Scaffold

Scaffold

Interactive bootstrap for a new repo (or a new component in an existing one).

• Ask the user what they want to build.
• Read only the specs under specs/ that apply.
• Write a tailored AGENTS.md at the target project root that distils those specs (doesn't copy-paste them) — AGENTS.md is the single source of truth, with CLAUDE.md symlinked to it for Claude Code.
• Set up the canonical .agents/skills/ dir (source of truth for project-local skills), with .claude/skills symlinked to it.
• Lay down an empty folder skeleton (no source code).
• Hand control back — the user runs /squid-implement-task next to have the SWE agent write the first code against the generated AGENTS.md.

Modes

$ARGUMENTS may lead with mode=create (default) or mode=evaluate:

• mode=create (default) — bootstrap a repo / component. The flow in "## Flow" below.
• mode=evaluate — audit an existing scaffolded repo against the artifact invariants in rules.md and report drift (no fixes). See "## Evaluate mode".

Every rule both modes honour lives in rules.md — the single source of truth. Do not restate any rule in this file.

When to use

• Bootstrapping a brand-new repo.
• Adding a new runtime component (backend / frontend-web / frontend-tui) to an existing scaffolded repo.
• Re-generating the root AGENTS.md after a major stack change (e.g. swapping Vue for React).

When NOT to use

• Writing application source code (that's the SWE agent's job under /squid-implement-task or /squid-implement-night).
• Filling in business logic, API handlers, components, etc.
• Adjusting opinions inside an existing project — edit the generated AGENTS.md directly.
• Non-polyglot single-package projects where the full machinery is overkill. (You can still use a single spec as reference, but skip the scaffold flow.)

Flow

1. Gather requirements

Use AskUserQuestion to collect answers. Consolidate where possible — one or two prompts, not a twelve-step interview. Minimum set:

1. Project identity — name, short description, license (MIT / Apache-2.0 / proprietary). Name becomes the repo / root AGENTS.md title; slug is derived.
2. Layout — monorepo (packages/<c>/ tree) or standalone single-package?
3. Components (multi-select; at least one required):
   • backend — Python service / pipeline / library
   • frontend-web — TypeScript browser SPA
   • frontend-tui — Go terminal UI
4. Backend variant (if backend chosen): fastapi-service / fastmcp-server / cli-tool-python / library-only.
5. Frontend-web framework (if frontend-web chosen): react / vue / svelte / vanilla.
6. Frontend-tui framework (if frontend-tui chosen): bubbletea (default) / tview.
7. Shared OpenAPI contracts (only if backend + ≥1 frontend): yes / no.
8. Infra (multi-select): docker, github-actions, pre-commit-hooks.
9. Agent team + tracker? yes (recommended) / no. Also: file-based tracker or GitHub Issues?
10. Process & documentation (multi-select, optional): adr (Architecture Decision Records under docs/adr/), ubiquitous-language (project glossary at docs/glossary.md). Recommend adr for any project expected to live > 6 months; recommend ubiquitous-language for backend services with named domain entities.
11. External services (optional, multi-select — skip any category that doesn't apply). Each selection pulls a specs/<category>-<choice>.md stub and emits a one-line bullet into the generated AGENTS.md, wrapped in <!-- stack:<slug> --> comments so the user can find-and-delete it later:

• Datastore: mongodb / postgresql / redis / sqlite / other / none
• Orchestrator: prefect / dagster / temporal / other / none
• Observability & evals: opik / opentelemetry / sentry / other / none
• LLM API: anthropic / openai / gemini / other / none
• Embedding API: voyageai / openai / sentence-transformers / other / none
• Model serving: modal / replicate / other / none
• Web scraping: firecrawl / playwright / requests-bs4 / other / none

Ask this as ONE consolidated question: "Which external services will you use? (deselect anything you don't need)." none skips the category entirely — no stub read, no bullet emitted. other keeps an AGENT: fill in placeholder so the SWE can document the real choice on first use.

12. Reference docs (llms.txt) — ask which tools / frameworks / services this project uses that publish an llms.txt, and collect each one's index URL (e.g. Pydantic AI → https://pydantic.dev/docs/ai/llms.txt). They become direct links in the generated AGENTS.md "Access Documentation" section; anything the user doesn't name falls back to context7. Fully skippable — name none and only the context7 paragraph is emitted. Governed by rules.md P5.

Before proceeding to step 2, echo the picked configuration back to the user in a two-line summary and confirm.

2. Select specs

Always include:

• monorepo-layout.md — unless the user chose standalone single-package.
• makefile-delegator.md — unless standalone.

Conditionally include (from answers):

Answer	Specs to read
backend (any variant)	python-backend.md + uv-python.md + pyproject.md + ruff-python.md
backend = fastapi-service	+ fastapi-service.md
backend = fastmcp-server	+ fastmcp-server.md
backend = cli-tool-python	+ cli-tool-python.md
frontend-web	typescript-frontend.md + the chosen framework spec (react-app.md / vue-app.md / svelte-app.md / vanilla-ts-app.md)
frontend-tui	go-tui.md (already covers both bubbletea and tview)
shared OpenAPI contracts	openapi-contracts.md
docker	docker.md
github-actions	github-actions.md
pre-commit-hooks	pre-commit-hooks.md
agent team + tracker	tracker-workflow.md
process: adr	adr.md
process: ubiquitous-language	ubiquitous-language.md
datastore = mongodb / postgresql / redis / sqlite	+ datastore-<choice>.md
orchestrator = prefect / dagster / temporal	+ orchestrator-<choice>.md
observability = opik / opentelemetry / sentry	+ observability-<choice>.md
llm-api = anthropic / openai / gemini	+ llm-<choice>.md
embeddings = voyageai / openai / sentence-transformers	+ embeddings-<choice>.md
model-serving = modal / replicate	+ model-serving-<choice>.md
scraping = firecrawl / playwright / requests-bs4	+ scraping-<choice>.md

Skip any row where the user picked none / other. other is handled at compose time by leaving an AGENT: fill in placeholder in the generated AGENTS.md.

Read each selected spec end-to-end. Specs are short markdown — full read is fine. Skip reading specs that don't apply; keep context lean.

3. Compose AGENTS.md

Write the project's root memory file from the canonical template in AGENTS_TEMPLATE.md (the template body and section structure). Compose it following the I# artifact invariants in rules.md — size, distil-don't-copy, gate-sections-on-presence, group-per-app, fill-placeholders-inline. Read both end-to-end, then emit a tailored AGENTS.md at the target project root (or wherever /squid-scaffold was invoked).

AGENTS.md is the canonical, agent-agnostic memory file — the single source of truth. Alongside it, create CLAUDE.md as a relative symlink to AGENTS.md (ln -s AGENTS.md CLAUDE.md) so Claude Code loads the exact same file with zero duplication (see rules.md I4).

Optional — compress with caveman. If the caveman plugin is installed, offer to run /caveman-compress AGENTS.md on the composed file — it rewrites the memory file into caveman-speak (~46% fewer input tokens every session; code, paths, and URLs are byte-preserved). Ask first: the compressed form is terser to read and hand-edit. Skip silently when caveman isn't installed.

4. Create the folder skeleton

Create these files / directories, empty or with minimal placeholders. Do NOT write application source.

Always:

• AGENTS.md — from step 3 (the canonical, agent-agnostic memory file; the single source of truth).
• CLAUDE.md — a relative symlink to AGENTS.md (ln -s AGENTS.md CLAUDE.md), the Claude Code adapter for the canonical file (I4). Not a copy, not an @AGENTS.md import.
• .agents/skills/ — the canonical, harness-agnostic dir for project-local skills; seed it with an empty .agents/skills/.gitkeep (skills land here as the project grows).
• .claude/skills — a relative symlink to ../.agents/skills (ln -s ../.agents/skills .claude/skills) so Claude Code discovers project-local skills (I12).
• README.md — one-paragraph project-facing intro pointing at AGENTS.md.
• .gitignore — language-appropriate (.venv/, node_modules/, dist/, bin/, .DS_Store, .env). Do not ignore .claude/skills or .agents/ — the symlink and its target are committed.
• .env.example — cross-cutting placeholder keys (one commented sample var).

If monorepo:

• Root Makefile — delegator, generated dynamically from the chosen components per makefile-delegator.md. For every enabled component, emit:

  • The standard verb set (each present as both aggregate and per-component form):
    • install, test, lint-check, lint-fix, format-check, format-fix, pre-commit, build
  • Backend-only extras (if backend in components): unit-tests, integration-tests.
  • Frontend-web extras (if frontend-web in components): dev.
  • Frontend-tui extras (if frontend-tui in components): run.
  • Cross-cutting verbs (if applicable): openapi-gen, openapi-validate (shared chosen), docker-up, docker-down (docker chosen), ci (always), help (always).
  • .PHONY list built dynamically from emitted verbs (never hardcoded).
  • help target that echoes the enabled-component summary + the curated target list.
  • Component-gating: use HAS_<component> := $(shell test -d packages/<c> && echo yes) and gate targets via $(if $(HAS_<X>), <target>) — so make test on a backend-only render doesn't try to run test-frontend-web.
  • Every recipe is $(MAKE) -C packages/<c> <verb> — never a literal make or a cd chain.

• Per-component packages/<c>/Makefile — implements the verb set in the chosen language's tooling. Use the canonical sketches from makefile-delegator.md:

  • Python backend: uv sync, uv run pytest, uv run ruff check, uv run ruff format, uv build.
  • TypeScript frontend-web: npm ci, npm run test, npm run lint, npm run format, npm run build.
  • Go frontend-tui: go mod tidy, go test ./..., go vet ./..., gofmt -l/-w, go build.
  • Shared OpenAPI: uvx openapi-spec-validator, uvx openapi-python-client, @openapitools/openapi-generator-cli, oapi-codegen.
  • Scaffold writes a working first-pass Makefile per component (not AGENT: fill in stubs) — the verbs are mechanical, the tooling is standard per language, and having make install work out-of-the-box on the fresh scaffold lets the user run make install && make test before any SWE work. Real-code placeholders still apply to src/, not to the Makefile.

• Each packages/<c>/ also gets:

  • AGENTS.md — one-paragraph component brief + "see root AGENTS.md for conventions"; plus a CLAUDE.md symlink to it (ln -s AGENTS.md CLAUDE.md) so Claude Code loads it (I4).
  • .env.example — component-local placeholder.
  • No source files. (Those are SWE agent's job on first /squid-implement-task run.)

• If shared OpenAPI chosen: packages/shared/openapi/api.yaml with a minimal /health endpoint seed.

If docker chosen:

• docker-compose.yml — one service block per runtime component with AGENT: fill in placeholders for image / ports / healthcheck.
• Component-level Dockerfile stub with AGENT: fill in multi-stage build.

If github-actions chosen:

• .github/workflows/ci.yml — umbrella workflow with dorny/paths-filter routing.
• .github/workflows/ci-<c>.yml — one reusable workflow stub per component.
• .github/dependabot.yml — one ecosystem per component.

If agent team + tracker chosen:

• tasks/README.md describing the one-file-per-task model (tasks/<NNN>-<slug>.md with a status: frontmatter field — pending / in-progress / done — and a feature: field). State lives in the frontmatter, not the filename; on completion the file is git mv'd into tasks/done/, so the top level of tasks/ lists only open work (pending + in-progress) and NNN is allocated by scanning both tasks/ and tasks/done/. (The agent-team lifecycle + cross-cutting rules are baked into the generated AGENTS.md from AGENTS_TEMPLATE.md — there is no separate docs/PROCESS.md.)
• .claude/ plugin assets (the squid agents/skills themselves) — only if the user isn't installing the plugin globally; otherwise skip (the global install provides them). This is separate from the .claude/skills symlink in the Always block, which points at project-local skills under .agents/skills/ and is always created.

If adr chosen (Process & documentation):

• docs/adr/0001-record-architecture-decisions.md — drop the canonical ADR-0001 boilerplate verbatim from adr.md's Bootstrap section, with {YYYY-MM-DD} replaced by today's date. This is the only ADR scaffold writes — subsequent ADRs are authored by the PA during /squid-plan grooming as decisions arise. Do not emit a docs/adr/.gitkeep (ADR-0001 already keeps the directory non-empty).

If ubiquitous-language chosen (Process & documentation):

• docs/glossary.md — minimal seed: a one-paragraph header declaring the discipline ("The canonical vocabulary for {project}. When code, docs, specs, or conversation use a domain concept, use the term as it appears here.") + an empty 3-column table (| Term | Definition | Notes |) with a single commented-out example row so the format is unambiguous. Do not invent domain terms — the SWE / PA populate it as the first feature lands. Recommended seed body:

  # Glossary
  
  The canonical vocabulary for {project name}. When code, docs, specs, or conversation use a domain concept, use the term as it appears here. PRs that introduce or rename a domain concept update this file in the same change.
  
  | Term | Definition | Notes |
  |---|---|---|
  <!-- | **OrderLine** | One line item within an Order, identified by `order_line_id`. | Distinct from "Item" (the catalogue entry). | -->
  

5. Report back

Summarise for the user:

• File tree created (full list, relative paths).
• Which specs informed the AGENTS.md (named).
• Exact next step — e.g. /squid-implement-task "bootstrap packages/backend with a minimal FastAPI app and a /health endpoint". The SWE agent will read AGENTS.md and the spec references, and write the first real code.

Rules

All scaffold rules — create-time process rules (P#) and artifact invariants (I#) — live in rules.md, the single source of truth. While composing in mode=create, follow every P# and I#. Do not restate them here.

Evaluate mode

mode=evaluate audits an existing scaffolded repo against the artifact invariants in rules.md and reports drift. You are the auditor — you do NOT apply fixes, you report. The flow is read-only on the target repo; the report is printed to chat (no file is written).

E1 — Resolve target

$ARGUMENTS after mode=evaluate is the target repo root (default: the current working directory). Echo it back in one line. If there is no AGENTS.md there, stop with a clear message: "Nothing scaffolded to evaluate at {path} — run mode=create first."

E2 — Spawn the audit sub-agent

Launch a single Explore sub-agent. It reads the rules from the plugin's scaffold skill dir and audits the artifacts in the target repo — keep those two locations distinct in the prompt:

Agent(
  subagent_type="Explore",
  prompt="""Scaffold-conformance audit of the repo at {target path}.

  AUTHORITATIVE RULES (read from the squid plugin's scaffold skill dir, NOT the target repo):
  read `skills/squid-scaffold/rules.md` end to end, and `skills/squid-scaffold/AGENTS_TEMPLATE.md` for
  structure questions. Audit ONLY the `I#` artifact invariants — skip every `P#` (those are
  create-time and not checkable from a checkout).

  ARTIFACTS UNDER AUDIT (in the target repo at {target path}): read `AGENTS.md` and the root
  `Makefile`; verify with `ls -l` / `readlink` (not by reading bodies — a symlink read follows
  transparently to `AGENTS.md`) that the root `CLAUDE.md` and every `packages/*/CLAUDE.md` are
  symlinks to their sibling `AGENTS.md` (`I4`) and that `.claude/skills` is a symlink to
  `../.agents/skills` with `.agents/skills/` a real directory (`I12`); and scan the skeleton
  tree (`ls -R`, not file bodies).

  For EACH `I#` rule, run its `Check:` procedure and return one row:
    `rule id | PASS | VIOLATED | N/A | evidence (file:line or command output) | one-line remediation`.
  Mark a rule N/A (not VIOLATED) when it doesn't apply — e.g. monorepo-only rules (I7, I10) on a
  standalone single-package repo. Quote rules by ID only — do NOT paste rule text into your output.
  Do NOT propose code changes beyond the one-line remediation. Return the table plus a 2–3 sentence
  health summary."""
)

E3 — Compose the report (to chat)

Read the target's AGENTS.md yourself first — the judgment-call invariants (I2 size, I3 distil, I5 structure) need a firsthand read, not just the sub-agent's grep. Then print:

• A 2–3 sentence headline summary (the main drift, or "no drift").
• Violations — one block per VIOLATED rule: reference the rule by ID (e.g. see rules.md#I2 — do not restate the rule text), the evidence (file:line), and a one-paragraph remediation describing the shape of the fix (not a patch).
• Passing — a terse one-line list of the PASS rule IDs.
• N/A — an explicit list of N/A rules with the one-line reason (e.g. "I7, I10 — standalone repo, no monorepo Makefile/per-app grouping").

Findings are naturally bounded by the fixed rule set — no arbitrary cap.

E4 — Hand off

Single block: result counts, the violated IDs, and the recommended next step — either "Edit AGENTS.md to resolve {IDs} — see remediations above, then re-run /squid-scaffold mode=evaluate to confirm" or "No drift — AGENTS.md still conforms."

Index of specs

The spec library lives at specs/. Each file is a standalone reference doc describing opinions, not code. Grouped by role:

Layout & tooling (foundational)

• monorepo-layout.md — polyglot monorepo tree + component boundaries.
• makefile-delegator.md — root Makefile pattern + canonical example.

Python

• python-backend.md — layout, discipline, testing conventions.
• uv-python.md — uv usage (add / sync / run / build / publish).
• pyproject.md — pyproject.toml structure + canonical example.
• ruff-python.md — ruff configuration opinions.

Python project types

• fastapi-service.md — FastAPI app factory, lifespan, endpoints.
• fastmcp-server.md — FastMCP server shape.
• cli-tool-python.md — typer/click CLI conventions.

TypeScript frontend

• typescript-frontend.md — package layout + canonical configs.
• react-app.md — React SPA specifics.
• vue-app.md — Vue SPA specifics.
• svelte-app.md — Svelte SPA specifics.
• vanilla-ts-app.md — no-framework TypeScript SPA.

Go TUI

• go-tui.md — layout, Bubbletea, and tview in one doc.

Infrastructure

• docker.md — slim Dockerfile + docker-compose opinions.
• github-actions.md — monorepo CI patterns.
• openapi-contracts.md — contract-first OpenAPI 3.1 workflow.
• pre-commit-hooks.md — project-side hook conventions (pre-commit / lefthook / husky), what runs in pre-commit vs pre-push, escape-hatch policy.

Process & documentation

• tracker-workflow.md — file-based task tracker format.
• adr.md — Architecture Decision Records (docs/adr/NNNN-title.md), Nygard template, status lifecycle.
• ubiquitous-language.md — project glossary at docs/glossary.md; one canonical name per domain concept.

External services (all stubs — flesh out as real projects reveal opinions; delete any category or file you decide isn't worth maintaining, and drop the matching row in Step 2's decision table)

• Datastore: datastore-mongodb.md, datastore-postgresql.md, datastore-redis.md, datastore-sqlite.md.
• Orchestrator: orchestrator-prefect.md, orchestrator-dagster.md, orchestrator-temporal.md.
• Observability: observability-opik.md, observability-opentelemetry.md, observability-sentry.md.
• LLM API: llm-anthropic.md, llm-openai.md, llm-gemini.md.
• Embeddings: embeddings-voyageai.md, embeddings-openai.md, embeddings-sentence-transformers.md.
• Model serving: model-serving-modal.md, model-serving-replicate.md.
• Scraping: scraping-firecrawl.md, scraping-playwright.md, scraping-requests-bs4.md.