matembo-dev

A CLI tool for scaffolding full-stack projects with Next.js (frontend) and Express.js (backend) — ready to go in seconds.

Installation

You can use matembo-dev directly without installing it globally via npx:

npx matembo-dev <command>

Or install it globally to use it anytime:

npm install -g matembo-dev

Commands

create <AppName> — Scaffold a new fullstack project

Creates a new project folder with a Next.js frontend and an Express.js backend already set up inside it.

npx matembo-dev create MyApp

What gets created:

MyApp/
├── frontend/       ← Next.js starter
└── backend/        ← Express.js starter

After running the command, follow these steps:

# Start the frontend
cd MyApp/frontend
npm install
npm run dev

# Start the backend (in a separate terminal)
cd MyApp/backend
npm install
npm run dev

init <type> — Initialize a template in your current folder

Copies a starter template directly into your current working directory. Useful when you already have a project folder and just want to drop in a template.

Available types:

| Type | Description | | ----------- | -------------------------- | | backend | Express.js backend starter | | frontend | Next.js frontend starter | | fullstack | Both frontend and backend |

# Initialize a backend project in the current folder
npx matembo-dev init backend

# Initialize a frontend project in the current folder
npx matembo-dev init frontend

# Initialize a fullstack project in the current folder
npx matembo-dev init fullstack

After running init, follow these steps:

npm install
npm run dev

--start — Start the application

Starts your application using the configuration found in your project.

npx matembo-dev --start

Requires a tool.config.js or tool.config.json file in your project root.

--build — Build the application

Builds your application.

npx matembo-dev --build

⚙️ Configuration

matembo-dev looks for a config file in your project root. You can use any of these formats:

tool.config.json

{
  "port": 3000
}

tool.config.js

export default {
  port: 3000,
};

Or add it inside your package.json:

{
  "tool": {
    "port": 3000
  }
}

🗂️ Project Structure (after create)

MyApp/
├── frontend/
│   ├── app/
│   │   ├── (auth)/
│   │   │   ├── signin/
│   │   │   └── signup/
│   │   ├── context/
│   │   ├── services/
│   │   ├── globals.css
│   │   ├── layout.tsx
│   │   └── page.tsx
│   ├── components/
│   ├── icons/
│   ├── public/
│   ├── next.config.ts
│   ├── package.json
│   └── tsconfig.json
│
└── backend/
    ├── src/
    │   ├── config/
    │   ├── controllers/
    │   ├── middleware/
    │   ├── models/
    │   ├── routes/
    │   ├── utils/
    │   └── validators/
    ├── server.js
    ├── app.js
    └── package.json

create vs init — What's the difference?

| | create <AppName> | init <type> | | ---------------------------- | ------------------ | -------------------------- | | Creates a new folder | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | | Works in current folder | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | | Scaffolds frontend + backend | ✅ Always | ✅ Choose type | | Best for | Starting fresh | Adding to existing project |

🛠️ Requirements

• Node.js v18 or higher
• npm v7 or higher

📄 License

MIT © MatemboDev

🤝 Contributing

Have ideas or found a bug? Feel free to open an issue or pull request on the GitHub repository.

Built with ❤️ by MatemboDev