RealmKit CLI

Extract and create realms from existing projects

RealmKit CLI is a powerful tool that allows you to extract reusable project templates ("realms") from existing codebases and create new projects from those templates. It's designed to accelerate development by capturing and reusing proven architectural patterns, complete with AI-ready context.

🚀 Quick Start

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build the CLI
npm run build

# Run in development mode
npm run dev

# Test the CLI commands
npm run dev init
npm run dev extract ./my-project
npm run dev create ./extracted-realm my-new-project

📋 Table of Contents

• Installation
• Commands
• Code Architecture
• Development
• Examples
• Configuration
• Contributing

🔧 Installation

For Development (Local)

1. Clone and install dependencies:

   cd /path/to/realmkit-cli
   npm install
   npm run build

2. Install globally for local development:

   npm install -g .

3. Configure for local development:

   # Set your local RealmKit Hub URL
   realmkit config hubUrl http://localhost:3000
      
   # Verify configuration
   realmkit config --list

4. Alternative: Use environment variables:

   export REALMKIT_HUB_URL="http://localhost:3000"
   realmkit create namespace/realm-name my-project

For Production

npm install -g @realmkit/cli

Requirements

• Node.js: >= 18.0.0
• npm: >= 8.0.0
• TypeScript: ^5.0.0

🔧 Configuration

The CLI supports configuration through:

1. Config file (~/.realmkit/config.json)
2. Environment variables (override config file)
3. Command line (realmkit config command)

Available Configuration Keys

• hubUrl - RealmKit Hub URL (default: https://realmkit.com)
• token - Authentication token for private realms
• defaultNamespace - Default namespace for realm lookups
• timeout - Request timeout in milliseconds (default: 30000)

Configuration Commands

# List all configuration
realmkit config --list

# Get specific value
realmkit config hubUrl

# Set configuration value
realmkit config hubUrl http://localhost:3000
realmkit config token your-auth-token

# Reset to defaults
realmkit config --reset

Environment Variables

Environment variables take precedence over config file:

• REALMKIT_HUB_URL - Hub URL
• REALMKIT_TOKEN - Authentication token
• REALMKIT_DEFAULT_NAMESPACE - Default namespace
• REALMKIT_TIMEOUT - Request timeout

🛠️ Development Setup for RealmKit Hub

If you're developing RealmKit locally:

1. Start your RealmKit Hub:

   cd /path/to/realmkit-hub
   npm run dev  # Usually runs on http://localhost:3000

2. Configure CLI for local development:

   realmkit config hubUrl http://localhost:3000

3. Test the connection:

   realmkit list  # Should connect to your local hub

📚 Commands

realmkit init

Initialize RealmKit in the current project.

realmkit init [options]

Options:
  -f, --force    Overwrite existing configuration

What it does:

• Creates .realmkit/config.yml with project metadata
• Prompts for project information (name, type, features)
• Adds RealmKit entries to .gitignore
• Sets up project tracking

realmkit extract

Extract a realm from an existing project.

realmkit extract [project-path] [options]

Arguments:
  project-path          Path to project (default: current directory)

Options:
  -o, --output <path>   Output directory (default: ./extracted-realm)
  -n, --name <name>     Name for the extracted realm
  --include <patterns>  Comma-separated patterns to include
  --exclude <patterns>  Comma-separated patterns to exclude

What it does:

• Analyzes project structure and dependencies
• Detects features (auth, payments, email, admin, etc.)
• Identifies architectural patterns
• Creates template files with variable substitution
• Generates realm.yml manifest
• Produces detailed analysis report

realmkit create

Create a new project from a realm.

realmkit create <realm> <project-name> [output-dir] [options]

Arguments:
  realm                 Realm name or path
  project-name          Name for the new project
  output-dir            Output directory (default: ./projects)

Options:
  --no-install          Skip npm install
  --no-git              Skip git initialization
  --features <list>     Comma-separated features to enable
  --no-<feature>        Disable specific features (e.g., --no-payments)

What it does:

• Interactive feature selection
• Variable substitution with user input
• Template processing and file generation
• Dependency installation (optional)
• Git repository initialization (optional)
• Project tracking setup

realmkit list

List available realms.

realmkit list [options]

Options:
  -l, --local           List only local realms
  -r, --remote          List only remote realms
  --category <category> Filter by category

What it does:

• Searches for realms in standard locations
• Displays realm metadata (name, version, features)
• Shows usage examples
• Filters by category if specified

🏗️ Code Architecture

Project Structure

realmkit-cli/
├── src/
│   ├── cli.ts              # Main CLI entry point
│   ├── commands/           # Command implementations
│   │   ├── create.ts       # Project creation from realms
│   │   ├── extract.ts      # Realm extraction from projects
│   │   ├── init.ts         # RealmKit initialization
│   │   └── list.ts         # Realm listing
│   └── lib/                # Core libraries
│       ├── project-creator.ts    # Project creation logic
│       └── realm-extractor.ts    # Realm extraction logic
├── package.json
├── tsconfig.json
└── README.md

Key Components

CLI Entry Point (src/cli.ts)

• Built with Commander.js for robust CLI handling
• Defines all commands and their options
• Handles global options (verbose, no-color)
• Provides helpful error messages

Commands (src/commands/)

• User Interface Layer: Handles user interaction with inquirer prompts
• Input Validation: Validates paths, options, and user input
• Progress Feedback: Uses ora spinners and chalk colors
• Error Handling: Graceful error handling with helpful messages

Core Libraries (src/lib/)

ProjectCreator (project-creator.ts):

class ProjectCreator {
  // Creates projects from realm templates
  async create(): Promise<void>
  
  // Key features:
  - Template variable substitution
  - Feature flag processing
  - File filtering based on enabled features
  - Setup step execution
  - Project tracking
}

RealmExtractor (realm-extractor.ts):

class RealmExtractor {
  // Extracts realms from existing projects
  async extract(): Promise<ExtractionResult>
  
  // Key features:
  - Project analysis (framework, dependencies, structure)
  - Feature detection (auth, payments, email, etc.)
  - Template transformation with variable placeholders
  - Architectural pattern recognition
  - Realm manifest generation
}

Technology Stack

• CLI Framework: Commander.js
• Interactive Prompts: Inquirer.js
• Output Styling: Chalk
• Loading Indicators: Ora
• YAML Parsing: yaml
• Language: TypeScript
• Testing: Jest

🛠️ Development

Building

# Build once
npm run build

# Watch mode (rebuilds on changes)
npm run build -- --watch

Testing

# Run tests
npm test

# Run tests in watch mode
npm test -- --watch

Development Commands

# Run CLI in development mode
npm run dev <command>

# Examples:
npm run dev init
npm run dev extract ./my-project
npm run dev create ./realm my-project
npm run dev list

Adding New Commands

1. Create command file in src/commands/:

   // src/commands/my-command.ts
   export async function myCommand(args: string[], options: MyOptions) {
     // Implementation
   }

2. Add to CLI in src/cli.ts:

   import { myCommand } from './commands/my-command'
      
   program
     .command('my-command')
     .description('Description of my command')
     .action(myCommand)

3. Add tests in tests/:

   // tests/commands/my-command.test.ts
   describe('myCommand', () => {
     // Test cases
   })

📖 Examples

Complete Workflow Example

1. Initialize a project:

   cd my-saas-app
   realmkit init

2. Extract a realm:

   realmkit extract . -o ../realms/my-saas-starter -n my-saas-starter

3. List available realms:

   realmkit list

4. Create a new project:

   realmkit create ../realms/my-saas-starter new-saas-app ./projects

Realm Structure Example

After extraction, a realm looks like this:

extracted-realm/
├── realm.yml                 # Realm manifest
├── templates/               # Template files
│   ├── package.json
│   ├── tsconfig.json
│   ├── .env.example
│   └── src/
└── analysis-report.json    # Detailed analysis

Realm Manifest Example

name: "Modern SaaS Starter"
slug: "saas-starter"
version: "1.0.0"
description: "Production-ready SaaS with authentication, payments, email"
category: "saas"

features:
  - id: "auth"
    name: "Authentication System"
    enabled: true
    required: true
  - id: "payments"
    name: "Payment Processing"
    enabled: true
    required: false

variables:
  - name: "PROJECT_NAME"
    description: "Name of your project"
    type: "string"
    required: true
    defaultValue: "my-saas-app"

commands:
  install: "npm install"
  dev: "npm run dev"
  build: "npm run build"

⚙️ Configuration

Environment Variables

• REALMKIT_VERBOSE: Enable verbose logging
• REALMKIT_REALMS_PATH: Custom path for realm discovery
• FORCE_COLOR: Control colored output

Project Configuration

When you run realmkit init, it creates .realmkit/config.yml:

project:
  name: "My Project"
  description: "A RealmKit project"
  type: "saas"
  features: ["auth", "payments"]
  createdAt: "2024-01-01T00:00:00.000Z"

realmkit:
  version: "0.1.0"
  initialized: "2024-01-01T00:00:00.000Z"

📋 Download Disclaimer

Interactive Disclaimer

When downloading realms from a RealmKit Hub, the CLI will display a disclaimer and require user consent:

realmkit create realmkitai/saas-starter my-app

⚠️  IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER

By downloading this realm, you acknowledge that RealmKit is not responsible
for the downloaded content. You are solely responsible for security,
legal compliance, and permissions.

? Do you accept these terms and wish to proceed with the download? (y/N)

Automated Environments

For CI/CD pipelines and automated scripts, use the --accept-terms flag:

# Skip disclaimer prompt for automation
realmkit create realmkitai/saas-starter my-app --accept-terms

# Example CI/CD usage
docker run --rm -v $(pwd):/workspace \
  realmkit-cli create realm-name project-name --accept-terms

Security Note: Only use --accept-terms when you trust the realm source and have reviewed the content policy.

🚦 Troubleshooting

"Realm not found" Error

If you get ❌ Realm not found: saas-starter, try:

1. Use full namespace:

   realmkit create realmkit-team/saas-starter my-app

2. Check your hub URL:

   realmkit config hubUrl

3. Verify hub is running:

   curl http://localhost:3000/api/realms

Connection Issues

1. Check configuration:

   realmkit config --list

2. Test with environment variable:

   REALMKIT_HUB_URL=http://localhost:3000 realmkit create namespace/realm my-app

3. Verify hub API is accessible:

   curl http://localhost:3000/api/realms

🚦 Error Handling

The CLI provides comprehensive error handling:

• File not found: Clear messages about missing files/directories
• Invalid realm: Validation of realm manifests and structure
• Permission errors: Helpful guidance for permission issues
• Network errors: Graceful handling of connectivity issues
• Validation errors: Input validation with helpful error messages

🎯 Use Cases

For Developers

• Rapid Prototyping: Quickly spin up new projects with proven patterns
• Code Standardization: Ensure consistent architecture across projects
• Learning: Study extracted realms to understand project structures

For Teams

• Template Sharing: Share proven project structures across team members
• Onboarding: New developers can quickly understand project patterns
• Best Practices: Capture and distribute architectural decisions

For Organizations

• Architecture Governance: Standardize project structures and patterns
• Productivity: Reduce time to set up new projects
• Knowledge Capture: Preserve architectural knowledge in reusable form

🤝 Contributing

Development Process

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch: git checkout -b feature/my-feature
3. Make changes: Follow the existing code style
4. Add tests: Ensure new functionality is tested
5. Run tests: npm test
6. Build: npm run build
7. Commit: Use conventional commit messages
8. Push: git push origin feature/my-feature
9. Create PR: Submit a pull request

Code Style

• Use TypeScript throughout
• Follow ESLint configuration
• Use Prettier for formatting
• Add JSDoc comments for public APIs
• Write tests for new functionality

Testing

• Unit tests for all commands
• Integration tests for complete workflows
• Test error conditions and edge cases
• Mock external dependencies appropriately

📝 License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

🙋‍♂️ Support

For questions, issues, or contributions:

• Issues: GitHub Issues
• Discussions: GitHub Discussions
• Email: [email protected]

Built with ❤️ by the RealmKit Team