Project Templating Tools

Project Templating Tools#

Introduction#

In software development, project templating tools (also known as scaffolding, project bootstrap tools, boilerplate generation, or skeletons) are essential for streamlining the process of starting new projects. They help developers adhere to structures, standards, and agreements and include mandatory files without the tedious legwork. Cookiecutter is one of the most popular project templating tools, but alternatives like Yeoman and Copier also offer valuable functionality.

1. Cookiecutter: The Industry Standard#

  • Easy-to-install command-line utility for creating project templates

  • Cross-platform and supports multiple programming languages

  • Stable, configuration-driven, with a large and active community

  • More information can be found in the initial question

2. Yeoman: A New Alternative for Web Apps#

  • Developed for web apps, automates frontend and backend tasks

  • Open-source, cross-platform, and based on JavaScript

  • Offers a scaffolding tool (yo), package manager, and various plugins

  • More information can be found in the initial question

3. Copier: A Newer Alternative (Main Focus)#

Copier is a modern, open-source templating tool that can be installed as a command-line interface or used as a library directly in your Python code. It has three primary components: templates, questionnaires, and projects.

Key Features:#

  • Templates: Define how to generate subprojects

  • Questionnaires: Configure the template, users provide answers to generate projects

  • Projects: Generated program from the template

  • Scaffolding: Allows users to create a working source code tree

  • Supports local paths and git URL, file uploads, and migrations

Benefits of Copier:#

  • Modern user experience

  • Allows updates for code lifecycle management (in some templates)

  • Configuration from single or multiple YAML files

Disadvantages of Copier:#

  • Smaller community and fewer templates available compared to Cookiecutter

  • Under active development, meaning it is not as stable as Cookiecutter

Comparison of Project Templating Tools#

When choosing a project templating tool, it’s important to consider their features and capabilities. Here, we compare Copier to two popular alternatives, Cookiecutter and Yeoman. Although Copier was initially a code scaffolding tool, it has evolved into a code lifecycle management tool, making it unique compared to the other options.

Feature Comparison#

Feature

Copier

Cookiecutter

Yeoman

Can template file names

Yes

Yes

Yes

Configuration

Single YAML file

Single JSON file

JS module

Migrations

Yes

No

No

Programmed in

Python

Python

NodeJS

Requires handwriting JSON

No

Yes

Yes

Requires installing templates separately

No

No

Yes

Requires programming

No

No

Yes, JS

Requires templates to have a suffix

Yes by default, configurable

No, not configurable

You choose

Task hooks

Yes

Yes

Yes

Context hooks

Yes

Yes

?

Template in a subfolder

Not required, but you choose

Yes, required

Yes, required

Template package format

Git repo, Git bundle, folder

Git or Mercurial repo, Zip file

NPM package

Template updates

Yes

No

No

Templating engine

Jinja

Jinja

EJS

Key Differences#

  1. Configuration: Copier uses a single YAML file, while Cookiecutter uses a single JSON file, and Yeoman relies on a JavaScript module.

  2. Migrations: Copier supports migrations, whereas Cookiecutter and Yeoman do not.

  3. Template Updates: Copier allows template updates for Git templates, a feature not available in Cookiecutter or Yeoman.

  4. Requires Programming: Copier and Cookiecutter do not require programming knowledge, while Yeoman requires JavaScript programming.

  5. Template Package Format: Copier supports Git repos, Git bundles, and folders, while Cookiecutter supports Git or Mercurial repos and Zip files, and Yeoman uses NPM packages.

  6. Templating Engine: Copier and Cookiecutter both use the Jinja templating engine, while Yeoman uses EJS.

In conclusion, Copier stands out due to its support for migrations, template updates, and its user-friendly configuration. It offers a modern and flexible approach to project templating, making it a strong contender for developers who need a powerful code lifecycle management tool. However, depending on your specific requirements and familiarity with other programming languages, Cookiecutter and Yeoman may still be viable options to consider.

Usage of Copier#

Copier is a versatile tool for rendering project templates, making it easy to create new projects or manage existing ones. Here’s a guide on how to use Copier as both a CLI app and a library:

Installation#

  1. Install Python 3.7 or newer (3.8 or newer if you’re on Windows).

  2. Install Git 2.27 or newer.

  3. To use as a CLI app: pipx install copier

  4. To use as a library: pip install copier or conda install -c conda-forge copier

  5. To use with 100% reproducibility: nix profile install github:copier-org/copier

Creating a Template#

To create a template, structure your project as follows:

📁 my_copier_template                        # your template project
├── 📄 copier.yml                            # your template configuration
├── 📁 .git/                                 # your template is a Git repository
├── 📁 {{project_name}}                      # a folder with a templated name
│   └── 📄 {{module_name}}.py.jinja          # a file with a templated name
└── 📄 {{_copier_conf.answers_file}}.jinja   # answers are recorded here

Define your questions in copier.yml and create templated files using Jinja syntax. For example:

print("Hello from {{module_name}}!")

Generating a Project from a Template#

Using Copier CLI#

To generate a project from a template, run the following command:

copier path/to/project/template path/to/destination

Using Copier as a Library#

You can also generate a project programmatically using Python:

from copier import run_auto

# Create a project from a local path
run_auto("path/to/project/template", "path/to/destination")

# Or from a Git URL.
run_auto("https://github.com/copier-org/copier.git", "path/to/destination")

# You can also use "gh:" as a shortcut of "https://github.com/"
run_auto("gh:copier-org/copier.git", "path/to/destination")

# Or "gl:" as a shortcut of "https://gitlab.com/"
run_auto("gl:copier-org/copier.git", "path/to/destination")

Exploring Public Templates#

To browse public Copier templates on GitHub, visit the copier-template topic. Use these templates as a starting point or for inspiration! To add your own template to the list, simply tag it with the copier-template topic.

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