Create Stexcore API CLI 🚀

Create Stexcore API CLI is a powerful command line tool designed to streamline the initialization of API projects in Node.js. Leveraging Express and a scalable project structure, this CLI allows you to interactively configure your backend environment. You can choose between TypeScript and JavaScript, and optionally integrate Sequelize for hassle-free database management.

Features 🌟

API Project Initialization:
Quickly generate API projects based on Express with a scalable, modular structure.
Language Support:
Choose between TypeScript and JavaScript to suit your development preferences.
Optional Sequelize Integration:
Enable Sequelize for easy database management.
- Supports various databases: SQLite, MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, MSSQL, and more.
- Dynamically generates a .env file from your input during the interactive setup.
Automated File Copying and Customization:
- Recursively copies files and directories from pre-built templates.
- Uses special directives like `@insert.json` to automatically insert code snippets into target files.
- Configures additional dependencies via `@dependencies.json`.
Interactive Experience with Visual Feedback:
Uses spinners (powered by ora) to indicate progress and provide a dynamic, user-friendly setup.

Installation ⚙️

You can install the CLI globally via npm:

npm install -g create-stexcore-api

Alternatively, you can also use the npm initializer:

npm init stexcore-api

Requirements:

Node.js (preferably the LTS version)
npm (bundled with Node.js)

Usage 💻

Launch the CLI using either of these commands:

create-stexcore-api

npm init stexcore-api

The CLI will prompt you interactively through the following steps:

Template Selection
Choose between options such as:
- Express Vanilla
- Api-Engine Stexcore
Project Configuration
- Specify the project directory.
- Select your preferred language: JavaScript or TypeScript.
Database Integration (Optional)
- Enable Sequelize integration.
- Select the type of database (SQLite, MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, MSSQL, etc.).
- Enter the required database connection parameters:
  - For SQLite: specify the file path for the database.
  - For other databases: configure the host, port, username, password, and optionally, the database name.
File Generation and Dependency Installation
- Generates base files and project-specific templates.
- Automatically updates your package.json with project metadata.
- Installs the necessary dependencies and devDependencies based on your choices.

Example Walkthrough 🌱

Below is an example of the CLI in action:

$ npm init stexcore-api

? What template do you prefer to use for development? (Use arrow keys)
  Express Vanilla
  Api-Engine Stexcore

? Enter the project directory: ./my-api-project

? What technology do you prefer to use for development? TypeScript

? Would you like to include 'Sequelize' to manage a database? Yes

? Select the database type for your Sequelize configuration: Postgres

? Please enter the hostname or IP address of the database server: localhost

? Enter the port number for connecting to the database: 5432

? Please enter the username for connecting to the database: root

? Please enter the password for the database user: [hidden]

? Please enter the database: my_database

Outcome:

The project structure is generated in the specified directory.
A .env file is created and populated with your database configuration.
Template files are copied and customized using insertion directives.
All necessary dependencies and devDependencies are installed automatically.

After the process completes, you’ll see a message like:

✅ Project successfully generated!

👉 To get started with your new project:

1. Navigate to your project directory:
   cd ./my-api-project

2. Start the development server:
   npm run dev

Internal Architecture & Workflow 🛠️

The CLI is organized into modular components, ensuring a robust and flexible setup process:

File Copying & Customization:
The CopyFiles function recursively copies directories and files from template sources to the target directory. It checks for file existence to avoid overwrites and handles special directives:
- **@insert.json:** Inserts code snippets into specified locations within files using keywords and relative positioning.
- **@dependencies.json:** Automatically configures additional dependencies.
Validation:
Utilizes the Joi library to validate the structure of custom directives before they’re applied, ensuring a smooth and error-free customization process.
Visual Feedback:
The CreateLoading function uses spinners to provide real-time progress updates, enhancing the overall interactive experience.

This modular design ensures all the components of the CLI work together seamlessly, offering a fast, flexible, and secure project setup.

Development & Contribution 🤝

Development

If you're interested in working on the project, follow these steps:

Clone the repository:

 git clone https://github.com/stexcore/create-stexcore-api.git
 cd create-stexcore-api

Install the dependencies:
```
 npm install
```
Run tests:
```
 npm run test
```

Contribution

Contributions are welcome! To contribute:

Fork the repository.
Create a new branch: git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name.
Make your changes and ensure all tests pass.
Submit a pull request describing your improvements and changes.

Limitations & Future Improvements 🧪

Some features, such as advanced file insertion and dependency configuration directives, are experimental and may evolve in future releases.
Currently supports major databases for Sequelize integration; future versions may expand support to additional systems and configurations.
Continuous improvements will focus on enhanced error handling and further refining the interactive experience.

License 📜

This project is distributed under the MIT License. For more details, refer to the LICENSE file.

Authors ❤️

Stexcore: Passionate about building tools that empower developers and simplify backend setups.
Thanks to the open-source community and contributors who help improve and expand this project.

We hope Create Stexcore API CLI accelerates and streamlines your API development process. For feedback, suggestions, or bug reports, please open an issue.

Happy coding! 🚀

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