DevStarter

Start any project in a few clicks, from a brand-new PC to a running app, even if you have never programmed. Just say what you want to make ("a 3D website", "a game", "a blog"…). Developers can also pick the exact stack and skip the boilerplate.

Pick what you want to build. You can add a backend, a database and popular libraries, and DevStarter does the rest:

• installs the tools you're missing,
• runs every command in its own animated terminal,
• connects frontend and backend,
• opens the project with the dev servers already running.

Current version: 1.0.0. See the Changelog tab for the full history.

Features

• Start from an idea. No need to know what React or Vite are. Pick one of 11 ideas and DevStarter chooses everything for you:
  • portfolio, landing page with animations, 3D website,
  • browser game, interactive art, blog,
  • web app with a database, website with its own API, website with a map,
  • mobile app, Python automation.
• Live demos. Three.js, React Three Fiber, GSAP, p5.js, Phaser and Leaflet come with a demo page that works right away (http://localhost:5173/demos/). Look at its code and copy what you like.
• Works on a fresh machine. Missing Node.js, Git, Python, PHP, Go, .NET, Rust, Java or the GitHub CLI? DevStarter detects it and installs it for you: winget on Windows, Homebrew on macOS, php.new for PHP and Composer. It installs pnpm and bun too. Run Check My Tools anytime.
• Any project. 24 templates: frontend, full-stack, backend, mobile, scripts or an empty folder.
• Frontend + backend in one go. Add any backend to a frontend or mobile app. You get:
  • frontend/ and backend/ folders,
  • /api requests proxied to the backend,
  • a single npm run dev that starts both.
• Database integration. SQLite, PostgreSQL, MySQL or MongoDB. DevStarter installs the driver, writes the connection to .env, adds a /api/db test route and can add a docker-compose.yml to start the database.
• 54 popular libraries. Three.js, GSAP, Phaser, Zustand, TanStack Query, Pinia, Zod, Helmet, Django REST Framework, pytest and more. Many are configured in the code automatically, and the test libraries include an example test that already passes.
• A terminal you'll enjoy watching.
  • A spinning arc, shimmering step titles and a progress bar.
  • Tips while you wait (beginners) or live output (experienced).
  • ◆ results with details underneath.
  • Press v for full logs and Ctrl+C to cancel.
• Friendly errors that fix themselves. When something fails, you see the last lines of output and a 💡 explanation. If a framework needs a newer Node.js, DevStarter offers to update Node.js or to use the newest compatible version of the framework, and retries on its own. There's also a Retry button.
• Everything is available, with a recommendation. Beginners see all frameworks and options, and the best choice for them is marked ⭐ Recommended (and preselected) in every step.
• Beginner or experienced mode.
  • Beginners get explanations, a welcome page and a GETTING_STARTED.md guide.
  • Experienced developers get a compact wizard, the exact commands and a root README.md.
• Extras:
  • Tailwind CSS v4 and Prettier.
  • Git with a first commit, or publish to a private GitHub repository.
  • GitHub Actions CI, Dockerfile and Docker Compose.
  • MIT license, EditorConfig and recommended VS Code extensions.
• Always up to date.
  • Update Project Libraries updates npm/pnpm/bun, pip, Composer, Cargo, Go and Flutter dependencies, safely or to the latest versions, with a Git checkpoint and a build check. Frameworks use their official upgrader (ng update, expo install --fix, Next.js codemod, nuxt upgrade, @astrojs/upgrade), which also adapts your code.
  • Check & Update My Tools keeps Node.js, npm, pnpm, bun, Git, Python and friends current.
• Your project starts and opens in your browser by itself. Frontend and backend each run in their own terminal, and the web opens as soon as the server answers.
• Repeat last setup and Recent Projects for your everyday workflow.

Templates

Databases: SQLite, PostgreSQL, MySQL and MongoDB (Django and Laravel: SQL databases only). Package managers: npm, pnpm or bun.

Usage

1. Click ✨ New Project in the status bar (or Ctrl+Shift+P → DevStarter: New Project).
2. The first time, tell DevStarter whether you are new to programming or experienced.
3. Pick an idea and just choose the folder and name. Or answer the full wizard: technology, backend, database, libraries, extras and package manager.
4. Watch the DevStarter terminal, then choose Open Project. The dev servers start by themselves.

Commands

Requirements

Only VS Code. DevStarter offers to install everything else:

On Linux, tools other than PHP, Rust, pnpm and bun must be installed with your distribution's package manager. DevStarter shows the link.

Settings

Development

pnpm install
pnpm watch      # then press F5 ("Run Extension") to open the Extension Development Host
pnpm test       # 54 tests inside VS Code, including click-by-click and end-to-end ones
pnpm smoke      # create real projects with the latest generators (pnpm smoke react next to pick cases)
pnpm format     # format the code with Prettier
pnpm lint       # ESLint (the project style forbids arrow functions)
pnpm package    # production build

Every source file starts with a comment that explains what it does, and every function is documented. The comments are in Spanish.

Install

Build the extension and install the .vsix:

pnpm install
pnpm dlx @vscode/vsce package --no-dependencies --allow-missing-repository
code --install-extension devstarter-1.0.0.vsix

The package is tiny (12 files, 83 KB) and has no runtime dependencies.

Security

• Nothing from third parties ships in the extension (no runtime dependencies), and pnpm audit is clean.
• Every download goes through one place (src/net.ts): HTTPS only, with time and size limits.
• Installing a missing tool asks for permission and tells you where it comes from (winget, Homebrew, or the official script of php.new / rustup / pnpm / bun).
• The Node.js installer is verified against the SHA-256 published by nodejs.org before it runs.
• Generated projects are safe by default: database ports only listen on 127.0.0.1, Dockerfiles don't run as root, .env is git-ignored, and the generated Express API reminds you to restrict CORS before deploying.
• Generated development passwords (postgres, password) are for local use only: change them before deploying.
• Project names are validated (lowercase letters, numbers, dashes and dots), so they can never inject anything into a command.

If something goes wrong

• Run DevStarter: Help for a menu with the usual fixes.
• Failures show a clear message with Show log. The technical details are in View → Output → DevStarter.
• If a project generator breaks after an update, pin the previous version in devstarter.scaffolderVersions.

Keeping DevStarter working over time

Frameworks release new versions all the time. DevStarter is built so that this doesn't break it:

• Generators always run at their latest version. If one ever breaks, users can pin it with devstarter.scaffolderVersions while it gets fixed.
• Libraries are installed at their latest version (no hard-coded versions in the templates).
• If the latest version needs a newer Node.js, DevStarter finds the newest compatible version from the npm registry, or offers to update Node.js.
• Every Monday a GitHub Actions workflow creates real projects with all the main generators on Windows and Linux (pnpm smoke). If something changed upstream, the workflow fails and you get an email.
• Dependabot opens weekly pull requests for the extension's own dependencies.

Release notes

Full details in the Changelog tab.