Templify

Standardize and accelerate the creation of templates-based projects using definining placeholders across any kind of project

Templify is a Maven plugin that helps you generate templates-based from a predefined project using a YAML-based configuration. It supports advanced transformations such as XPath-based replacement in XML files – ideal for managing complex project scaffolding and enforcing consistency.

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What does it do?

Templify automates the generation of templates by:

• Reading a YAML config file (maven-templify.yml)
• Loading project files from a directory
• Applying structured transformations (like XPath replacements in XML)
• Outputting a complete, placeholders templates-based ready to integrate with your Backstage, Jinja and so on

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Who is it for?

Templify is built for:

• Base Platform teams creating reusable service templates
• Developers automating repetitive setup tasks
• Organizations seeking consistent project standards and faster delivery

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How it works

You define:

• A template folder containing your base project
• A YAML config file that describes:
  • Which files to transform
  • How to match content (XPath for XML)
  • What to replace

Templify will process the files and generate a project in a specified destination.

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🧪 Example usage

1. Prepare your config file

maven-templify.yml:

steps:
  - kind: XmlHandler
    apiVersion: v1
    spec:
      - files:
          - pom.xml
        placeholders:
          - match: /project/groupId
            replace: templify.param.groupId
          - match: /project/artifactId
            replace: templify.test.replace.map.artifactId
          - match: /project/dependencies/dependency/scope[text()='test']
            replace: templify.replace.map.scopes
      - files:
          - xmls/generic_1.xml
        placeholders:
          - match: /note/heading
            replace: New Reminder
      - files:
          - xmls/complex/generic_2.xml
        placeholders:
          - match: /bookstore/book/author[text()='Kurt Cagle']
            replace: templify.kurtCagle
          - match: /bookstore/book/year[text()='2005']
            replace: templify.NewYear

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2. Run the plugin

mvn com.thoughtworks.templify:templify:create

Template folder structure

📁 target/template/
├── pom.xml
├── xmls/
│   ├── generic_1.xml
│   └── complex/generic_2.xml
└── other project files...

Templify will copy this structure to the target/template folder and apply the transformations defined in maven-templify.yml.

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What makes it powerful?

• 🎯 XPath JSONPath, YAMLPath, JAva Procjects and Plain Text support for precise targeting your project nodes
• 🔄 Batch transformations across multiple files
• 💼 Custom parameter references (e.g., templify.param.groupId)
• 🧩 Composable templates for different types of services or modules

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Learn More

• Templify Wiki

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Contributing

Spotted a bug or have a new use case in mind? We welcome contributions, ideas, and questions. Open an issue or submit a PR!