Scaffold

---
name: scaffold
description: 'Stamp a bounded project, component, or CI scaffold and verify the generated result once. Triggers: "scaffold", "create project component or boilerplate".'
practices:
- pragmatic-programmer
- design-patterns
- hexagonal-architecture
hexagonal_role: supporting
consumes: []
produces:
- project-scaffold
context_rel: []
skill_api_version: 1
context:
  window: fork
  intent:
    mode: task
  sections:
    exclude:
    - HISTORY
metadata:
  capabilities: [scaffold]
  effects: [write_project_files]
  canonical_status: canonical
  disposition: keep_specialist
  tier: execution
  dependencies: []
output_contract: project files and directory structure
---
# Scaffold

Create one bounded project, component, or CI scaffold. This specialist does not
schedule RPI, create work ownership, mutate Git, or decide what happens next.

## Contract

1. Resolve the requested target root and declare the exact paths that may be
   created or changed.
2. Refuse to overwrite an existing path without explicit caller authorization.
3. Generate idiomatic, functional files with at least one behavioral test for
   generated behavior.
4. Run the target's selected build, test, and lint commands once.
5. Report the files changed and factual command results, then stop.

Use the current agent and local shell unless the caller explicitly requests a
different runtime. Preserve unrelated existing changes.

## Clone a proven exemplar

Before inventing structure, find one working exemplar — an existing project,
component, or CI file in this repository or the target's ecosystem that
already builds, tests, and ships — and clone its shape, renaming and pruning
to the request. Invent structure only where no exemplar exists, and say so in
the report. Designing a novel layout when a proven one was available is the
**blank-page scaffold** failure mode: every invented convention is an
unreviewed decision the target team now owns. Stop condition: if two candidate
exemplars disagree on a structural choice, pick the one whose verification
commands pass today and record the choice; do not blend both.

## One source of truth, one-way sync

When the scaffold contains derived or duplicated content (generated config,
mirrored constants, templated CI matrices), designate exactly one source of
truth and make every copy flow from it in one direction, atomically — a single
regeneration step produces all copies, and hand-editing a copy is defined as
wrong by the scaffold's own docs or checks. Two files that must be edited in
tandem by memory are the **twin-edit trap** failure mode; a scaffold that
ships one is incomplete. If the request forces bidirectional sync, stop and
report the conflict instead of scaffolding it.

## Modes

- A language and name request creates a project.
- A component type and name request adds a component to an existing project.
- A CI platform request creates the requested CI configuration.

If the request does not identify a target or language, ask only for the missing
fact. The caller owns version control, revision, and delivery.

## Evidence

Return:

- the target root and actual changed paths;
- the build, test, and lint commands selected;
- each command's exit code;
- any requested check that was not run.

The result contains no verdict, lifecycle state, retry instruction, or next
action.

## References

- [references/generic-templates.md](references/generic-templates.md) — optional
  historical shapes when the caller wants a specific template.
- [references/agent-facing-tool-scaffolds.md](references/agent-facing-tool-scaffolds.md)
- [references/scaffold.feature](references/scaffold.feature)