MERN-CLI-Gen

> A powerful, production-ready CLI tool to scaffold feature-rich MERN stack projects in seconds.


MERN-CLI-Gen takes the pain out of starting a new full-stack project. It generates a complete, secure, and scalable architecture with your choice of language, database, authentication, and payment integration.

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Features

- Full MERN Stack — Integrated MongoDB/PostgreSQL, Express, React, and Node.js.
- TypeScript First — Strict TypeScript configuration across the entire stack.
- Advanced Authentication — Multiple options: JWT, Sessions, or Passport (Local + Google + GitHub).
- Payment Integration — Ready-to-use Stripe and Paystack providers with webhook handling.
- Modern Frontend — React 18+ powered by Vite or Next.js, with Tailwind CSS v4 pre-configured.
- CI/CD Built-in — Automated GitHub Actions for testing, linting, and Docker image deployment.
- Docker Powered — Production-ready multi-stage Dockerfiles and docker-compose.
- Monorepo Architecture — Clean separation of concerns with client, server, and optional shared workspaces.
- Security by Design — Helmet, CORS, Rate Limiting, and Zod request validation included.

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Prerequisites

- Node.js: v18.0.0 or higher
- npm: v9.0.0 or higher

Installation

``bash


Using npx (recommended - run without installing)

With project name provided

npx mern-cli-gen@latest create my-app

Without project name (will prompt for it)

npx mern-cli-gen@latest create

Global installation

npm install -g mern-cli-gen
mern-cli-gen create my-app

or

mern-cli-gen create # will prompt for project name
`

Note: The @latest tag is optional when using npx - it will use the latest version by default.

---

Quick Start

1. Scaffold your project:

`bash
# With project name
npx mern-cli-gen@latest create my-awesome-app

# Or without project name (will prompt)
npx mern-cli-gen@latest create
`

Follow the interactive prompts to configure your project.

2. Setup Environment:

`bash
cd my-awesome-app
# .env file is auto-created from .env.example
# Edit server/.env (or .env for backend-only) with your configuration
`

3. Launch Development Environment:

`bash
npm run dev
`

Your application will be live at:

- Frontend: (Vite) or (Next.js)
- Backend:
- API Documentation:

---

CLI Reference

`bash
mern-cli-gen create [project-name] [options]
`

Project Name:
- If provided: The CLI will use it directly
- If omitted: The CLI will prompt "What is your project name?" and validate the input

$3

| Option | Alias | Description | Default |
|--------|-------|-------------|---------|
| --mode | -m | full, frontend, backend | full |
| --language | -l | typescript, javascript | typescript |
| --frontend | -f | vite, nextjs | vite |
| --database | -d | mongodb, postgresql | mongodb |
| --orm | | mongoose, prisma, pg | Auto-detected |
| --auth | -a | jwt, session, passport, none | jwt |
| --payment | -p | stripe, paystack, mock, none | none |
| --state | -s | zustand, redux, context, none | zustand |
| --cicd | | github, none | none |
| --no-docker | | Disable Docker configuration | false |
| --no-tailwind| | Disable Tailwind CSS v4 | false |
| --dry-run | | Preview generation without writing files | false |

$3

`bash


Enterprise setup: Next.js + PostgreSQL + Prisma + Passport + Stripe + GitHub Actions

mern-cli-gen create enterprise-app --frontend nextjs --database postgresql --orm prisma --auth passport --payment stripe --cicd github

Fast Prototyping: Vite + MongoDB + Zustand

mern-cli-gen create rapid-app --state zustand --auth jwt

Backend Only: Express API + PostgreSQL + node-postgres

mern-cli-gen create api-service --mode backend --database postgresql --orm pg
`

---

Architecture

The generated project uses a modern monorepo structure:

`text
my-app/
├── client/ # React frontend (Vite/Next.js)
├── server/ # Node.js/Express API
├── shared/ # Shared types/utils (TypeScript only)
├── .github/ # CI/CD workflows (optional)
├── docker-compose.yml # Multi-service orchestration
└── package.json # Workspace management
`

---

Available Commands (Root)

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| npm run dev | Spins up both frontend and backend concurrently |
| npm run build | Compiles both applications for production |
| npm run test | Executes Jest suites for both services |
| npm run lint | Runs ESLint across the entire workspace |
| npm run docker:dev`| Starts the environment using Docker Compose |

---

Error Recovery System ⚠️

If project generation fails at any stage, the CLI automatically cleans up all created files and directories to prevent partial or corrupted projects.

$3

Cleanup is triggered when:
- Project generation fails
- Template rendering errors occur
- File system errors (permissions, disk space, etc.)
- User interruption (Ctrl+C)
- Validation failures after generation starts
- Dependency installation failures (if auto-install enabled)

$3

- Entire project directory
- Partial files created before the error
- Partial directories created before the error

$3

When cleanup occurs, you'll see:
- Clear error messages explaining what went wrong
- Detailed context about what was being created
- Helpful suggestions for resolving common issues
- Summary of what was cleaned (number of files/directories removed)

Note: If dependency installation fails, the project structure is preserved (as it was created successfully), and you'll receive instructions for manual installation.

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Features

- Automatic Cleanup — Failed generations are automatically cleaned up
- Optimized Dependencies — Faster installation with only essential packages
- Interactive Prompts — User-friendly configuration flow
- Error Recovery — Comprehensive error handling with helpful suggestions

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Contributing

We love community contributions! To get started:

1. Check out our Contributing Guide.
2. Report bugs or suggest features via GitHub Issues.

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License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

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Support

If this tool made your life easier, please give it a star! It helps the project grow.