Project Setup Skill

Automates the initialization of new ADLC projects following standard conventions.

Purpose

Reduce 10-15 minutes of manual setup to 30 seconds by:

• •Creating standard project directory structure
• •Generating README, spec.md, context.md from templates
• •Creating feature branch with proper naming
• •Initializing task tracking structure

Usage

This skill is invoked when starting a new project via /start command or when explicitly requested.

Trigger phrases:

• •"Set up new project for [name]"
• •"Initialize project structure"
• •"Create new ADLC project"

Workflow Steps

1. Gather Project Information

Required inputs:

• •project_name: Project identifier (lowercase-hyphenated)
• •project_title: Human-readable title
• •project_type: Type (feature, fix, research, refactor)
• •description: Brief 1-2 sentence description
• •issue_number: (optional) GitHub issue number if from /start [issue#]

Ask user if not provided:

I need some information to set up your project:
- Project name (lowercase-hyphenated):
- Project title:
- Type (feature/fix/research/refactor):
- Brief description:

2. Create Directory Structure

Execute:

mkdir -p projects/active/{project_name}
mkdir -p projects/active/{project_name}/tasks

Structure created:

projects/active/{project_name}/
├── README.md           # Navigation hub
├── spec.md            # Project specification
├── context.md         # Working context
└── tasks/             # Agent coordination
    └── current-task.md

3. Generate README.md

Use template: .claude/skills/project-setup/templates/README.template.md

Populate with:

• •{project_title}
• •{description}
• •{issue_number} (if exists, link to GitHub issue)
• •Current date
• •Project structure overview
• •Quick links section (placeholder)

Create file: projects/active/{project_name}/README.md

4. Generate spec.md

Use template: .claude/skills/project-setup/templates/spec.template.md

Populate with:

• •{project_title}
• •{description}
• •{project_type}
• •Standard sections: Goals, Requirements, Implementation Plan, Success Criteria

Create file: projects/active/{project_name}/spec.md

5. Generate context.md

Use template: .claude/skills/project-setup/templates/context.template.md

Populate with:

• •{project_name}
• •Current date
• •Git branch (will be created in next step)
• •Status: "Planning"
• •Empty sections for: Current Focus, Blockers, Decisions

Create file: projects/active/{project_name}/context.md

6. Generate current-task.md

Use template: .claude/skills/project-setup/templates/current-task.template.md

Populate with:

• •{project_name}
• •Current date
• •Empty task assignments

Create file: projects/active/{project_name}/tasks/current-task.md

7. Create Git Branch

Branch naming convention:

• •Feature: feature/{project_name}
• •Fix: fix/{project_name}
• •Research: research/{project_name}
• •Refactor: refactor/{project_name}

Execute:

git checkout -b {branch_type}/{project_name}

Verify:

git status

8. Update context.md with Branch

Edit projects/active/{project_name}/context.md:

• •Add branch name to Git Branch field
• •Confirm status

9. Output Summary

Display to user:

✅ Project initialized: {project_title}

📁 Location: projects/active/{project_name}/
🌿 Branch: {branch_type}/{project_name}

📝 Next steps:
1. Review and update spec.md with detailed requirements
2. Update context.md with current focus
3. Begin implementation following ADLC workflow

Files created:
- README.md (navigation hub)
- spec.md (requirements and goals)
- context.md (working state tracking)
- tasks/current-task.md (agent coordination)

Use /switch to navigate between projects.

Error Handling

Project Already Exists

Check: projects/active/{project_name} directory exists Action: Ask user to choose different name or confirm overwrite

Git Branch Already Exists

Check: Branch {branch_type}/{project_name} exists Action: Suggest alternative name or confirm checkout existing branch

Template Missing

Check: Required templates exist Action: Use inline fallback templates (minimal versions)

Quality Standards

Every project setup must:

• •✅ Create all 4 core files (README, spec, context, current-task)
• •✅ Use consistent naming conventions
• •✅ Create valid git branch
• •✅ Populate templates with provided information
• •✅ Verify all files created successfully

Integration with ADLC Workflow

Called by /start command

/start [issue#] → Fetches issue details → Invokes project-setup skill → Project ready

Called manually

User: "Set up project for dashboard-optimization"
→ Invokes project-setup skill
→ Asks for missing details
→ Creates structure

Template Locations

• •README.template.md: Navigation hub template
• •spec.template.md: Project specification template
• •context.template.md: Working context template
• •current-task.template.md: Task tracking template

Templates use {variable} syntax for substitution.

Success Metrics

Time savings: 10-15 minutes manual → 30 seconds automated Consistency: 100% projects follow standard structure Error reduction: Eliminate missing files, inconsistent naming

Version: 1.0.0 Last Updated: 2025-10-21 Maintainer: ADLC Platform Team