TypeScript Node.js Project Setup

Scaffold production-ready TypeScript Node.js projects with modern tooling and best practices. Default configuration targets single-repository, non-UI projects (libraries, CLI tools, backend services). Uses Bun for package management and Vitest for testing.

Quick Reference: Configuration Files

Setup Workflow

1. Initialize Project Structure

Create the project directory and initialize version control.

mkdir project-name
cd project-name
git init

2. Copy Configuration Files

Copy all configuration files from resources/ directory to the project root. These files are pre-configured to extend @sablier/devkit and follow established patterns.

Required files:

• package.json – Adapt name, description, version, and author fields
• tsconfig.json – Extends @sablier/devkit/tsconfig/base.json
• biome.jsonc – Extends ultracite/core and @sablier/devkit/biome/base
• justfile – Imports @sablier/devkit/just/base.just
• vitest.config.ts – Test configuration
• .gitignore – Standard Node.js exclusions
• .gitattributes – Line endings and diff behavior

3. Install Dependencies

Use Bun to install project dependencies.

bun install

Core dependencies:

• @sablier/devkit (from GitHub: github:sablier-labs/devkit)
• typescript
• vitest (testing)
• @biomejs/biome (linting/formatting)
• husky (git hooks)
• just (task runner, if not globally installed)

4. Initialize Git Hooks

Set up Husky for pre-commit automation.

bun run prepare

This installs git hooks that run linting and formatting checks before commits.

5. Create Source Structure

Establish the core source directory and entry point.

mkdir src
touch src/index.ts

Add initial content to src/index.ts:

// -------------------------------------------------------------------------- //
//                                   EXPORTS                                  //
// -------------------------------------------------------------------------- //

export const VERSION = "0.1.0";

6. Verify Setup

Run full project checks to ensure configuration is correct.

just full-check

This executes TypeScript compilation, linting, formatting checks, and tests.

Key Configuration Choices

Shared Configuration via @sablier/devkit

All configuration files extend the shared devkit to maintain consistency across projects. This approach centralizes common patterns and reduces per-project configuration burden.

GitHub location: github:sablier-labs/devkit

TypeScript Configuration

Extend the base TypeScript configuration from devkit. Customize compilerOptions only when project-specific requirements demand it.

Example tsconfig.json:

{
  "extends": "@sablier/devkit/tsconfig/base.json",
  "compilerOptions": {
    "outDir": "./dist",
    "rootDir": "./src"
  },
  "include": ["src/**/*"],
  "exclude": ["node_modules", "dist"]
}

Key settings (inherited from devkit):

• strict: true – Maximum type safety
• esModuleInterop: true – CommonJS/ESM compatibility
• skipLibCheck: true – Faster compilation
• module: "ESNext" – Modern module system
• target: "ES2022" – Recent language features

Biome Configuration

Extend both Ultracite core rules and Sablier devkit overrides. This provides opinionated linting and formatting with project-specific adjustments.

Example biome.jsonc:

{
  "$schema": "https://biomejs.dev/schemas/1.9.4/schema.json",
  "extends": ["ultracite/core", "@sablier/devkit/biome/base"],
  "formatter": {
    "indentStyle": "space",
    "lineWidth": 120
  }
}

Inherited behaviors:

• Sorted imports and exports
• Consistent naming conventions
• No unused variables
• Explicit function return types

Just Task Runner

Import base recipes from devkit and add only project-specific tasks. The devkit provides common recipes—do not duplicate them.

Example justfile:

import "./node_modules/@sablier/devkit/just/base.just"

# Default recipe
default:
    @just --list

# Project-specific recipes only
[group("app")]
build:
    na tsc

For advanced Just CLI usage (modules, attributes, inline scripts, conditional execution), consult the just-cli skill which provides comprehensive guidance on Just’s advanced features.

Vitest Configuration

Configure test framework with TypeScript support and coverage reporting.

Example vitest.config.ts:

import { defineConfig } from "vitest/config";

export default defineConfig({
  test: {
    globals: true,
    environment: "node",
    coverage: {
      provider: "v8",
      reporter: ["text", "json", "html"],
    },
  },
});

Common Just Recipes

Execute these commands from the project root using the just command.

Recipes from @sablier/devkit

The devkit provides these recipes—do not redefine them:

Project-Specific Recipes

Define only what the devkit doesn’t provide:

just build      # Compile TypeScript (project entry point)
just dev        # Start development mode with file watching
just test       # Run tests with Vitest
just test-ui    # Run tests with Vitest UI

Package.json Scripts

Leave empty besides the husky setup. The justfile is used to run commands.

Essential scripts:

{
  "scripts": {
    "prepare": "husky install"
  }
}

Directory Structure

Organize project files following these conventions:

project-name/
├── src/
│   ├── index.ts          # Main entry point
│   ├── lib/              # Library code
│   ├── utils/            # Utility functions
│   └── types/            # Type definitions
├── test/
│   └── index.test.ts     # Test files
├── dist/                 # Compiled output (gitignored)
├── coverage/             # Test coverage reports (gitignored)
├── node_modules/         # Dependencies (gitignored)
├── package.json
├── tsconfig.json
├── biome.jsonc
├── justfile
├── vitest.config.ts
├── .gitignore
├── .gitattributes
├── .husky/
│   └── pre-commit
├── bun.lockb
└── README.md

Resource Files

Copy these pre-configured files from resources/ directory to bootstrap new projects:

Usage: Copy files to project root, then adapt package.json fields (name, description, author, version).

Important: The justfile imports @sablier/devkit/just/base.just which provides common recipes. Only add project-specific recipes that aren’t in the devkit.

Best Practices

Dependency Management

Pin major versions but allow minor and patch updates:

{
  "dependencies": {
    "@sablier/devkit": "github:sablier-labs/devkit",
    "zod": "^3.22.0"
  }
}

Separate dev and production dependencies clearly:

• Runtime code → dependencies
• Build tools, linters, test frameworks → devDependencies

TypeScript Configuration

Enable strict mode for maximum type safety. Override specific checks only when absolutely necessary.

Use path aliases for cleaner imports:

{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "baseUrl": ".",
    "paths": {
      "@/*": ["src/*"]
    }
  }
}

Testing Strategy

Co-locate tests with source files or use parallel test/ directory structure.

Name test files with .test.ts or .spec.ts suffix.

Write tests first for complex logic (TDD approach).

Aim for high coverage on critical paths, but don’t chase 100% arbitrarily.

Git Workflow

Commit often with descriptive messages.

Use conventional commits format: feat:, fix:, docs:, refactor:, etc.

Let Husky hooks catch issues before they reach the repository.

Tag releases with semantic versioning: v1.0.0, v1.1.0, etc.

Code Organization

Group by feature rather than by file type when projects grow beyond simple structure.

Export from index files to create clean public APIs:

// src/lib/index.ts
export { functionA } from "./moduleA.js";
export { functionB } from "./moduleB.js";

Use barrel exports sparingly – they can impact tree-shaking.

Next Steps After Setup

1. Write initial code in src/index.ts
2. Add first test in test/index.test.ts
3. Run just full-check to verify everything works
4. Create initial commit with all scaffolding
5. Set up remote repository and push
6. Configure CI/CD using GitHub Actions or similar
7. Write README.md with project-specific documentation
8. Add LICENSE file appropriate for your use case

Reference Documentation

For detailed guidance on specific topics, consult these reference files:

• ./references/adapting-project-types.md – CLI tools, libraries, and backend services setup
• ./references/troubleshooting.md – Common issues and solutions
• ./references/ide-ci-integration.md – VSCode, GitHub Actions, and pre-commit setup
• ./references/next-ui.md – React/Next.js UI projects
• ./references/monorepo.md – Workspace and monorepo configuration

Related Skills

• just-cli – Comprehensive Just task runner patterns, modules, and advanced features
• typescript – TypeScript-specific rules, patterns, and best practices
• biome – Biome configuration and lint rule customization
• node-deps – Dependency update strategies with Taze

Summary

This skill provides a streamlined path to creating production-ready TypeScript Node.js projects. By leveraging shared configuration from @sablier/devkit and modern tooling (Bun, Vitest, Biome, Just), new projects achieve consistency and quality from day one. Adapt the base configuration for CLI tools, libraries, or backend services as needed. Consult reference documentation for UI projects or monorepo setups when requirements extend beyond single-repository, non-UI applications.