring (router, client, context) plus a scaffolded example feature.

Comparison

nextjs

The most full-featured starter. Uses create-next-app with TypeScript, ESLint, Tailwind CSS, App Router, Turbopack, and src/ directory.

Init command: npx create-next-app@latest

Dependencies: @igniter-js/core (latest)

Generated Files

Environment Variables

Example

igniter init my-app --template nextjs

tanstack-start

Full-stack starter using TanStack Start with a similar structure to the Next.js starter.

Dependencies: @igniter-js/core (latest)

Environment Variables

Example

igniter init my-app --template tanstack-start

express-rest-api

A backend-only starter using Express.js. Includes the core Igniter.js router, client, and context — without any frontend framework.

Dependencies: @igniter-js/core (latest)

Environment Variables

Example

igniter init my-api --template express-rest-api

bun-rest-api

A backend-only starter targeting the Bun runtime. Uses Bun's native HTTP server with Igniter.js integration.

Dependencies: @igniter-js/core (latest)

Environment Variables

Example

igniter init my-bun-api --template bun-rest-api

bun-react-app

A full-stack starter using Bun + React. Combines Bun's server with a React frontend.

Dependencies: @igniter-js/core (latest)

Environment Variables

Example

igniter init my-bun-react --template bun-react-app

deno-rest-api

A backend-only starter targeting the Deno runtime. Uses Deno's native HTTP server with Igniter.js integration.

Dependencies: @igniter-js/core (latest)

Environment Variables

Example

igniter init my-deno-api --template deno-rest-api

Starter Architecture

All starters extend BaseStarter and implement a common interface:

interface Starter {
  id: string;           // CLI identifier (e.g., 'nextjs')
  name: string;         // Display name
  description: string;  // Short description
  hint: string;         // Category hint for prompts
  repository: string;   // Source repository name
  templates: Template[]; // Handlebars templates to apply
  dependencies: Dep[];  // Package dependencies
  envVars: EnvVar[];    // Environment variables
  install(dir, config): Promise<void>;  // Installation logic
}

New starters can be added by extending BaseStarter, implementing the install method, and registering with the StarterRegistry.

Next Steps