Core Concepts

This section explains the fundamental concepts behind Genesis and how they work together.

Project Scaffolding

Project scaffolding is the process of creating a new project from a template. In Genesis, this involves:

1. Templates: Git repositories containing:
   • Base project structure
   • Template files (.tmpl)
   • Configuration (template.toml)
   • Hooks for customization
2. Variables: Dynamic values that:
   • Are collected from the user
   • Customize the template
   • Can be validated
   • Are available in hooks
3. Processing: The scaffolding process:
   • Clones the template
   • Collects variables
   • Runs pre-hooks
   • Processes template files
   • Creates project structure
   • Runs post-hooks

Task Running

Task running provides a unified way to execute common development commands:

1. Tasks: Defined in genesis.toml as:
   • Named commands
   • With descriptions
   • Optional environment variables
   • Optional working directories
2. Execution: Tasks are run via:
   • genesis run <task-name>
   • In the project directory
   • With specified environment
   • In the defined working directory

Template Management

Templates in Genesis are:

1. Git-based:
   • Stored in Git repositories
   • Versioned with tags/branches
   • Shareable and reusable
2. Validated:
   • Must contain template.toml
   • Must have valid template syntax
   • Can be checked with genesis template validate
3. Discoverable:
   • Listed via genesis template list
   • Can be official or community templates
   • Can be private or public

Convention over Configuration

Genesis follows these conventions:

1. File Processing:
   • Files ending in .tmpl are processed
   • Other files are copied as-is
   • Hidden files are ignored by default
2. Configuration:
   • template.toml for template settings
   • genesis.toml for project settings
   • Version field for compatibility
3. Directory Structure:
   • Project root contains genesis.toml
   • Templates define their own structure
   • Working directory for tasks

Extensibility

Genesis is extensible through:

1. Templates:
   • Custom variables
   • Pre/post hooks
   • Custom file structures
2. Tasks:
   • Custom commands
   • Environment variables
   • Working directories
3. Integration:
   • Works with any Git repository
   • Supports any build tools
   • Platform independent