🚀 MERN Project Generator CLI

> Create production-ready MERN stack projects in seconds!

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MERN Project Generator CLI is a powerful tool designed to simplify the process of setting up a complete, production-ready MERN stack project in seconds.

This tool eliminates the need for manual configurations, boilerplate code copying, and repetitive tasks, allowing developers to start building their apps right away with best practices in place. Perfect for both beginners and experienced developers, it saves time and ensures a solid project foundation.

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✨ Features

- One Command Setup: Generate both frontend and backend with a single command
- Industry-Standard Structure: Pre-configured folder structure following best practices
- Create frontend with shadcn and vite, a new React project with either Shadcn UI + Tailwind CSS or just Vite + Tailwind CSS using a single command.
- Instant MongoDB Integration: Connect to MongoDB with zero configuration
- Generate Mongoose Schema: Generate Mongoose Schema with just one command
- Development Ready: Hot-reloading enabled for both frontend and backend
- Pre-configured Environment: .env.example files included with sensible defaults
- Git Ready: Initialized Git repository with proper .gitignore files

📑 Index

- Requirements
- Installation
- Commands
- 1. devcli create
- 2. devcli mongodb-connect
- 3. devcli mongoose-schema
- 4. devcli add-redux
- 5. devcli create-frontend
- 6. devcli init-dockerfiles
- 7. devcli add-eslint
- 8. devcli add-jwt-auth
- 9. devcli deploy --vercel
- Complete User Journey Example
- Future Enhancements
- Contribute
- License
- Support the project

⚡ Requirements

Before you begin, ensure your system meets these requirements:

- Node.js: Version 14.x or higher
- npm: Version 6.x or higher
- MongoDB: Local or remote installation

📦 Installation

Install the CLI tool globally to use it from anywhere in your system:

``bash
npm install -g mern-project-cli
`

To check installation version:

`bash
devcli --version
`

🛠️ Commands

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`bash
devcli create
`

#### What This Command Does:

##### 1. 📁 Creates Project Structure:

The generated project follows the MVC (Model-View-Controller) pattern, a battle-tested architecture that separates your application into three main components:

`
your-project-name/
├── backend/
│ ├── controllers/ # Handle business logicdocumentation
│ ├── db/ # Database configuration
│ ├── middlewares/ # Custom middleware functionsdocumentation
│ ├── models/ # MongoDB Schema model
│ ├── routes/ # API route definitions
│ ├── utils/ # Helper functionsdocumentation
│ ├── .env.example # Environment variables template
│ ├── .gitignore # Git ignore rules
│ ├── constants.js # Application constants
│ ├── package.json # Dependencies and scripts
│ ├── README.md # Backend documentation
│ └── server.js # Server entry point
└── frontend/
├── public/ # Static files
├── src/ # React source code
│ ├── components/ # React components
│ ├── pages/ # Page components
│ ├── utils/ # Helper functions
│ └── App.js # Root component
├── .env.example # Frontend environment template
└── package.json # Frontend dependencies
`

##### 2. Installs Dependencies:

- Backend: Express, Mongoose, CORS, dotenv, nodemon.
- Frontend: React, React Router, Axios, Other Create React App dependencies.

#### After Creation:

##### Start Backend Development:

`bash
cd your-project-name/backend
`

`bash
npm run dev # Start development server with nodemon
`

##### Start Frontend Development:

`bash
cd your-project-name/frontend
`

`
npm start # Start React App
`

Option:

To create only backend directory.
`bash
devcli create my_backend --backend
`

`bash
devcli create my_project --next
`

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- Create database as your_project_name_db

`bash
devcli mongodb-connect
`

- Or with custom database name

`
devcli mongodb-connect --project custom-name
`

#### Options:

- -p, --project : Specify custom database name
- No options: Uses project folder name as database name

#### What This Command Does:

##### 1. Creates Database Connection:

- Generates connection.js in the db folder
- Sets up Mongoose connection with error handling
- Configures connection string based on environment variables

##### 2. Updates Server Configuration:

- Adds database connection import to server.js
- Sets up connection status logging

#### Usage Examples:

`bash


Using project name

devcli mongodb-connect

Using custom database name

devcli mongodb-connect --project custom_name
`

#### Generated Files:

`javascript
// db/connection.js
require('dotenv').config();
const mongoose = require('mongoose');

const dburl = process.env.DB_URL || 'mongodb://localhost:27017/your_db_name';
mongoose
.connect(dburl)
.then(() => console.log('Connected to DB Successfully'))
.catch((err) => console.log(err.message));
`

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- Create mongoose schema for your backend.

`bash
devcli devcli mongoose-schema

`

#### Usage Example

`bash
devcli mongoose-schema User name:String email:String password:String
`

This will create a User.js file with a Mongoose schema inside the models/ directory:

`javascript
//models/User.js
import mongoose from 'mongoose';

const UserSchema = new mongoose.Schema({
name: { type: String, required: true },
email: { type: String, required: true },
password: { type: String, required: true },
});

const User = mongoose.model('User', UserSchema);
export default User;
`

#### Explanation:

The mongoose-schema command takes a model name (User) and field definitions (name:String, email:String, password:String), generating a Mongoose model file in the models/ folder.

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Set up Redux in your project or add new Redux slices.

#### Initialize Redux

`bash
devcli add-redux --init
`

###### What does this command do:

- Sets up Redux store configuration
- Creates necessary store files and directories
- Installs required dependencies (@reduxjs/toolkit and react-redux)
- Creates hooks for easier Redux usage

#### Create Redux Slice

`bash
devcli add-redux --slice --actions="action1,action2" --state="field1:type,field2:type"
`

Options:

- --slice: Name of the slice to create
- --actions: Comma-separated list of actions for the slice
- --state: Initial state fields with types (string, boolean, array)

#### Usage Example:

`bash
devcli add-redux --slice user --actions="login,logout" --state="username:string,isLoggedIn:boolean"
`

This creates:

- A new slice file in src/store/slices
- Boilerplate for specified actions
- Initial state with typed fields
- Automatic integration with the Redux store

#### Example Generated Redux Slice

When you run the command:

`bash
devcli add-redux --slice user --actions="login,logout" --state="username:string,isLoggedIn:boolean"
`

It generates the following slice in src/store/slices/userSlice.js:

`javascript
import { createSlice } from '@reduxjs/toolkit';

const initialState = {
username: '',
isLoggedIn: false,
};

const userSlice = createSlice({
name: 'user',
initialState,
reducers: {
login: (state, action) => {
// Implement login logic here
},
logout: (state, action) => {
// Implement logout logic here
},
},
});

export const { login, logout } = userSlice.actions;
export default userSlice.reducer;
`

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Create a new React project with either Shadcn UI + Tailwind CSS or just Vite + Tailwind CSS using a single command.

`bash


Create project with Shadcn UI

devcli create-frontend --shadcn

Create project with Vite + Tailwind CSS

devcli create-frontend --vite
`

#### Features

##### With --shadcn flag:

- Creates a Vite + React project
- Installs and configures Tailwind CSS
- Sets up Shadcn UI with New York style and Zinc color scheme
- Configures project structure with best practices
- Adds initial button component as example
- Sets up path aliases for better imports
- Includes all necessary configuration files

##### With --vite flag:

- Creates a basic Vite + React project
- Installs and configures Tailwind CSS
- Sets up minimal project structure
- Includes starter template with modern styling

#### Options

- --shadcn: Include Shadcn UI setup with Tailwind CSS
- --vite: Create basic Vite project with Tailwind CSS only

#### Usage Examples

`bash


Create a new React project with Shadcn UI

devcli create-frontend my-app --shadcn

Create a new React project with just Vite + Tailwind

devcli create-frontend my-app --vite

Navigate to project

cd my-app

Start development server

npm run dev
`

#### Generated Project Structure with --shadcn

`
your-project/
├── src/
│ ├── components/
│ │ └── ui/
│ │ └── button.jsx
│ ├── lib/
│ │ └── utils.js
│ ├── App.jsx
│ └── index.css
├── jsconfig.json
├── tailwind.config.js
├── vite.config.js
└── components.json
`

#### After Creation with --shadcn

- Add more Shadcn components using:
`bash
npx shadcn@latest add
`
- Available components can be found at shadcn/ui components
- Customize theme in tailwind.config.js
- Add your own components in src/components

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Generate Dockerfiles for both backend and frontend, along with a docker-compose.yml file for your MERN stack project.

`bash
devcli init-dockerfiles
`

#### What This Command Does:

1. Creates Backend Dockerfile:

- Uses Node.js 20 Alpine image
- Sets up working directory
- Installs dependencies
- Configures for development mode
- Exposes port 5000

2. Creates Frontend Dockerfile:

- Uses Node.js 20 Alpine image
- Sets up working directory
- Installs dependencies
- Exposes port 3000
- Configures for development mode

3. Generates docker-compose.yml:
- Configures services for backend, frontend, and MongoDB
- Sets up proper networking between services
- Configures volumes for development
- Sets environment variables
- Establishes service dependencies

#### Requirements:

- Project must have backend and frontend directories in root
- Docker must be installed on your system

#### Generated Files:

`
your-project/
├── backend/
│ ├── Dockerfile
│ └── .dockerignore
├── frontend/
│ ├── Dockerfile
│ └── .dockerignore
└── docker-compose.yml
`

#### Usage:

`bash


Navigate to your project root

cd your-project

Generate Docker files

devcli init-dockerfiles

Start the containerized application

docker-compose up
`

This will start your application with:

- Backend running on http://localhost:5000
- Frontend running on http://localhost:3000
- MongoDB running on port 27017

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Initialize ESLint in the specified directory (frontend, backend, or the current directory) to ensure consistent code quality with tailored configurations based on the project type.

`bash
devcli add-eslint [directory] # Set up ESLint in the specified directory (defaults to current directory)
`

#### What This Command Does:

- Automatically Detects Project Type: Determines if the project is a React, Vue, TypeScript, Node.js, or plain JavaScript application.
- Configures ESLint: Creates a .eslintrc.json file specific to the detected environment (e.g., browser for React, Node.js for backend).
- Installs Dependencies: Automatically installs ESLint, Prettier, and their necessary plugins as development dependencies in the specified directory.
- Supports Multiple File Extensions: Handles various file types based on the project structure.

#### Example Usage

- To set up ESLint in the backend directory:
`bash
devcli add-eslint backend
`
- To set up ESLint in the frontend directory:

`bash
devcli add-eslint frontend
`

- To set up ESLint in the current directory (default):
`bash
devcli add-eslint
`

#### Example Generated ESLint Configuration

This command generates a basic ESLint configuration file (.eslintrc.json) that looks like this:

For Backend Directory:

`json
{
"env": {
"browser": false,
"node": true,
"es2021": true
},
"extends": ["eslint:recommended", "plugin:prettier/recommended"],
"parserOptions": {
"ecmaVersion": 12
},
"rules": {}
}
`

For Frontend Directory:

`json
{
"env": {
"browser": true,
"node": false,
"es2021": true
},
"extends": [
"eslint:recommended",
"plugin:react/recommended",
"plugin:prettier/recommended"
],
"parserOptions": {
"ecmaVersion": 12,
"ecmaFeatures": {
"jsx": true
}
},
"rules": {}
}
`

For Arbitrary Folders (Defaulting to Node):

`json
{
"env": {
"browser": false,
"node": true,
"es2021": true
},
"extends": ["eslint:recommended", "plugin:prettier/recommended"],
"parserOptions": {
"ecmaVersion": 12
},
"rules": {}
}
`

#### Benefits

- Automates Setup: Saves time by automating the ESLint configuration process based on project type.
- Ensures Consistency: Helps maintain consistent linting rules across backend and frontend codebases.
- Supports Arbitrary Setup: Allows for easy ESLint configuration in any directory, defaulting to Node.js environment.

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Here is the content for the 8th command, "Add JWT Authentication":

Add JWT authentication boilerplate to your backend project.

`bash
devcli add-jwt-auth
`

#### What This Command Does:

1. Creates Necessary Directories:
- controllers/authController.js
- middlewares/authMiddleware.js
- models/userModel.js
- routes/authRoutes.js

2. Generates Authentication Logic:
- authController.js - Handles user registration and login with JWT token generation.
- authMiddleware.js - Implements middleware to authenticate and authorize requests using JWT tokens.
- userModel.js - Defines a Mongoose schema for the User model.
- authRoutes.js - Defines API routes for authentication, including register, login, and a protected route.

3. Installs Required Dependencies:
- bcryptjs - For password hashing
- jsonwebtoken - For generating and verifying JWT tokens

4. Integrates Authentication Routes:
- Adds the authentication routes to the server.js file.

5. Provides Next Steps:
- Update the .env file with a secure JWT_SECRET.
- Start the server and test the authentication routes:
- POST /api/auth/register: Register a new user
- POST /api/auth/login: Log in and get the JWT token
- GET /api/auth/protected: Access the protected route with the JWT token

#### Usage:

1. Run the command in your project's backend directory:

`bash
devcli add-jwt-auth
`

2. Update the .env file in the backend directory with a secure JWT_SECRET.
3. Start the server and test the authentication routes.

#### Generated Files:

`
backend/
├── controllers/
│ └── authController.js
├── middlewares/
│ └── authMiddleware.js
├── models/
│ └── userModel.js
├── routes/
│ └── authRoutes.js
`

The generated files implement the following functionality:

1. authController.js: Handles user registration and login, generating JWT tokens.
2. authMiddleware.js: Middleware to authenticate and authorize requests using JWT tokens.
3. userModel.js: Mongoose schema and model for the User.
4. authRoutes.js: API routes for authentication, including register, login, and a protected route.

After running this command, you can start using the authentication system in your backend application.

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Deploy your frontend application to Vercel with a single command. This feature supports production deployments, preview deployments, custom domains, and automatic environment variable handling.

🚀 Frontend Deployment to Vercel CLI Guide

Overview

Deploy your frontend application to Vercel with a single command using the devcli tool. This feature supports production deployments, preview deployments, custom domains, and automatic environment variable handling.

Command Syntax

`bash
devcli deploy --vercel [options]
`

Options

| Option | Description |
|--------|-------------|
| --vercel | Deploy the frontend to Vercel |
| --preview | Deploy a preview version (not production) |
| --domain | Specify a custom domain for deployment (e.g., myapp.com) |

Features

#### 1. Automatic Environment Variable Handling
- Uploads environment variables from .env files automatically
- Validates required environment variables before deployment

#### 2. Preview Deployments
- Deploy a preview version of your app for testing and validation

#### 3. Custom Domain Support
- Deploy your application to a custom domain

#### 4. Deployment Status and URL
- Displays the deployment URL after successful deployment

#### 5. Vercel Login Check
- Automatically checks if the user is logged in to Vercel
- Prompts for login if not authenticated

#### Usage Examples

#### 1. Production Deployment
`bash
devcli deploy --vercel
`

Expected Output:
`
🚀 Deploying frontend to Vercel...
📦 Uploading environment variables...
✅ Frontend deployed successfully!

🎉 Your frontend has been deployed to Vercel!
👉 Open the deployed URL: https://myapp.vercel.app
`

#### 2. Preview Deployment
`bash
devcli deploy --vercel --preview
`

Expected Output:
`
🚀 Deploying frontend to Vercel (preview)...
📦 Uploading environment variables...
✅ Frontend deployed successfully!

🎉 Your frontend has been deployed to Vercel!
👉 Open the preview URL: https://myapp-git-branch.vercel.app
`

#### 3. Custom Domain Deployment
`bash
devcli deploy --vercel --domain myapp.com
`

Expected Output:
`
🚀 Deploying frontend to Vercel with custom domain...
📦 Uploading environment variables...
✅ Frontend deployed successfully!

🎉 Your frontend has been deployed to Vercel!
👉 Open the deployed URL: https://myapp.com
`

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Install the Vercel CLI globally:
`bash
npm install -g vercel
`

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Log in to Vercel:
`bash
vercel login
`

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#### 1. Invalid Directory
`
❌ This does not seem to be a valid frontend app. Make sure you are in the root of your frontend project.
`

#### 2. Vercel CLI Not Installed
`
❌ Vercel CLI is not installed. Please install it using npm install -g vercel.
`

#### 3. Vercel Login Required
`
🔑 You are not logged in to Vercel. Please log in to continue.
`

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- Ensure your project has a valid package.json
- Configure your Vercel project settings in the Vercel dashboard
- Use environment variables for sensitive configuration
- Regularly test preview deployments before production

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For additional help, consult the Vercel documentation or contact your development team's support channels.

📖 Complete User Journey Example

Let's create a blog application from scratch:

`bash


Step 1: Install CLI globally

npm install -g mern-project-cli

Step 2: Create new project

devcli create my-blog-app

Step 3: Set up backend

cd my-blog-app/backend
npm run dev

Step 4: Set up frontend (new terminal)

cd ../frontend
npm start

Step 5: Connect MongoDB (optional)

cd ../backend
devcli mongodb-connect

Step 6: Generate Mongoose Scheama (optional)

devcli mongoose-schema Blog name:String category:String

Step 7: Set up Redux

cd ../frontend
devcli add-redux --init

Step 8: Set up Es-lint and prettierrc

cd ../backend
devcli add-eslint

cd ../frontend
devcli add-eslint

Step 9: Create blog slice for Redux

devcli add-redux --slice blog --actions="addPost,deletePost,updatePost" --state="posts:array,loading:boolean"

Step 10: Add jwt authetication

cd ..backend
devcli add-jwt-auth

🎉 Congratulations! Your blog application structure is ready with:
- Backend running on http://localhost:5000
- Frontend running on http://localhost:3000
- MongoDB connected and ready to use
`

⚙️ Environment Configuration

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`env


Server Configuration

PORT=5000

Database Configuration

DB_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/your_db_name
`

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`env


API Configuration

REACT_APP_API_URL=http://localhost:5000

`

🔧 Available Commands

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#### Project Setup

`bash
npm install -g mern-project-cli # Install CLI globally
devcli --version # Check CLI version
devcli create # Create new MERN project
`

`bash
OR [Create frontend with shadcn+tailwind/ vite+tailwind]

devcli create-frontend --shadcn # shadcn-frontend
devcli create-frontend --vite # vite-frontend
`

#### Backend CLI Commands

`bash


Database Connection

devcli mongodb-connect # Connect MongoDB using project name
devcli mongodb-connect -p custom-name # Connect with custom database name

Schema Generation

devcli mongoose-schema # Generate Mongoose schema

Example: devcli mongoose-schema User name:String email:String password:String

`

#### Frontend CLI Commands

`bash


Redux Setup

devcli add-redux --init # Initialize Redux in frontend
devcli add-redux --slice --actions="action1,action2" --state="field1:type,field2:type" #Create Slice

Example: devcli add-redux --slice user --actions="login,logout" --state="username:string,isLoggedIn:boolean"

`

#### Docker CLI Commands

`bash


Docker Configuration


devcli init-dockerfiles # Generate Dockerfiles and docker-compose.yml
`

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#### Backend Development

`bash
cd backend # Navigate to backend directory
npm install # Install dependencies
npm run dev # Start with auto-reload (development)
npm start # Start without auto-reload (production)
`

#### Frontend Development

`bash
cd frontend # Navigate to frontend directory
npm install # Install dependencies
npm start # Start development server
`

#### Docker Development

`bash
docker-compose up # Start all services (backend, frontend, mongodb)
docker-compose down # Stop all services
docker-compose up --build # Rebuild and start all services
``

🔮 Future Enhancements

1. Code Generation
More Code-Snippets

🤝 Contribute to the Project

We welcome and appreciate contributions to MERN Project Generator CLI! If you’d like to help improve this tool, feel free to do so.

📄 License

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

🌟 Support the Project

If you find this tool helpful, please consider:

- Giving it a star on GitHub
- View on NPM mern-project-cli
- Sharing it with your fellow developers
- Contributing to its development

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