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First Project Tutorial
Complete step-by-step tutorial for creating your first project with DoPlan CLI.
This tutorial will guide you through creating your first project from start to finish. By the end, you'll have:
- A complete project structure
- Planning documents (PRD, Architecture, Design System)
- Implementation tasks
- Your first feature implemented
Estimated Time: 30-45 minutes
Before starting, ensure you have:
- DoPlan CLI installed (see Installation)
- An AI-powered IDE (Cursor, Claude Code, Antigravity, Windsurf, Cline, or OpenCode)
- Basic familiarity with command-line tools
Open your terminal and run:
npx @doplan-dev/cliThe wizard will ask:
-
Project Name: Enter a name (e.g.,
my-first-app)- Use lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens
- No spaces or special characters
-
IDE Choice: Select your IDE from the menu
- Use arrow keys to navigate
- Press Enter to select
DoPlan CLI will generate your project in under 5 seconds. You'll see:
- ✅ Project directory created
- ✅ Agents generated
- ✅ Commands generated
- ✅ Rules library extracted
- ✅ GitHub workflows created
- ✅ Boilerplate code generated
Output:
✅ Project generated successfully!
Open with: code ./my-first-app
Then type /tell to begin
cd my-first-appcode . # or your IDE's commandAlternative IDE Commands:
- Cursor:
cursor . - Claude Code:
claude . - Antigravity:
antigravity . - Windsurf:
windsurf . - Cline:
cline . - OpenCode:
opencode .
Your project has this structure:
my-first-app/
├── .cursor/
│ ├── agents/ # 18 AI agent personas
│ ├── commands/ # Command definitions
│ └── rules/ # Rules library (1000+ rules)
├── .plan/
│ ├── 00_System/ # Planning documents
│ ├── TASKS.md # Implementation tasks
│ └── active_state.json
├── .github/
│ └── workflows/ # CI/CD workflows
├── src/ # Your source code
├── README.md # Project documentation
└── STANDUP.md # Daily standup notes
Need the full breakdown of every folder? See the dedicated [Project Structure](Project-Structure) reference.
-
.cursor/agents/- AI agent definitions -
.cursor/commands/- Command definitions -
.cursor/rules/library/- Rules library -
.plan/00_System/- Planning documents (will be created) -
.plan/TASKS.md- Implementation tasks (will be created)
In your IDE, type:
/tell
Describe your project. For example:
/tell Build a simple todo app with the following features:
- Add, edit, and delete todos
- Mark todos as complete
- Filter todos (all, active, completed)
- Dark mode support
- Local storage persistence
- Your idea is saved to
.plan/00_System/IDEA.md - Project Orchestrator and Product Manager are activated
- Project state is updated
Check the file: Open .plan/00_System/IDEA.md to see your idea saved.
Type:
/improve
The command activates all Level 1 managers who provide ideas:
- Product Manager - Product insights
- Engineering Lead - Technical suggestions
- Design Manager - Design ideas
- QA Manager - Quality considerations
- Release Manager - Release planning
- Documentation Lead - Documentation needs
Check the file: Open .plan/00_System/BRAINSTORM.md to see all ideas.
- Feature suggestions
- Technical approaches
- Design considerations
- Potential issues
- Best practices
Type:
/write
Three comprehensive documents:
-
PRD.md (Product Requirements Document)
- Product overview
- User stories
- Features and requirements
- Success metrics
-
ARCHITECTURE.md (Technical Architecture)
- System architecture
- Technology stack
- Component design
- Data models
-
DESIGN_SYSTEM.md (Design System)
- Design principles
- Color palette
- Typography
- Component library
Open and review each document:
.plan/00_System/PRD.md.plan/00_System/ARCHITECTURE.md.plan/00_System/DESIGN_SYSTEM.md
Take your time: Review carefully before approving.
If you want to modify any document:
/change prd Add user authentication feature
/change architecture Use PostgreSQL instead of SQLite
/change design Add mobile-first responsive design
Check the updated documents to ensure changes are correct.
When you're satisfied with the planning documents:
/good
- All planning documents are validated
- Plan is locked (
locked: trueinactive_state.json) - Phase is updated to "approved"
- Plan is ready for task generation
Important: Once approved, the plan is locked. You can still use /change to modify, but you'll need to approve again.
Type:
/plan
Implementation tasks are generated in .plan/TASKS.md:
- Tasks organized by phases
- Dependencies identified
- Effort estimates
- Acceptance criteria
Open .plan/TASKS.md and review:
- Task organization
- Dependencies
- Effort estimates
- Completeness
Type:
/build
This starts the first uncompleted task.
- Task context is loaded
- Relevant agents are activated
- Implementation begins
- Active task is set in
active_state.json
Follow the agent's guidance to implement the task:
- Read the task requirements
- Review related code
- Implement the feature
- Test your changes
When you've completed the task:
/finished
- Task is marked complete in
TASKS.md - Changes are auto-committed
- Changes are auto-pushed to your branch
- CHANGELOG.md is updated (if significant)
- Progress is updated
Check:
- Task marked complete in
TASKS.md - Git commit created
- Changes pushed to branch
- Progress updated
/build
/progress
Continue building and completing tasks:
-
/build- Start task - Implement feature
-
/finished- Complete task - Repeat
Problem: Jumping straight to coding without planning.
Solution: Always follow the workflow:
-
/tell- Capture idea -
/improve- Brainstorm -
/write- Generate plans -
/good- Approve -
/plan- Generate tasks -
/build- Start coding
Problem: Approving plans without reviewing.
Solution: Always review:
- PRD.md for completeness
- ARCHITECTURE.md for soundness
- DESIGN_SYSTEM.md for clarity
Problem: Accepting generated documents as-is.
Solution: Use /change to refine:
- Add missing features
- Fix technical decisions
- Update design requirements
Problem: Trying to build before approving plan.
Solution: Always approve first:
- Review documents
- Use
/changeif needed - Use
/goodto approve - Then use
/planand/build
Problem: Losing track of what's done.
Solution: Use /progress regularly:
- Check completion status
- Identify blockers
- Plan next steps
Now that you've completed your first project:
- Workflow Guide - Understand the complete workflow
- Commands Reference - Learn all available commands
- Agents Documentation - Understand the AI agents
- Examples - See example projects and use cases
- Development Guide - Advanced patterns and techniques
You've learned:
- ✅ How to create a project with DoPlan CLI
- ✅ How to capture and refine your idea
- ✅ How to generate planning documents
- ✅ How to approve and lock your plan
- ✅ How to generate implementation tasks
- ✅ How to build and complete features
- ✅ How to track progress
Congratulations! You're now ready to build amazing projects with DoPlan CLI.
- Quick Start - Quick 5-minute guide
- Workflow Guide - Complete workflow
- Commands Reference - All commands
- FAQ - Common questions
- Home - Wiki home page
Last Updated: 2025
Maintained By: Documentation Team