This post will describe how to use a Yeoman generator for creating and  setting up an SFDX project.

We covered the basics of Yeoman on the previous post :

Yeoman – Getting Started with ‘Yo’ AutomationPrevious Article about Yeoman

SFDX Project folder structure

The basic structure contains the following :

• Documentation in README.md file.
• Source Code Settings such as what to ignore in the :
  • .gitignore – ignore file from git
  • .forceignore – ignore file from SFDX commands
• IDE Settings (VS Code)
• Configuration Folder :
  • Scratch Org configuration file
• App Source Code Folder (force-app) :
  • main > default > here you will find all metadata being tracked.
• sfdx-project.json
• manifest

More information in this Documentation link

Define the Generator Workflow

The Following workflow can be pretty useful to start your Project as a Developer:

• Create the Project using the SFDX command and use User questions inputs as command flag
• Open your VS Code Editor and Start Coding.

The SFDX Command to invoke using the Generator :

sfdx force:project:create

• -n : Project Name
• -p : Default Package Directory
• -s : Optional => Allow to add Namespace
• -t : Org Template => standard
• -x : –manifest => Include Manifest

Import some useful packages

Inside your Generator js file you may wish to import and reference some dependencies to help you run the SFDX commands and output some nicer graphics.

const Generator = require('yeoman-generator');
const chalk = require('chalk'); // will add some colors to input/output
const yosay = require('yosay'); // will add yeoman ascii image
const shell = require('shelljs'); // will run shell commands such as sfdx 
const spinner = require('ora'); // will show a nice looking spinner when processing

Initialize your generator using the initializing() method

constructor(args, opts) {
   super(args, opts);
   //input params
   this.argument("projectName", { type: String, required: false });
   this.argument("skipIntro", { type: Boolean, required: false });
 }
// init the spinner module
 initializing() {
   this.loading = new spinner(
     { spinner:'monkey',
       color : 'yellow' }
   );
 }

Prompt Questions for populating the Flags

This Example will simply add them as Questions array to the yeoman prompting() method, it will prompt the Users to type the project Name etc and will scaffold the SFDX project.

prompting() {  
 const projectQuestions = [
      {
        type: "input",
        name: "projectName",
        message: "Project Name ? "+ chalk.yellow(this.destinationPath() +"/ "),
        default:'MyProject',
        when: !this.options.projectName,
        validate: function(value) {
          return value ? true : 'Please enter a name';
        }
      },
      {
        type: "input",
        name: "appFolder",
        message: "App Folder Name ? ",
        default: 'force-app',
        validate: function(value) {
          return value ? true : 'Please enter a name';
        }
      },
      {
        type: "input",
        name: "appNamespace",
        message: "Namespace (optional)"
      },
      {
        type    : 'confirm',
        name    : 'includeReadMe', 
        message : 'Include ReadMe file',
        default : true
      },
      {
        type: "editor",
        name: "appDescription",
        message: "Description (optional)",
        when: function(answers) {
          return answers.includeReadMe;
        }
      }
    ];

// adding the questions to a new merged array
const questions = [...projectQuestions]; 

// will store user inputs 
this.props = {};// ask the questions and use the answers
return this.prompt(questions).then(answers => {
       this.props = answers;
       this.props.projectName = this.options.projectName ? this.options.projectName : answers.projectName;
});}

Running the SFDX Command and write config files

Once we stored the questions response inside a public variable this.props – we can use the answers to populate the project command template

writing() {
const answers = this.props;

   //start loader spinner
    this.loading.start('configuring sfdx command : ' + chalk.red(this.props.projectName) + '\n');

let sfdxCommand = ' sfdx force:project:create';
    sfdxCommand += ' -n ' + answers.projectName; 
    sfdxCommand += ' -p ' + answers.appFolder; 
    if(answers.appNamespace) // Optional
    sfdxCommand += ' -s ' + answers.appNamespace;  
    sfdxCommand += ' -t ' + 'standard';   // --template 
    if(answers.includeManifest)
    sfdxCommand += ' -x ';

   // log the full command to run
   this.log(" Run ??‍ : "+ chalk.magenta(sfdxCommand) );

   // execute shell command 
   shell.exec(sfdxCommand);
}

// check if command has ran successfully 
if( shell.exec(sfdxCommand).code === 0 ) {
 // check if user wish to create readme file
 if(this.props.includeReadMe){
    // will copy and write the file from template
    this.fs.copyTpl(
       this.templatePath('docs/README.md'),  // path location of my readme.md template
       this.destinationPath(this.props.projectName + '/readme.md'), // path destination
                    { 
                      appPath: this.props.appFolder,
                      appName: this.props.projectName,
                      appDescription: this.props.appDescription
                    }
      );
 }

 // log success message and stop spinner
 this.loading.succeed(chalk.green('Created project successfully'));

 /******* OPTIOAL SETTINGS ********/
 // add computer voice to the mix to say 'completed'
 shell.exec(' say \' Your project was created! \'');

 // open vscode editor with the new project folder 
 shell.exec(' code '+ answers.projectName);
}