A command-line tool for creating new projects from local templates.

Masstemplate allows developers to create project templates as simple directories and apply them to quickly bootstrap new projects. It emphasizes local control, simplicity, and extensibility without cloud dependencies.

• Installation
• Quick Start
• Usage
• Configuration
• Building Templates
• Advanced Features
• Contributing
• License
• Support

Masstemplate is written in Rust and can be built from source:

git clone https://github.com/durableprogramming/masstemplate.git
cd masstemplate
cargo build --release

The binary will be available at target/release/mtem. You can install it to your system by copying it to a directory in your PATH:

sudo cp target/release/mtem /usr/local/bin/

For detailed installation instructions, see docs/installation.md.

• Rust 1.70 or later
• Unix-like operating system (Linux, macOS, or Windows with WSL)

1. Create a template directory:

   mkdir -p ~/.local/masstemplate/rust/src
   echo 'fn main() { println!("Hello, world!"); }' > ~/.local/masstemplate/rust/src/main.rs
   echo '[package]\nname = "my-project"\nversion = "0.1.0"\nedition = "2021"' > ~/.local/masstemplate/rust/Cargo.toml

2. Apply the template:

   mtem rust

That's it! Your new Rust project is ready.

# List available templates
mtem list

# Apply a template
mtem apply <template-name>

# Get information about a template
mtem info <template-name>

# Apply template to specific directory
mtem apply rust --dest my-project

# Use collision strategy
mtem apply node --collision overwrite

# Skip interactive prompts
mtem apply rust --yes

For more usage examples, see docs/getting-started.md.

Masstemplate uses a global configuration file at ~/.config/masstemplate/config.toml for settings like:

• Template search paths
• Default collision strategies
• Logging levels

Example configuration:

[core]
template_dirs = ["~/.local/masstemplate"]
default_collision = "backup"
verbose = false

[logging]
level = "info"

See docs/masstemplate-config.md for complete configuration options.

Create subdirectories in ~/.local/masstemplate/ for each project type. Fill them with starter files and configurations.

Example Rust template structure:

~/.local/masstemplate/rust/
├── Cargo.toml
├── src/
│   └── main.rs
└── .mtem/
    └── post_install.sh

Add .mtem/pre_install.sh and .mtem/post_install.sh to your templates for automation:

• pre_install.sh: Runs before copying files (e.g., check prerequisites)
• post_install.sh: Runs after copying files (e.g., install dependencies)

Scripts execute in the destination directory.

Create .mtemignore or .mtem/ignore to exclude files from templates:

devenv.lock
*.log
.cache/

Use .mtem/config files for advanced file processing during template application.

Features:

• Text replacement: replace __NAME__ MyProject
• Environment variables: dotenv set API_KEY=abc123
• Collision strategies: collision overwrite
• File matching: match *.json { collision merge }

See docs/processing-dsl-overview.md for details.

Combine multiple templates for complex project structures. Use post-install scripts to apply sub-templates:

#!/bin/bash
mtem frontend-react
mtem backend-node
# Custom integration steps

Masstemplate supports various hooks for customization:

• Pre/post install scripts
• File processing hooks
• Custom processors

See docs/masstemplate-hooks.md for details.

• Building Templates
• Processing DSL
• Install Scripts
• Configuration
• Hooks
• Sample Templates

We welcome contributions from the community! Here's how you can help:

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/durableprogramming/masstemplate.git
   cd masstemplate

2. Install dependencies:

   cargo build

3. Run tests:

   cargo test

• Follow the existing code style and conventions
• Add tests for new functionality
• Update documentation for API changes
• Use conventional commit messages
• Ensure all tests pass before submitting PRs

• Use GitHub issues for bug reports and feature requests
• Include detailed reproduction steps for bugs
• Specify your operating system and Rust version

This project follows a code of conduct to ensure a welcoming environment for all contributors.

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Copyright (c) 2025 Durable Programming LLC

• Issues: GitHub Issues
• Discussions: GitHub Discussions
• Documentation: docs/

For commercial support or enterprise features, contact [email protected].