User Guide

Introduction

begin is a terminal command for running logic-less project templates. Templates are just git repositories whose files and directories are copied to the working directory when run. Directory names, file names, and file content can contain Mustache tags - the values of which are prompted for in the terminal and substituted when the template is run.

Installing A Template

• Install a template with the begin install command, e.g:

  $ begin install path/to/template.git
  

• Once you have installed a template, you may run it…

Running A Template

• Run a template with the begin new command, e.g:

  $ begin new template
  

Template Structure

• A template is just a Git repository

• A template can therefore contain any number of files and directories, and can be easily shared with others

• A template name can optionally start with begin-. This prefix is ignored and stripped by the command automatically, e.g:

  $ begin install path/to/begin-latex-document.git
  $ begin new latex-document
  

Template Tags

• File names, directory names, and file content can contain Mustache tags

• Create a .begin.yml in your template repository to describe expected tags:

  tags: !!omap
      title:
          label: 'Title'
      author:
          label: 'Author'
      sections:
          label: 'Sections'
          array: true
  

• The user will be prompted for expected tags upon running a template:

  $ begin new latex-document
  Title: My Amazing New Document
  Author: John Smith
  Sections (CTRL+D to stop): Introduction
  Sections (CTRL+D to stop): Background
  Sections (CTRL+D to stop): ^D
  Running template 'latex-document'...
  Template 'latex-document' successfully run
  

Terminal Commands

• Run a template with begin new

• List installed templates with begin list

• Install a template with begin install

• Uninstall a template with begin uninstall

• Update templates with begin update

• Get help with begin help

• Print the command version with begin version