PRO-9557 bring back "starter"

packages/cli/lib/commands/create.js

@@ -1,13 +1,22 @@
 // Thin delegate: hands off to create-apostrophe's guided installer. Owns
-// no UI of its own — Commander supplies `--help` for this subcommand.
+// no UI of its own — Commander supplies `--help` for this subcommand. The
+// only thing it forwards is `--starter`, so a developer can name a custom
+// starter (kit name, org/repo, or git URL) and skip the kit prompt.
 
 module.exports = function (program) {
-  program
+  const command = program
     .command('create')
     .description('Create an Apostrophe project — launches the guided installer.')
+    .option(
+      '--starter <name-or-url>',
+      'Start from a specific starter instead of choosing a kit interactively. ' +
+      'Accepts the short name of an official starter kit (e.g. "ecommerce"), ' +
+      'an org/repo (e.g. "myorg/my-starter"), or a full git URL.'
+    )
     .action(async function () {
+      const { starter } = command.opts();
       const { runInteractive } = await import('create-apostrophe');
-      const code = await runInteractive();
+      const code = await runInteractive({ starter });
       process.exit(typeof code === 'number' ? code : 0);
     });
 };

packages/create-apostrophe/src/cli/main.js

@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import { parseArgs } from 'node:util';
 import { createStore as defaultCreateStore } from '../core/store.js';
 import { createProject as defaultCreateProject } from '../core/create-project.js';
 import { isKnownKit } from '../core/kits.js';
+import { resolveStarter, CUSTOM_KIT_ID } from '../core/starter.js';
 import { assertSafeShortName } from '../core/validate.js';
 import { createTelemetry as defaultCreateTelemetry } from '../telemetry/index.js';
 import { DB_CHOICES } from '../telemetry/schema.js';
@@ -40,6 +41,7 @@ const DEFAULT_USERNAME = 'admin';
 const OPTION_SPEC = Object.freeze({
   'project-name': { type: 'string' },
   kit: { type: 'string' },
+  starter: { type: 'string' },
   db: { type: 'string' },
   'db-uri': { type: 'string' },
   username: { type: 'string' },
@@ -58,20 +60,24 @@ const OPTION_SPEC = Object.freeze({
 
 const USAGE = `${render.bold('Usage:')}
   npm create apostrophe@latest                                           ${render.dim('Run the guided installer')}
+  npm create apostrophe@latest -- --starter=NAME|URL                     ${render.dim('Start from a custom starter (skips the kit prompt)')}
   npm create apostrophe@latest -- --unattended [flags]                   ${render.dim('Run without prompts')}
   npm create apostrophe@latest -- telemetry [status|on|off|preview]      ${render.dim('Manage telemetry preference')}
   npm create apostrophe@latest -- --help | --version
 
 ${render.dim('(everything after the `--` is forwarded to the installer; npm consumes args without it)')}
 
+${render.bold('Starter selection')} ${render.dim('(either path; --starter overrides --kit)')}:
+  --starter=NAME|ORG/REPO|URL   ${render.dim('Custom starter: a starter-kit name (e.g. ecommerce), an org/repo, or a git URL')}
+
 ${render.bold('Unattended flags')} ${render.dim('(--unattended is the only trigger for the headless path)')}:
   ${render.bold('Required:')}
   --project-name=NAME           ${render.dim('Project directory name')}
   --password=PASS               ${render.dim('Admin password (or use APOS_ADMIN_PASSWORD)')}
   --telemetry=on|off            ${render.dim('Telemetry consent (no default — explicit choice)')}
 
   ${render.bold('Defaulted (override to change):')}
-  --kit=KITID                   ${render.dim(`Starter kit id (default: ${DEFAULT_KIT})`)}
+  --kit=KITID                   ${render.dim(`Starter kit id (default: ${DEFAULT_KIT}); ignored when --starter is set`)}
   --db=sqlite|mongodb|postgres  ${render.dim(`Database choice (default: ${DEFAULT_DB})`)}
   --db-uri=URI                  ${render.dim('Connection string (required when --db is mongodb or postgres)')}
   --username=NAME               ${render.dim(`Admin username or email (default: ${DEFAULT_USERNAME})`)}
@@ -147,6 +153,7 @@ export async function main(argv, deps = {}) {
     });
   }
   return runInteractive({
+    starter: values.starter,
     createProject,
     createStore,
     createTelemetry,
@@ -161,16 +168,24 @@ export async function main(argv, deps = {}) {
  * flow without going through argv parsing — their command framework keeps
  * ownership of help text and subcommand routing.
  *
- * @param {MainDeps} [deps]
+ * `starter` is the only non-injectable option here: a raw `--starter` value
+ * (starter-kit name, org/repo, or git URL). When present, it's resolved to a
+ * clone URL and the guided flow skips the kit-selection questions entirely.
+ *
+ * @param {MainDeps & { starter?: string }} [deps]
  * @returns {Promise<number>}
  */
 export async function runInteractive(deps = {}) {
   const {
+    starter: rawStarter,
     createProject = defaultCreateProject,
     createStore = defaultCreateStore,
     createTelemetry = defaultCreateTelemetry,
     runFlow = defaultRunFlow
   } = deps;
+  const starter = (typeof rawStarter === 'string' && rawStarter.trim().length > 0)
+    ? resolveStarter(rawStarter)
+    : undefined;
   const cwd = process.cwd();
   const env = process.env;
   const store = createStore();
@@ -180,7 +195,8 @@ export async function runInteractive(deps = {}) {
     answers = await runFlow({
       store,
       cliVersion: CLI_VERSION,
-      env
+      env,
+      starter
     });
   } catch (err) {
     if (err instanceof UserCancelled) {
@@ -201,6 +217,7 @@ export async function runInteractive(deps = {}) {
       shortName: answers.shortName,
       cwd,
       kitId: answers.kitId,
+      starter,
       dbChoice: answers.dbChoice,
       dbUri: answers.dbUri,
       dbReset: answers.dbReset,
@@ -245,8 +262,19 @@ async function runUnattended(values, {
     }
   }
 
-  const kitId = values.kit ?? DEFAULT_KIT;
-  if (!isKnownKit(kitId)) {
+  // --starter overrides --kit: clone an arbitrary repo instead of a registry
+  // kit. Validate the empty and both-given cases up front.
+  const usingStarter =
+    typeof values.starter === 'string' && values.starter.trim().length > 0;
+  if (values.starter !== undefined && !usingStarter) {
+    issues.push('--starter cannot be empty');
+  }
+  if (usingStarter && values.kit !== undefined) {
+    issues.push('Use either --kit or --starter, not both');
+  }
+  const starter = usingStarter ? resolveStarter(values.starter) : undefined;
+  const kitId = usingStarter ? CUSTOM_KIT_ID : (values.kit ?? DEFAULT_KIT);
+  if (!usingStarter && !isKnownKit(kitId)) {
     issues.push(`Unknown --kit: ${JSON.stringify(kitId)}`);
   }
 
@@ -306,6 +334,7 @@ async function runUnattended(values, {
     shortName,
     cwd,
     kitId,
+    starter,
     dbChoice,
     dbUri,
     // Unattended never drops a pre-existing DB — that needs interactive
@@ -324,12 +353,19 @@ async function runUnattended(values, {
     logger
   });
 
+  // A custom starter has no kit to derive build/startingPoint from; its layout
+  // (and thus the dev-server port the success screen shows) comes back on the
+  // result. The kit-derived fields are filled only for a registry kit.
   /** @type {import('../ui/flow.js').FlowAnswers} */
   const answers = {
     shortName,
-    build: kitId.startsWith('apostrophe-astro') ? 'astro' : 'standalone',
-    startingPoint: kitId.endsWith('-essentials') ? 'essentials' : 'demo',
-    sampleContent: kitId.endsWith('-demo-data'),
+    ...(usingStarter
+      ? { starter }
+      : {
+        build: kitId.startsWith('apostrophe-astro') ? 'astro' : 'standalone',
+        startingPoint: kitId.endsWith('-essentials') ? 'essentials' : 'demo',
+        sampleContent: kitId.endsWith('-demo-data')
+      }),
     kitId,
     dbChoice,
     dbUri,

packages/create-apostrophe/src/core/create-project.js

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 // unexpected throws propagate to the caller (which converts + emits).
 
 import { getKit } from './kits.js';
+import { detectFrontend } from './starter.js';
 import { detectPackageManager, assertSupportedPackageManager } from './pm.js';
 import { StageError, UnsupportedPackageManagerError } from './errors.js';
 import { checkConnection, dropDatabase } from './db.js';
@@ -30,8 +31,11 @@ export function makeCreateProject({
     };
 
     // Single terminal point: build the result, emit exactly one event, return.
+    // `frontend` is the resolved layout (null = standalone), known only once a
+    // step has determined it; it rides on the returned result but is added
+    // AFTER the telemetry payload is sliced off, so it never reaches the wire.
     const finish = ({
-      ok, packageManager, failStage, errorCode
+      ok, packageManager, failStage, errorCode, frontend
     }) => {
       const result = {
         ok,
@@ -47,6 +51,9 @@ export function makeCreateProject({
       }
       const { ok: _ok, ...payload } = result;
       telemetry.event(ok ? 'install_success' : 'install_fail', payload);
+      if (frontend !== undefined) {
+        result.frontend = frontend;
+      }
       return result;
     };
 
@@ -66,9 +73,17 @@ export function makeCreateProject({
       throw err;
     }
 
-    // Validation errors (unknown kit, unsafe shortName, …) propagate as
-    // unexpected throws — the caller converts and emits.
-    const kit = getKit(options.kitId);
+    // A `--starter` install escapes the kit registry: the repo is the resolved
+    // starter URL and the frontend is detected from the clone, not declared.
+    // Otherwise resolve the registry kit — validation errors (unknown kit,
+    // unsafe shortName, …) propagate as unexpected throws; the caller converts.
+    const usingStarter = Boolean(options.starter);
+    const kit = usingStarter
+      ? {
+        repo: options.starter.repo,
+        seedData: false
+      }
+      : getKit(options.kitId);
 
     // The task handle is passed to the step fn so long-running steps can
     // report progress (task.progress?.(...)); steps that don't, ignore it.
@@ -92,11 +107,17 @@ export function makeCreateProject({
           cwd: options.cwd
         }));
 
+      // A registry kit declares its frontend; a custom starter's is detected
+      // from the cloned layout (a `backend/` directory means hybrid Astro).
+      const declaredFrontend = usingStarter
+        ? detectFrontend(projectDir)
+        : kit.frontend;
+
       const { frontend, appRoot } = await step('Configuring project', () =>
         scaffold({
           projectDir,
           shortName: options.shortName,
-          frontend: kit.frontend
+          frontend: declaredFrontend
         }));
 
       await step('Installing dependencies', () =>
@@ -144,7 +165,8 @@ export function makeCreateProject({
 
       return finish({
         ok: true,
-        packageManager
+        packageManager,
+        frontend
       });
     } catch (err) {
       if (err instanceof StageError) {

packages/create-apostrophe/src/core/starter.js

@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+// Custom-starter support for the `--starter` option. A "starter" escapes the
+// fixed kit registry (core/kits.js): instead of one of the six known kits, the
+// installer clones an arbitrary git repository the developer names directly.
+// This module owns the two things that differ from a registry kit — turning the
+// `--starter` value into a clone URL, and discovering the project layout after
+// the clone (a registry kit declares its frontend up front; a custom one can't).
+
+import { existsSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { join } from 'node:path';
+
+/** @typedef {import('./kits.js').Frontend} Frontend */
+
+/**
+ * Telemetry kitId reported for a custom `--starter` install. Deliberately NOT a
+ * member of the kit registry — `getKit`/`isKnownKit` still reject it — so the
+ * six-kit invariants hold; the telemetry schema allowlists it on its own so the
+ * "which kit?" question stays answerable as "a custom one".
+ * @type {'custom'}
+ */
+export const CUSTOM_KIT_ID = 'custom';
+
+/**
+ * A `--starter` value resolved to something clonable.
+ * @typedef {object} ResolvedStarter
+ * @property {string} repo    Clone URL handed to `git clone`.
+ * @property {string} source  The original `--starter` input, kept verbatim for
+ *                            display in the review/summary screens.
+ */
+
+/**
+ * Resolve a `--starter` value to a git clone URL. Three forms, matched in order
+ * (the grammar the legacy `@apostrophecms/cli` accepted, preserved exactly):
+ *
+ *   1. A URL with a scheme (`https:`, `git:`, …) — used verbatim.
+ *      e.g. `https://github.com/apostrophecms/apostrophe-open-museum.git`
+ *   2. A value containing `/` — treated as a GitHub `org/repo` (a leading `/`
+ *      is dropped). e.g. `mycoolcompany/my-starter` →
+ *      `https://github.com/mycoolcompany/my-starter`
+ *   3. A bare name — a shorthand for an official starter kit, expanded to
+ *      `starter-kit-<name>`. e.g. `ecommerce` →
+ *      `https://github.com/apostrophecms/starter-kit-ecommerce.git`
+ *
+ * @param {string} input  The raw `--starter` value.
+ * @returns {ResolvedStarter}
+ * @throws {TypeError} when `input` is missing or blank.
+ */
+export function resolveStarter(input) {
+  if (typeof input !== 'string' || input.trim().length === 0) {
+    throw new TypeError(
+      'A --starter value is required (a starter-kit name, an org/repo, or a git URL).'
+    );
+  }
+  const value = input.trim();
+  let repo;
+  if (/^\w+:/.test(value)) {
+    repo = value;
+  } else if (value.includes('/')) {
+    repo = `https://github.com/${value.startsWith('/') ? value.slice(1) : value}`;
+  } else {
+    repo = `https://github.com/apostrophecms/starter-kit-${value}.git`;
+  }
+  return {
+    repo,
+    source: value
+  };
+}
+
+/**
+ * Discover a freshly cloned custom starter's frontend. A hybrid Astro project
+ * nests the Apostrophe app under `backend/`; a standalone project keeps it at
+ * the root. Mirrors the legacy CLI's auto-detection, and the README's promise
+ * that hybrid projects are "automatically detected by the presence of a
+ * `backend/` directory."
+ *
+ * @param {string} projectDir  The cloned project's root.
+ * @returns {Frontend} `'astro'` when a `backend/` directory exists, else `null`.
+ */
+export function detectFrontend(projectDir) {
+  return existsSync(join(projectDir, 'backend')) ? 'astro' : null;
+}

packages/create-apostrophe/src/index.js

@@ -76,7 +76,16 @@
  *                                              captures it once and threads
  *                                              it in; steps must not call
  *                                              process.cwd() on their own.
- * @property {KitId}           kitId            Starter kit.
+ * @property {KitId | 'custom'} kitId           Starter kit, or `'custom'` for a
+ *                                              `--starter` install (escapes the
+ *                                              kit registry; see `starter`).
+ * @property {import('./core/starter.js').ResolvedStarter} [starter]
+ *                                              A custom starter resolved from
+ *                                              `--starter`. When present it
+ *                                              overrides `kitId` for cloning:
+ *                                              the repo is cloned directly and
+ *                                              the frontend is detected from the
+ *                                              clone rather than the registry.
  * @property {DbChoice}        dbChoice         Database selection.
  * @property {string}          [dbUri]          Connection string for
  *                                              mongodb/postgres. Never sent to
@@ -104,10 +113,18 @@
  * result.
  * @typedef {object} CreateProjectResult
  * @property {boolean}         ok             Whether the project was created.
- * @property {KitId}           kitId
+ * @property {KitId | 'custom'} kitId         Echo of the input (`'custom'` for
+ *                                            a `--starter` install).
  * @property {DbChoice}        dbChoice       Echo of the input.
  * @property {PackageManager}  packageManager Resolved value.
  * @property {number}          durationMs     `Date.now() - options.confirmedAt`.
+ * @property {import('./core/kits.js').Frontend} [frontend]  Resolved layout
+ *                                            (`'astro'` | `null`). Present only
+ *                                            on success; never sent to
+ *                                            telemetry. Lets the UI pick the
+ *                                            right dev-server port for a custom
+ *                                            starter whose frontend wasn't known
+ *                                            until after the clone.
  * @property {FailStage}       [failStage]    Present iff `ok === false`;
  *                                            `null` for a preflight failure.
  * @property {string}          [errorCode]    Present only for known,

packages/create-apostrophe/src/telemetry/schema.js

@@ -5,6 +5,16 @@
 // upstream caller passing extra keys.
 
 import { KIT_IDS } from '../core/kits.js';
+import { CUSTOM_KIT_ID } from '../core/starter.js';
+
+/**
+ * kitId values accepted on the wire: the six registry kits plus the `'custom'`
+ * sentinel a `--starter` install reports. Kept separate from {@link KIT_IDS} so
+ * the registry stays exactly the six known kits while telemetry can still say
+ * "a custom starter was used" without naming the (potentially private) repo.
+ * @type {ReadonlyArray<string>}
+ */
+const TELEMETRY_KIT_IDS = Object.freeze([ ...KIT_IDS, CUSTOM_KIT_ID ]);
 
 /** @typedef {import('../index.js').KitId}           KitId           */
 /** @typedef {import('../index.js').DbChoice}        DbChoice        */
@@ -209,7 +219,7 @@ function requireFiniteNumber(name, value) {
 export function buildPayload(event, input) {
   requireOneOf('event', event, EVENT_NAMES);
   requireString('cliVersion', input.cliVersion);
-  requireOneOf('kitId', input.kitId, KIT_IDS);
+  requireOneOf('kitId', input.kitId, TELEMETRY_KIT_IDS);
   requireOneOf('dbChoice', input.dbChoice, DB_CHOICES);
   requireOneOf('packageManager', input.packageManager, PACKAGE_MANAGERS);
   requireFiniteNumber('durationMs', input.durationMs);