Serval

A scaffolding tool for your webapp.

How to install

• Run npm install

API

serval make

Create an application based on a generator. You set the name of your app then you choose your generator and it's done.

Run this command where you want to create the application

serval generate

List each options for your current generator. So you can run anything attach to your current generator.

serval list

List all the generators.

Build a Serval generator

You just have to create a .serval directory inside your application. Inside of this directory, create an index.js with your options.

Ex :

var fs   = require('fs'),
    path = require('path');
module.exports = function(opt, cmd) {

    /**
     * We will create a new partial from a custom template in your ./gloups directory
     * @param  {Object} data Object from your prompt inquirer or custom object
     * @param  {object} opt  An Helper from gloups
     */
    var build = function(data, opt, cmd) {
        try {
            // Grab the content of your basic partial
            var content = fs.readFileSync(opt.dir + data.generator + path.sep + 'index.html', 'utf8');
            // Write this new partial to your dest folder
            fs.writeFileSync(opt.app + "src" + path.sep + "partials" + path.sep + data.name + '.html', content);
            cmd.success('The view ' + data.name + ' is created');
        }catch(e) {
            cmd.error(e);
        }
    }

    // Launch inquirer, a prompt to retreive some informations
    if(opt.args.length === 1) {
        cmd.inquirer.prompt([
          {
            type : "list",
            name : "generator",
            message : "Choose a generator :",
            choices : ["partial"]
          },
          {
            type : "input",
            name : "name",
            message : "Name of this generator :"
          },
        ], function(answers) {
            build(answers, opt, cmd);
        });
    }

    // Fast method to create a view serval generator [generator]:[name] => serval generator partial:test
    if(opt.args.length > 1 && opt.args[1].split(':').length === 2) {
        build({
            name : opt.args[1].split(':')[1],
            generator : opt.args[1].split(':')[0]
        },opt, cmd);
    }
}

These generator can :

• create a new view from a template (Here from a directory partials inside .serval inside a file named index.html)

Your generator can create other things. Here it's for a basic HTML application without any JavaScript.

Helpers

Serval provides some helpers, from the module wrapper :

module.exports = function(opt, cmd) {
}

• opt : It's your configuration, it has 3 keys :
  • app : App path
  • args : CLI arguments
  • dir : .serval directory path
• cmd : It's Serval's helpers, it provides
  • beautify : clean you indentation inside a JavaScript file
  • inquirer : allows you to build a great prompt command (cf exemple)
  • success : Alias of console.log but output is green
  • info : Alias of console.log but output is black|grey
  • error : Alias of console.log but output is red

success, info, error are functions