bextool

A modern scaffolding CLI for generating apps, extensions, tooling, and starter projects from one guided workflow.

Website · GitHub · Issues

Overview

bextool helps developers bootstrap common project types quickly without juggling multiple generators, starter repos, or copy-paste setup steps.

The CLI provides:

• a category-first interactive flow powered by @clack/prompts
• a registry-driven architecture for adding new frameworks cleanly
• a Handlebars template system for flexible file generation
• optional dependency installation with npm, pnpm, or yarn
• smoke-tested generators across all currently registered scaffolds

Official website: https://www.bextool.tech/

Supported Project Types

• Frontend: React + Vite
• Backend: Node.js + Express
• Full-Stack: Next.js App Router
• Mobile: React Native with Expo
• Static Site: Hugo
• CLI Tool: Commander
• Game: Phaser
• Browser Extension: Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari
• Editor Extension: VS Code
• CMS: WordPress theme
• Data Science: Jupyter notebook starter
• Microservice: Docker Compose
• NPM Package: TypeScript library with Rollup and Vitest
• Desktop App: Electron
• Workflow Automation: n8n workflow starter

Why Use bextool

• One CLI for many project categories.
• Sensible defaults with minimal setup friction.
• Templates are easy to inspect, customize, and extend.
• Browser extensions remain first-class, with Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari support.
• The codebase is structured for long-term growth under src/config, src/generators, and templates.

Installation

Install globally:

npm install -g bextool

Or use it locally from this repository:

npm install
npm start

Quick Start

Run the CLI:

bextool

The flow will:

1. Ask which project category you want to create.
2. Ask which framework or starter you want inside that category.
3. Collect project metadata such as name, description, version, and package manager.
4. Ask framework-specific questions when needed.
5. Generate the matching template files.
6. Optionally install dependencies.

Example Workflows

Create a frontend app:

bextool

Then choose:

• Frontend
• React + Vite

Create a browser extension:

bextool

Then choose:

• Browser Extension
• target browser
• starter type
• permissions

Development

Install dependencies:

npm install

Run the CLI locally:

npm start

Run verification:

npm test

That test suite includes:

• syntax checks for all src/**/*.js files
• scaffold smoke tests for every registered framework
• browser-extension matrix checks across all supported browsers and starter modes

Project Structure

src/
  config/
  generators/
  utils/
templates/
  frontend/
  backend/
  full-stack/
  mobile/
  static-site/
  cli-tool/
  game/
  browser-extension/
  editor-extension/
  cms/
  data-science/
  microservice/
  npm-package/
  desktop/
  workflow-automation/
scripts/
  check.js
  smoke-test.js
public/
  logo.png

Extending bextool

To add a new scaffold:

1. Add a template folder under templates/.
2. Add a generator module under src/generators/.
3. Register the new framework in src/config/frameworks.js.

This keeps the CLI maintainable while making future expansion straightforward.

Package Metadata

• Package name: bextool
• Homepage: https://www.bextool.tech/
• Node.js: >=18
• Module type: ESM

License

ISC