A command-line utility that creates projects from cookiecutters (project templates), e.g. creating a Python package project from a Python package project template.

• Documentation: http://cookiecutter.rtfd.org
• GitHub: https://github.com/audreyr/cookiecutter
• Free software: BSD license
• PyPI: https://pypi.python.org/pypi/cookiecutter

Did someone say features?

• Cross-platform: Windows, Mac, and Linux are officially supported.
• Works with Python 2.6, 2.7, 3.3, and PyPy. (But you don't have to know/write Python code to use Cookiecutter.)
• Project templates can be in any programming language or markup format: Python, JavaScript, Ruby, CoffeeScript, RST, Markdown, CSS, HTML, you name it. You can use multiple languages in the same project template.

• Simple command line usage:

  # Create project from the cookiecutter-pypackage.git repo template
  # You'll be prompted to enter values.
  # Then it'll create your Python package based on those values.
  $ cookiecutter https://github.com/audreyr/cookiecutter-pypackage.git

• Can also use it at the command line with a local template:

  # Create project from the local cookiecutter-pypackage/ template
  $ cookiecutter cookiecutter-pypackage/

• Or use it from Python:

  from cookiecutter.main import cookiecutter
  
  # Create project from the cookiecutter-pypackage/ template
  cookiecutter('cookiecutter-pypackage/')
  
  # Create project from the cookiecutter-pypackage.git repo template
  cookiecutter('https://github.com/audreyr/cookiecutter-pypackage.git')

• Directory names and filenames can be templated. For example:

  {{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}.py

• Supports unlimited levels of directory nesting.
• 100% of templating is done with Jinja2. This includes file and directory names.

• Simply define your template variables in a cookiecutter.json file. For example:

  {
      "full_name": "Audrey Roy",
      "email": "audreyr@gmail.com",
      "project_name": "Complexity",
      "repo_name": "complexity",
      "project_short_description": "Refreshingly simple static site generator.",
      "release_date": "2013-07-10",
      "year": "2013",
      "version": "0.1.1"
  }

• If generating a project from a git repo template, you are prompted for input:
  • Prompts are the keys in cookiecutter.json.
  • Default responses are the values in cookiecutter.json.
  • Prompts are shown in order.

0.7.0 is not out yet, but these features are in the master branch:

• Cross-platform support for ~/.cookiecutterrc files:

  default_context:

  full_name: "Audrey Roy" email: "audreyr@gmail.com" github_username: "audreyr"

  cookiecutters_dir: "~/.cookiecutters/"

• Cookiecutters (cloned Cookiecutter project templates) are put into ~/.cookiecutters/ by default, or cookiecutters_dir if specified.
• In addition to git repos, you can also use cookiecutters directly from Mercurial repos on Bitbucket.
• Default context: specify key/value pairs that you want used as defaults whenever you generate a project
• Pre- and post-generate hooks: Python or shell scripts to run before or after generating a project.
• Paths to local projects can be specified as absolute or relative.
• Projects are always generated to your current directory.

Here is a list of cookiecutters (aka Cookiecutter project templates) for you to use or fork.

Make your own, then submit a pull request adding yours to this list!

• cookiecutter-pypackage: @audreyr's ultimate Python package project template.
• cookiecutter-flask : A Flask template with Bootstrap 3, starter templates, and working user registration.
• cookiecutter-flask-env: A lucuma-flavored flask app template.
• cookiecutter-simple-django: A cookiecutter template for creating reusable Django projects quickly.
• cookiecutter-django: A bleeding edge Django project template with Bootstrap 3, customizable users app, starter templates, and working user registration.
• cookiecutter-djangopackage: A template designed to create reusable third-party PyPI friendly Django apps. Documentation is written in tutorial format.
• cookiecutter-openstack: A template for an OpenStack project.
• cookiecutter-docopt: A template for a Python command-line script that uses docopt for arguments parsing.
• cookiecutter-django-crud: A template to create a Django app with boilerplate CRUD around a model including a factory and tests.

• bootstrap.c: A template for simple projects written in C with autotools.

• cookiecutter-jquery: A jQuery plugin project template based on jQuery Boilerplate.
• cookiecutter-jswidget: A project template for creating a generic front-end, non-jQuery JS widget packaged for multiple JS packaging systems.
• cookiecutter-component: A template for a Component JS package.

• pandoc-talk: A cookiecutter template for giving talks with pandoc and XeTeX.

• cookiecutter-complexity: A cookiecutter for a Complexity static site with Bootstrap 3.

• Paste has a create option that creates a skeleton project.
• Diecutter: an API service that will give you back a configuration file from a template and variables.
• Django's startproject and startapp commands can take in a --template option.
• python-packager: Creates Python packages from its own template, with configurable options.
• Yeoman has a Rails-inspired generator system that provides scaffolding for apps.
• Pyramid's pcreate command for creating Pyramid projects from scaffold templates.
• mr.bob is a filesystem template renderer, meant to deprecate tools such as paster and templer.
• grunt-init used to be built into Grunt and is now a standalone scaffolding tool to automate project creation.
• scaffolt consumes JSON generators with Handlebars support.
• init-skeleton clones or copies a repository, executes npm install and bower install and removes the .git directory.

Stuck? Try one of the following:

• See the Troubleshooting page.
• You are strongly encouraged to file an issue about the problem, even if it's just "I can't get it to work on this cookiecutter" with a link to your cookiecutter. Don't worry about naming/pinpointing the issue properly.
• Ask for help on Stack Overflow.
• Ask for help in #cookiecutter if you must (but please try one of the other options first, so that others can benefit from the discussion)

Development on Cookiecutter is community-driven:

• Huge thanks to all the contributors who have pitched in to help make Cookiecutter an even better tool.
• Everyone is invited to contribute. Read the contributing instructions, then get started.

Connect with other Cookiecutter contributors and users in IRC:

• #cookiecutter on irc.freenode.net (note: due to work and commitments, @audreyr might not always be available)

Encouragement is unbelievably motivating. If you want more work done on Cookiecutter, show support:

• Star Cookiecutter on GitHub.
• Please, please join the Cookiecutter Gittip community.

Got criticism or complaints?

• File an issue so that Cookiecutter can be improved. Be friendly and constructive about what could be better. Make detailed suggestions.
• Keep us in the loop so that we can help. For example, if you are discussing problems with Cookiecutter on a mailing list, file an issue where you link to the discussion thread and/or cc audreyr@gmail.com on the email.
• Be encouraging. A comment like "This function ought to be rewritten like this" is much more likely to result in action than a comment like "Eww, look how bad this function is."

Waiting for a response to an issue/question?

• Be patient and persistent. All issues are on audreyr's radar and will be considered thoughtfully, but due to the growing to-do list/free time ratio, it may take time for a response. If urgent, it's fine to ping audreyr in the issue with a reminder.
• Ask others to comment, discuss, review, etc.
• Search the Cookiecutter repo for issues related to yours.
• Need a fix/feature/release/help urgently, and can't wait? audreyr is available hourly for consultation or custom development.