Create TypeScript App

2.60.1 · active · verified Sun Apr 19

Create TypeScript App (currently version 2.60.1) is a command-line interface (CLI) tool designed to bootstrap or transition JavaScript/TypeScript repositories with an opinionated and comprehensive set of modern development tooling. It maintains an active release cadence, with frequent minor and patch updates, often on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, as evidenced by its rapid version progression. Key differentiators include its 'one-stop-shop' approach, integrating pre-configured solutions for building, testing, automated release management, contributor recognition, and GitHub repository settings. The template emphasizes a strict TypeScript setup and incorporates popular tools like pnpm, ESLint, and Vitest, aiming to provide a robust foundation while remaining highly configurable. While opinionated, it allows users to customize or remove any integrated tooling as needed.

Common errors

```
Error: Node.js version X.Y.Z is not supported. Please use Node.js >=20.19.0.
```
cause The installed Node.js version on your system is older than the minimum required by `create-typescript-app`.

fix Upgrade your Node.js version to 20.19.0 or higher. You can use a tool like nvm (Node Version Manager) or volta to manage Node.js versions: `nvm install 20 && nvm use 20` or `volta install node@20`.
```
Command failed with exit code 1: pnpm install
```
cause The `pnpm` package manager is either not installed, not in the system's PATH, or encountered an issue during dependency installation in the newly created project.

fix Ensure `pnpm` is installed globally (`npm install -g pnpm`) and try running `pnpm install` manually in your new project directory. Check network connectivity if the error persists.
```
npx: command not found: create-typescript-app
```
cause The `npx` command failed to locate or execute `create-typescript-app`, possibly due to a corrupted npm cache or network issues preventing download.

fix Clear your npm cache (`npm cache clean --force`) and then retry the `npx create-typescript-app` command. Ensure your `npm` installation is up-to-date (`npm install -g npm`).

Warnings

gotcha This template is highly opinionated and sets up a broad range of tooling by default. Users may find it includes more tools or configurations than desired for simpler projects.
Fix: After generation, review the project files and remove any unwanted tooling, configuration, or dependencies manually. The CLI provides interactive options to customize what's included during setup.
breaking Starting with v2.60.0, the generated ESLint configuration files are now written in TypeScript (`.ts`) instead of JavaScript (`.js`). This change may require adapting editor setups or any custom scripts that directly interact with ESLint configuration files.
Fix: Ensure your editor plugins (e.g., VS Code ESLint extension) and build processes are configured to correctly parse TypeScript-based ESLint configuration files. For new projects, this is handled automatically.
gotcha This tool explicitly requires Node.js version `>=20.19.0` as specified in its `engines` field. Attempting to run `create-typescript-app` with older Node.js versions may lead to unhandled errors, installation failures, or unexpected behavior during project generation.
Fix: Upgrade your Node.js environment to version 20.19.0 or higher using a Node Version Manager (e.g., `nvm install 20` or `volta install node@20`).
gotcha The setup process implicitly expects `pnpm` to be installed and available in the system's PATH for managing project dependencies. While `create-typescript-app` handles the initial project structure, `pnpm` is the preferred package manager for the generated project's operations.
Fix: Install `pnpm` globally before running `create-typescript-app` if you plan to use it as the package manager for your new project: `npm install -g pnpm`.

Install

npm install create-typescript-app npm
yarn add create-typescript-app yarn
pnpm add create-typescript-app pnpm

Quickstart

Initializes a new TypeScript project with an interactive setup wizard and common CLI options, creating a project directory and its core files without immediately installing dependencies. Users are prompted for further configuration during execution.

npx create-typescript-app --owner "YourGitHubUser" --author "Your Name" --email "your.email@example.com" --repository-description "A new TypeScript project with opinionated tooling." --package-name "my-new-ts-app" --mode setup --skip-install

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