Project Bootstrapper

Initialize projects with .claude/ configuration folders using battle-tested templates. Transform any project into a Claude Code-powered workspace.

When to Use

Use this skill when:

• Starting a new project
• Adding Claude Code configuration to existing project
• Setting up automatic validation (hooks)
• Need example command or skill structure
• Want proven .claude folder patterns

Templates Available

1. Minimal Template

Purpose: Basic .claude/ setup with project context

Includes:

• settings.json - Empty configuration ready to customize
• CLAUDE.md - Project context and instructions template

Best for:

• Simple projects
• Quick Claude Code enablement
• Projects that don't need validation

2. Hooks-Demo Template

Purpose: Self-validating project with example hooks

Includes:

• settings.json - Configured with PostToolUse and Stop hooks
• CLAUDE.md - Context with hook documentation
• commands/build.md - Example command with Stop hook
• hooks/validators/ruff-validator.py - Python linting validator
• hooks/validators/template-validator.py - Template validator you can customize

Best for:

• Projects needing automatic validation
• Learning hook patterns
• Python projects
• Quality-first workflows

3. Full-Stack Template

Purpose: Complete agentic setup for complex projects

Includes:

• Everything from hooks-demo
• Additional validators
• Example skills
• Example agents
• Comprehensive settings
• Full CLAUDE.md with architecture patterns

Best for:

• Large, complex projects
• Team projects
• Production codebases
• Full automation needs

Workflow

Bootstrap New Project

1. Detect project type (check for package.json, pyproject.toml, etc.)
2. Ask user which template (minimal, hooks-demo, full-stack)
3. Copy template to .claude/
4. Customize CLAUDE.md with detected project info
5. Explain what was created

Add to Existing Project

1. Check if .claude/ already exists
2. If exists:
   • Ask if user wants to merge or replace
   • Backup existing if replacing
3. Copy template
4. Merge settings if needed
5. Update CLAUDE.md with existing project details

Customize Template

After installing:

1. Review CLAUDE.md - Add project-specific context
2. Adjust settings.json - Enable/disable features
3. Customize validators - Add project-specific checks
4. Test hooks - Trigger validation to verify setup

Template Selection Guide

Choose Minimal if:

• Just want CLAUDE.md for project context
• Don't need automatic validation
• Exploring Claude Code
• Small/simple project

Choose Hooks-Demo if:

• Want self-correcting workflow
• Python project needing linting
• Learning hook patterns
• Medium-sized project

Choose Full-Stack if:

• Large/complex project
• Team environment
• Need comprehensive automation
• Production codebase

Project Type Detection

The skill auto-detects project type by checking for:

Python:

• pyproject.toml
• requirements.txt
• setup.py

JavaScript/TypeScript:

• package.json
• tsconfig.json

Rust:

• Cargo.toml

Go:

• go.mod

General:

• .git/ (git repository)
• README.md

Detection informs template customization and validator selection.

Files Created

Minimal Template

.claude/
├── settings.json           # Empty config
└── CLAUDE.md              # Project context template

Hooks-Demo Template

.claude/
├── settings.json          # With PostToolUse and Stop hooks
├── CLAUDE.md             # Context + hook docs
├── commands/
│   └── build.md          # Example command with hooks
└── hooks/
    └── validators/
        ├── ruff-validator.py      # Python linter
        └── template-validator.py  # Customizable template

Full-Stack Template

.claude/
├── settings.json         # Comprehensive config
├── CLAUDE.md            # Full documentation
├── commands/
│   ├── build.md
│   └── test.md
├── skills/
│   └── project-specific/
│       └── SKILL.md
├── agents/
│   └── specialized-agent.md
└── hooks/
    └── validators/
        ├── ruff-validator.py
        ├── manifest-validator.py
        └── custom-validator.py

Examples

User: "Initialize this Python project with validation"

→ Detect: Python project (pyproject.toml found) → Recommend: hooks-demo template → Copy template to .claude/ → Customize CLAUDE.md with project name and Python details → Result: Self-validating Python project

User: "Add .claude folder to this project"

→ Check: .claude/ doesn't exist → Ask: Which template? (minimal/hooks-demo/full-stack) → User chooses: hooks-demo → Copy template → Result: Project now has validation hooks

User: "Setup comprehensive Claude configuration"

→ Recommend: full-stack template → Copy template → Explain components: commands, skills, agents, hooks → Customize for project → Result: Fully automated development environment

Template Customization

After installing a template, help user:

1. Update CLAUDE.md:

   • Project name and description
   • Tech stack details
   • Architecture notes
   • Common commands
   • Team conventions

2. Configure settings.json:

   • Model preferences
   • Tool permissions
   • Hook configuration
   • Custom paths

3. Customize validators:

   • Add project-specific checks
   • Remove irrelevant validators
   • Adjust validation rules

4. Add commands:

   • Common development tasks
   • Build/test/deploy workflows
   • Project-specific operations

Best Practices

✓ Start with minimal, upgrade to hooks-demo/full-stack as needed ✓ Always customize CLAUDE.md with project-specific info ✓ Test validators after installation ✓ Review and adjust hooks for your workflow ✓ Document custom patterns in CLAUDE.md

Reference

Template location: @project-bootstrapper/templates/ Templates: minimal/, hooks-demo/, full-stack/ Target location: .claude/ (project root)

Integration with Other Skills

Works well with:

• hooks-mastery - Learn to customize validators
• skill-manager - Install additional skills to project

Workflow:

1. Use project-bootstrapper to create .claude/
2. Use hooks-mastery to understand validators
3. Customize validators for project needs
4. Use skill-manager to add specialized skills