create-fde-app

> Create production-ready applications with built-in cloud deployment configurations 🚀


Overview

create-fde-app is a powerful CLI tool designed for Forward Deploy Engineers (FDEs) to quickly scaffold modern web applications with production-ready cloud deployment configurations. It leverages official framework creation tools to ensure you always get the latest version of your chosen framework.

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- 🎯 Multiple Frameworks: Next.js, Nuxt.js, Remix, and more
- ☁️ Multi-Cloud Support: AWS App Runner, Vercel, Google Cloud Run
- 🐳 Docker Ready: Optimized Dockerfiles for each framework
- 🔄 CI/CD Built-in: GitHub Actions workflows included
- 🏗️ Infrastructure as Code: Optional Terraform configurations
- 🔌 Extensible: Add databases, authentication, monitoring, and more
- 📦 Always Latest: Uses official create commands for frameworks

Installation

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- Node.js 18.0.0 or later
- yarn (recommended), npm, or pnpm
- Git (optional, for version control)
- Docker (optional, for containerization)

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``bash
npx create-fde-app@latest
`

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`bash
yarn global add create-fde-app
create-fde-app my-app
`

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`bash
create-fde-app --version
`

Quick Start

`bash
npx create-fde-app@latest my-app
`

This will guide you through an interactive setup process to:
1. Choose your framework
2. Select deployment target
3. Configure optional features
4. Add advanced capabilities (databases, auth, monitoring)

Supported Technologies

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- Next.js - React framework with server-side rendering
- Nuxt.js - Vue.js framework with server-side rendering
- Remix - Full-stack web framework focused on web standards

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- AWS App Runner - Fully managed container service
- Vercel - Platform for frontend developers
- Google Cloud Run - Serverless container platform

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- Docker - Containerization with optimized multi-stage builds
- GitHub Actions - Automated CI/CD workflows
- Terraform - Infrastructure as Code (for AWS/GCP)

Framework-Specific Features

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- App Router - Modern React Server Components architecture
- TypeScript - Full TypeScript support out of the box
- Tailwind CSS - Utility-first CSS framework pre-configured
- API Routes - Built-in API endpoints with automatic health check
- Optimizations - Image optimization, font optimization, and more

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- Nitro Server - Universal deployment with edge rendering
- Auto-imports - Components, composables, and utilities auto-imported
- Vue 3 - Latest Vue.js with Composition API
- Server Routes - File-based server API with health endpoint
- Module System - Extensible with rich ecosystem

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- Web Standards - Built on Web Fetch API and Web Streams
- Nested Routing - File-based routing with nested layouts
- Progressive Enhancement - Works without JavaScript
- Form Actions - Native form handling with server-side validation
- Error Boundaries - Granular error handling per route

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#### Databases
- PostgreSQL with Prisma ORM
- MySQL with Prisma ORM
- MongoDB with Mongoose ODM

#### Authentication
- NextAuth.js (Next.js only)
- Auth0 Integration
- AWS Cognito

#### Monitoring & Utilities
- Datadog APM & RUM
- Sentry Error Tracking
- Winston Logging
- Rate Limiting
- CORS Configuration

Usage Examples

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`bash
npx create-fde-app@latest my-nextjs-app

Select: Next.js → Vercel → Docker

`

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`bash
npx create-fde-app@latest my-fullstack-app

Select: Next.js → AWS App Runner → All features

Then select: PostgreSQL, NextAuth.js, Monitoring

`

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`bash

Skip interactive prompts

npx create-fde-app@latest my-app \
--framework nextjs \
--deploy aws-apprunner \
--skip-git \
--skip-install
`

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`bash

Set environment variables for CI/CD

export CI=true
export CREATE_FDE_APP_FRAMEWORK=nextjs
export CREATE_FDE_APP_DEPLOY_TARGET=vercel
export CREATE_FDE_APP_FEATURES=docker,github-actions
export CREATE_FDE_APP_AUGMENTATIONS=database:postgres,auth:nextauth

npx create-fde-app@latest my-app --no-git --no-install
`

Interactive CLI Experience

When you run create-fde-app, you'll be guided through an interactive setup:

`
create-fde-app v0.1.0
Welcome to create-fde-app!
Let's create a production-ready app with cloud deployment.

? What is your project name? my-awesome-app
? Which framework would you like to use? (Use arrow keys)
❯ Next.js - Full-stack React framework
Nuxt.js - Full-stack Vue framework
Remix - Full-stack web framework

? Where would you like to deploy?
❯ AWS App Runner
Vercel
Google Cloud Run

? Select features to include: (Press to select, to toggle all)
❯◉ Docker containerization
◉ GitHub Actions CI/CD
◯ Terraform Infrastructure

? Select advanced features (optional):
❯◯ PostgreSQL with Prisma
◯ MySQL with Prisma
◯ MongoDB with Mongoose
─────────────
◯ NextAuth.js (Next.js only)
◯ Auth0 Integration
◯ AWS Cognito
─────────────
◯ Datadog APM & RUM
◯ Sentry Error Tracking
◯ Winston Logging
◯ Rate Limiting
◯ CORS Configuration

? Initialize a git repository? Yes
? Install dependencies? Yes

✓ Creating project with official framework command...
✓ Processing project...
✓ Adding deployment configurations...
✓ Installing dependencies...
✓ Initializing git repository...

✨ Your project is ready!

Next steps:
cd my-awesome-app
yarn dev

To deploy:
git push origin main

Happy coding! 🚀
`

Project Structure

After creation, your project will have:

`
my-app/
├── [Framework files] # Next.js/Nuxt.js/Remix application
├── Dockerfile # Optimized for your framework
├── .dockerignore
├── .github/
│ └── workflows/
│ └── deploy.yml # CI/CD pipeline
├── terraform/ # If Terraform selected
│ ├── main.tf
│ ├── variables.tf
│ └── outputs.tf
└── [Augmentation files] # Database, auth, monitoring configs
`

Deployment Guide

Each project comes with deployment instructions tailored to your chosen platform:

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`bash

Automated deployment via GitHub Actions

git push origin main

Or manual Terraform deployment

cd terraform
terraform init
terraform plan
terraform apply
`

Required GitHub Secrets:
- AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID
- AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY
- APPRUNNER_SERVICE_ARN (after first deployment)

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`bash

Install Vercel CLI

yarn global add vercel

Deploy

vercel
`

Required for automated deployments:
- VERCEL_TOKEN
- VERCEL_ORG_ID
- VERCEL_PROJECT_ID

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`bash

Automated deployment via GitHub Actions

git push origin main
`

Required GitHub Secrets:
- GCP_SA_KEY (Service Account JSON)
- GCP_PROJECT_ID

Docker & Container Support

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Each framework gets an optimized Dockerfile with:
- Multi-stage builds - Smaller production images
- Layer caching - Faster rebuilds
- Security hardening - Non-root user, minimal base images
- Health checks - Container health monitoring

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`dockerfile

Dependencies stage

FROM node:20-alpine AS deps
WORKDIR /app
COPY package*.json ./
RUN yarn install --frozen-lockfile --production

Build stage

FROM node:20-alpine AS builder
WORKDIR /app
COPY --from=deps /app/node_modules ./node_modules
COPY . .
RUN yarn build

Production stage

FROM node:20-alpine AS runner
WORKDIR /app
ENV NODE_ENV production
RUN addgroup --system --gid 1001 nodejs
RUN adduser --system --uid 1001 nextjs

COPY --from=builder /app/public ./public
COPY --from=builder /app/.next/standalone ./
COPY --from=builder /app/.next/static ./.next/static

USER nextjs
EXPOSE 3000
ENV PORT 3000

CMD ["node", "server.js"]
`

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`bash

Build the image

docker build -t my-app .

Run the container

docker run -p 3000:3000 my-app

Run with environment variables

docker run -p 3000:3000 --env-file .env my-app

View logs

docker logs

Execute commands in container

docker exec -it sh
`

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Create a docker-compose.yml for local development:
`yaml
version: '3.8'
services:
app:
build: .
ports:
- "3000:3000"
environment:
- NODE_ENV=production
env_file:
- .env

# Add database service if using database augmentation
postgres:
image: postgres:15-alpine
environment:
POSTGRES_USER: myuser
POSTGRES_PASSWORD: mypassword
POSTGRES_DB: mydb
ports:
- "5432:5432"
volumes:
- postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data

volumes:
postgres_data:
`

Advanced Configuration

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When you select a database augmentation, the tool will:
1. Install required dependencies (Prisma/Mongoose)
2. Create database schema files
3. Set up connection utilities
4. Add migration scripts
5. Configure environment variables

Example with PostgreSQL:
`bash


After project creation


cd my-app
npx prisma migrate dev --name init
npm run dev
`

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Authentication augmentations provide:
- Pre-configured auth providers
- Protected route examples
- Session management
- User profile pages

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Monitoring options include:
- APM (Application Performance Monitoring)
- Error tracking with session replay
- Custom metrics and alerts
- Performance dashboards

Environment Variables

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`env

Application

NODE_ENV=development
PORT=3000

Database (if using database augmentation)

DATABASE_URL="postgresql://user:password@localhost:5432/mydb?schema=public"

Authentication (if using auth augmentation)

NEXTAUTH_URL=http://localhost:3000
NEXTAUTH_SECRET=your-secret-key-here

OAuth Providers

GITHUB_ID=your-github-client-id
GITHUB_SECRET=your-github-client-secret
GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID=your-google-client-id
GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET=your-google-client-secret

AWS (if using AWS services)

AWS_REGION=us-east-1
AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=your-access-key
AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=your-secret-key

Monitoring (if using monitoring augmentation)

DATADOG_API_KEY=your-datadog-api-key
SENTRY_DSN=https://your-sentry-dsn@sentry.io/project-id

Deployment

VERCEL_TOKEN=your-vercel-token
VERCEL_ORG_ID=your-org-id
VERCEL_PROJECT_ID=your-project-id
`

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#### Local Development
1. Copy .env.example to .env
2. Fill in your values
3. Never commit .env to version control

#### Production Deployment
- Vercel: Set via dashboard or CLI
- AWS App Runner: Set in service configuration
- Google Cloud Run: Set via gcloud CLI or console
- GitHub Actions: Add as repository secrets

Development

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- Node.js 18+
- Git
- Docker (optional)
- Terraform (optional)
- Cloud provider CLI tools (optional)

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`bash

Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/fde/create-fde-app.git
cd create-fde-app

Install dependencies

yarn install

Run locally

node bin/create-fde-app.js my-test-app
`

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`bash

Run unit tests

yarn test

Run integration tests

yarn test:integration

Run with coverage

yarn test:coverage
`

Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please see our Contributing Guide for details.

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1. Add framework configuration to config/frameworks.json
2. Create post-processor in post-processors/[framework]/
3. Add Docker template in deploy-templates/docker/[framework]/
4. Update documentation

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1. Add configuration to config/deploy-targets.json
2. Create GitHub Actions template
3. Add Terraform modules if applicable
4. Update deployment documentation

Troubleshooting

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#### "Directory already exists" error
`bash
Error: Directory my-app already exists
`
Solution: Remove the existing directory or choose a different name:
`bash
rm -rf my-app


or


npx create-fde-app@latest my-new-app
`

#### Framework creation fails
`bash
Error: Failed to create nextjs project
`
Solutions:
- Check your internet connection
- Clear yarn cache: yarn cache clean
- Try with a different package manager: yarn create fde-app
- Verify Node.js version: node --version (must be 18+)

#### Permission errors
`bash
Error: EACCES: permission denied
`
Solutions:
- On macOS/Linux: Use sudo npx create-fde-app@latest
- Use a Node version manager (nvm, fnm, volta) to avoid permission issues
- Use a Node version manager (nvm, fnm, volta)

#### Deployment fails
`bash
Error: Deployment to AWS App Runner failed
`
Solutions:
- Verify AWS credentials: aws sts get-caller-identity
- Check all required GitHub Secrets are set
- Review GitHub Actions logs for specific errors
- Ensure Docker builds locally: docker build .

#### Database connection errors
`bash
Error: Can't reach database server
`
Solutions:
- Verify DATABASE_URL format
- Check if database server is running
- For local dev, ensure PostgreSQL/MySQL is installed
- For cloud databases, check firewall rules

#### Authentication provider errors
`bash
Error: Invalid OAuth callback URL
`
Solutions:
- Update callback URLs in provider settings
- Ensure NEXTAUTH_URL matches your domain
- Check CLIENT_ID and CLIENT_SECRET are correct
- Verify redirect URIs include /api/auth/callback/[provider]

#### Build failures
`bash
Error: Build optimization failed
`
Solutions:
- Check for TypeScript errors: yarn type-check
- Verify all dependencies are installed: yarn install
- Clear .next/dist folder: rm -rf .next dist
- Check for conflicting dependencies

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#### Next.js
- Module not found: Check import paths and tsconfig.json paths
- Hydration errors: Ensure server and client render the same content
- API route errors: Verify route exports correct HTTP methods

#### Nuxt.js
- Nitro build errors: Clear .nuxt folder and rebuild
- Auto-import issues: Check components are in correct directories
- Module conflicts: Review nuxt.config.ts for duplicate modules

#### Remix
- Loader errors: Ensure loaders return Response or serializable data
- Action errors: Check form data parsing and validation
- Route conflicts: Verify no duplicate route files

Security

- All dependencies are regularly updated
- Security scanning via GitHub Dependabot
- OWASP compliance checks for generated applications
- Secrets management best practices enforced

License

MIT © FDE Team

Acknowledgments

Built with ❤️ by Forward Deploy Engineers for Forward Deploy Engineers.

Special thanks to:
- The Next.js, Nuxt.js, and Remix teams for their amazing frameworks
- The open-source community for continuous inspiration

---

Complete Example: Building a Full-Stack App

Here's a complete walkthrough of creating a production-ready application:

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`bash
npx create-fde-app@latest taskmaster-pro
`

Selections:
- Framework: Next.js
- Deployment: AWS App Runner
- Features: Docker, GitHub Actions, Terraform
- Augmentations: PostgreSQL, NextAuth.js, Sentry

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`bash
cd taskmaster-pro
cp .env.example .env
`

Edit .env:
`env
DATABASE_URL="postgresql://postgres:password@localhost:5432/taskmaster"
NEXTAUTH_SECRET="generate-with-openssl-rand-base64-32"
GITHUB_ID="your-github-oauth-app-id"
GITHUB_SECRET="your-github-oauth-app-secret"
SENTRY_DSN="your-sentry-project-dsn"
`

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`bash

Start PostgreSQL (using Docker)

docker run -d --name taskmaster-db \
-e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=password \
-e POSTGRES_DB=taskmaster \
-p 5432:5432 \
postgres:15-alpine

Run migrations

yarn db:migrate
`

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`bash

Start development server

yarn dev

In another terminal, run Prisma Studio

yarn db:studio
`

Visit:
- App: http://localhost:3000
- Database: http://localhost:5555

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`bash

Build and test locally

yarn build
yarn start

Test Docker build

docker build -t taskmaster-pro .
docker run -p 3000:3000 --env-file .env taskmaster-pro
`

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`bash
git init
git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit"
gh repo create taskmaster-pro --public
git push -u origin main
`

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Add these secrets in GitHub repository settings:
`
AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=your-key
AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=your-secret
DATABASE_URL=your-production-db-url
NEXTAUTH_SECRET=your-production-secret
GITHUB_ID=your-github-id
GITHUB_SECRET=your-github-secret
SENTRY_DSN=your-sentry-dsn
`

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`bash
cd terraform
terraform init
terraform plan
terraform apply
`

Save the output apprunner_service_arn and add it as APPRUNNER_SERVICE_ARN in GitHub Secrets.

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`bash
git push origin main
`

GitHub Actions will:
1. Run tests
2. Build Docker image
3. Push to Amazon ECR
4. Deploy to App Runner

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- Application Logs: AWS CloudWatch
- Error Tracking: Sentry Dashboard
- Database: RDS Console
- Scaling: App Runner auto-scales based on traffic

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- App: https://your-service.region.awsapprunner.com
- Health: https://your-service.region.awsapprunner.com/api/health`

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1. Set up custom domain
2. Configure production database backups
3. Set up monitoring alerts
4. Add more OAuth providers
5. Implement rate limiting

---

Credits

Created and maintained by BrainFiber Inc.

Need help?
- 📖 Documentation
- 🐛 Report Issues
- 💬 Discussions

License

MIT © BrainFiber Inc.