Developer Documentation / Project Tools

The Files Every Project Needs

A repository is more than its code. The files around it - the license, the contributor guide, the security policy, the environment template - decide whether other people can use, run and contribute to it. These tools generate those files from a few answers, entirely in your browser. Nothing is executed, stored or sent anywhere, and secrets are never generated or kept.

Repository Documentation

Start with a README that explains what the project does and how to run it, and a LICENSE so others are allowed to use it. Then add a CONTRIBUTING.md for setup and pull request rules, a SECURITY.md so vulnerabilities are reported privately, and a CODEOWNERS file to request the right reviewers automatically. Keep a history of releases with the CHANGELOG Generator.

Configuration and Build Files

• .env Generator - a .env.example for Laravel, Node.js, Next.js, Django or Rails, with secrets left empty.
• .env Validator - catch duplicate keys, spaces around = and quoting mistakes without showing any values.
• .gitignore Generator - keep .env, dependencies and build output out of Git.
• Makefile Generator and Dockerfile Generator - the same make test in every project, and a container build to match.

Naming and API Docs

Good names save explaining later. Brainstorm with the Project Name Generator, then check a package name against npm, PyPI, Composer, Go or RubyGems rules with the Package Name Generator. For HTTP APIs, the API Endpoint Naming Generator gives you consistent REST paths and the API Documentation Generator turns them into a Markdown reference with curl examples.

Guides

New to these files? Read how to write a good README, how to keep a changelog, CODEOWNERS explained, how to write a security policy, .env best practices and MIT vs Apache 2.0 vs GPL-3.0.