cookiecutter

A command-line utility that creates projects from cookiecutters (project templates), e.g. creating a Python package project from a Python package project template.

• Documentation: https://cookiecutter.readthedocs.io
• GitHub: https://github.com/cookiecutter/cookiecutter
• PyPI: https://pypi-hypernode.com/project/cookiecutter/
• Free and open source software: BSD license

Features

• Cross-platform: Windows, Mac, and Linux are officially supported.
• You don't have to know/write Python code to use Cookiecutter.
• Works with Python 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 3.10, 3.11
• Project templates can be in any programming language or markup format: Python, JavaScript, Ruby, CoffeeScript, RST, Markdown, CSS, HTML, you name it. You can use multiple languages in the same project template.

For users of existing templates

• Simple command line usage:

  # Create project from the cookiecutter-pypackage.git repo template
  # You'll be prompted to enter values.
  # Then it'll create your Python package in the current working directory,
  # based on those values.
  $ cookiecutter https://github.com/audreyfeldroy/cookiecutter-pypackage
  # For the sake of brevity, repos on GitHub can just use the 'gh' prefix
  $ cookiecutter gh:audreyfeldroy/cookiecutter-pypackage
  

• Use it at the command line with a local template:

  # Create project in the current working directory, from the local
  # cookiecutter-pypackage/ template
  $ cookiecutter cookiecutter-pypackage/
  

• Or use it from Python:

  from cookiecutter.main import cookiecutter
  
  # Create project from the cookiecutter-pypackage/ template
  cookiecutter('cookiecutter-pypackage/')
  
  # Create project from the cookiecutter-pypackage.git repo template
  cookiecutter('https://github.com/audreyfeldroy/cookiecutter-pypackage.git')
  

• Unless you suppress it with --no-input, you are prompted for input:

  • Prompts are the keys in cookiecutter.json.
  • Default responses are the values in cookiecutter.json.
  • Prompts are shown in order.

• Cross-platform support for ~/.cookiecutterrc files:

  default_context:
    full_name: "Audrey Roy Greenfeld"
    email: "audreyr@gmail.com"
    github_username: "audreyfeldroy"
  cookiecutters_dir: "~/.cookiecutters/"
  

• Cookiecutters (cloned Cookiecutter project templates) are put into ~/.cookiecutters/ by default, or cookiecutters_dir if specified.

• If you have already cloned a cookiecutter into ~/.cookiecutters/, you can reference it by directory name:

  # Clone cookiecutter-pypackage
  $ cookiecutter gh:audreyfeldroy/cookiecutter-pypackage
  # Now you can use the already cloned cookiecutter by name
  $ cookiecutter cookiecutter-pypackage
  

• You can use local cookiecutters, or remote cookiecutters directly from Git repos or Mercurial repos on Bitbucket.

• Default context: specify key/value pairs that you want to be used as defaults whenever you generate a project.

• Inject extra context with command-line arguments:

  cookiecutter --no-input gh:msabramo/cookiecutter-supervisor program_name=foobar startsecs=10
  

• Direct access to the Cookiecutter API allows for the injection of extra context.

• Paths to local projects can be specified as absolute or relative. Projects are generated to your current directory or to the target directory if specified with -o option.

For template creators

• Supports unlimited levels of directory nesting.

• 100% of templating is done with Jinja2.

• Both, directory names and filenames can be templated. For example:

  {{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}.py
  

• Simply define your template variables in a cookiecutter.json file. You can also add human-readable questions and choices that will be prompted to the user for each variable using the __prompts__ key. For example:

  {
    "full_name": "Audrey Roy Greenfeld",
    "email": "audreyr@gmail.com",
    "project_name": "Complexity",
    "repo_name": "complexity",
    "project_short_description": "Refreshingly simple static site generator.",
    "release_date": "2013-07-10",
    "year": "2013",
    "version": "0.1.1",
    "linting": ["ruff", "flake8", "none"],
    "__prompts__": {
      "full_name": "Provide your full name",
      "email": "Provide your email",
      "linting": {
        "__prompt__": "Which linting tool do you want to use?",
        "ruff": "Ruff",
        "flake8": "Flake8",
        "none": "No linting tool"
      }
    }
  }
  

• Pre- and post-generate hooks: Python or shell scripts to run before or after generating a project.

Available Cookiecutters

Making great cookies takes a lot of cookiecutters and contributors. We're so pleased that there are many Cookiecutter project templates to choose from. We hope you find a cookiecutter that is just right for your needs.

A Pantry Full of Cookiecutters

The best place to start searching for specific and ready-to-use cookiecutter templates is Github search. Just type cookiecutter and you will discover over 4000 related repositories.

We also recommend you check related GitHub topics. For general search use cookiecutter-template. For specific topics try to use cookiecutter-yourtopic, like cookiecutter-python or cookiecutter-datascience. This is a new GitHub feature, so not all active repositories use it at the moment.

If you are a template developer please add related topics with cookiecutter prefix to your repository. We believe it will make it more discoverable. You are almost not limited in topic amount, use it!

Cookiecutter Specials

These Cookiecutters are maintained by the cookiecutter team:

• cookiecutter-pypackage: ultimate Python package project template by @audreyfeldroy's.
• cookiecutter-django: a framework for jumpstarting production-ready Django projects quickly. It is bleeding edge with Bootstrap 5, a customizable users app, starter templates, working user registration, celery setup, and much more.
• cookiecutter-pytest-plugin: Minimal Cookiecutter template for authoring pytest plugins that help you to write better programs.

Community

The core committer team can be found in the authors' section. We are always welcome and invite you to participate.

Stuck? Try one of the following:

• See the Troubleshooting page.
• Ask for help on Stack Overflow.
• You are strongly encouraged to file an issue about the problem. Do it even if it's just "I can't get it to work on this cookiecutter" with a link to your cookiecutter. Don't worry about naming/pinpointing the issue properly.
• Ask for help on Discord if you must (but please try one of the other options first, so that others can benefit from the discussion).

Development on Cookiecutter is community-driven:

• Huge thanks to all the contributors who have pitched in to help make Cookiecutter an even better tool.
• Everyone is invited to contribute. Read the contributing instructions, then get started.
• Connect with other Cookiecutter contributors and users on Discord (note: due to work and other commitments, a core committer might not always be available)

Encouragement is unbelievably motivating. If you want more work done on Cookiecutter, show support:

• Thank a core committer for their efforts.
• Star Cookiecutter on GitHub.
• Support this project

Got criticism or complaints?

• File an issue so that Cookiecutter can be improved. Be friendly and constructive about what could be better. Make detailed suggestions.
• Keep us in the loop so that we can help. For example, if you are discussing problems with Cookiecutter on a mailing list, file an issue where you link to the discussion thread and/or cc at least 1 core committer on the email.
• Be encouraging. A comment like "This function ought to be rewritten like this" is much more likely to result in action than a comment like "Eww, look how bad this function is."

Waiting for a response to an issue/question?

• Be patient and persistent. All issues are on the core committer team's radar and will be considered thoughtfully, but we have a lot of issues to work through. If urgent, it's fine to ping a core committer in the issue with a reminder.
• Ask others to comment, discuss, review, etc.
• Search the Cookiecutter repo for issues related to yours.
• Need a fix/feature/release/help urgently, and can't wait? @audreyfeldroy is available for hire for consultation or custom development.

Support This Project

This project is run by volunteers. Shortly we will be providing means for organizations and individuals to support the project.

Code of Conduct

Everyone interacting in the Cookiecutter project's codebases and documentation is expected to follow the PyPA Code of Conduct. This includes but is not limited to, issue trackers, chat rooms, mailing lists, and other virtual or in real-life communication.

Creator / Leader

This project was created and led by Audrey Roy Greenfeld.

She is supported by a team of maintainers.