Usage

Demo

Try it in 2 minutes

Run the NestJS/Prisma preset into a throwaway folder:

npx backend-ai-starter-recipes --preset nestjs-prisma --output ./my-backend

Then inspect the IDE adapter files generated by the preset:

my-backend/
├── .cursor/
│   ├── rules/
│   │   ├── index.mdc                  # agent identity + quality gates
│   │   ├── architecture-api.mdc
│   │   ├── data-layer-migrations.mdc
│   │   └── … (9 rule files)
│   └── skills/
│       ├── think/
│       ├── plan/
│       └── … (7 lifecycle stages)
└── CLAUDE.md                          # if Claude Code was also selected

What gets generated depends on your IDE selection

Each adapter writes only its own native files. Select multiple IDEs and all their formats appear side by side.

Use bare --preset nestjs-prisma --output ./my-backend after a global install.

Two modes

Mode	When to use
Interactive	First time, or a custom stack not covered by a preset
--preset	CI, docs, or a known stack (Nest + Prisma, etc.)

Interactive flow (grouped)

The CLI walks through project identity → stack → tooling → outputs. Roughly:

What you will be asked

• Framework: NestJS, Express, Fastify, Hono
• Language: TypeScript or JavaScript
• ORM: Prisma, TypeORM, Drizzle, MikroORM, Knex, or none (raw SQL)
• Database: PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, SQLite
• Validation: class-validator, Zod, Joi, or none
• API docs: Swagger/OpenAPI or none
• Auth: JWT (Passport), session, OAuth2 provider, custom, or none
• Tests: Jest, Vitest, Mocha
• Monitoring: Sentry, APM, Prometheus (multi-select)
• CI/CD: GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, or none
• IDEs: Cursor, Claude Code, VS Code Copilot, Antigravity, Windsurf, or all
• Skills: plan-review, code-review, QA, ship, plus optional workflows (document-release, retro, db-migration-review, api-contract-check, dependency-audit) or all

If you omit --output, the CLI prompts for a directory (and warns if it is non-empty).

Preset coverage

Preset	Stack (summary)
nestjs-prisma	NestJS, TypeScript, Prisma, PostgreSQL, class-validator, Swagger/OpenAPI, JWT, Jest
nestjs-typeorm	NestJS, TypeScript, TypeORM, PostgreSQL, class-validator, Swagger/OpenAPI, JWT, Jest
express-prisma	Express, TypeScript, Prisma, PostgreSQL, Zod, Swagger/OpenAPI, JWT, Vitest
fastify-drizzle	Fastify, TypeScript, Drizzle, PostgreSQL, Zod, Swagger/OpenAPI, JWT, Vitest

nestjs-prisma

npx backend-ai-starter-recipes --preset nestjs-prisma --output ./my-nestjs-app

nestjs-typeorm

npx backend-ai-starter-recipes --preset nestjs-typeorm --output ./my-app

express-prisma

npx backend-ai-starter-recipes --preset express-prisma --output ./my-express-app

fastify-drizzle

npx backend-ai-starter-recipes --preset fastify-drizzle --output ./my-fastify-app

CLI flags

Flag	Short	Description
--output <dir>	-o	Output directory (skips the path prompt)
--preset <name>	-p	Use a JSON preset from the package’s presets/ folder

Minimal example

npx backend-ai-starter-recipes --preset nestjs-prisma --output ./api

You should see IDE adapter files depending on the preset's IDE selection:

api/
├── .cursor/           # if Cursor was selected in preset
│   ├── rules/*.mdc
│   └── skills/*/
├── CLAUDE.md          # if Claude Code was selected
└── …                  # one folder per selected IDE adapter

(Preset defaults include specific IDEs; customize via interactive run or by editing a copied preset JSON for your fork.)

Known Limitations

• This is an early community release intended for developer testing and feedback.
• Presets are opinionated starting points, not proof that every team using that stack should follow the same rules.
• Generated rules and lifecycle files should be reviewed and edited inside your real repo before treating them as authoritative.
• IDE adapters depend on how each AI tool reads repository context; behavior may differ across tool versions.
• The CLI creates AI instructions, lifecycle guidance, rules, and IDE adapter files. It does not scaffold a complete backend service.

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Next: learn what each folder means — Understanding the output.