Repo bootstrap

Repository Bootstrap

Two-phase skill for bootstrapping new repositories after an onboarding conversation has established project context.

Phases

Phase	Trigger	Actions
Scaffold	"scaffold the repo", "create structure"	Create directories, place README-pending.md placeholders
Hydrate	"hydrate", "write the READMEs", "flesh out"	Write README, interior READMEs, memory-bank files

Phase 1: Scaffold

Prerequisites: Onboarding conversation complete. You understand the project's purpose, structure, and scope.

Actions:

1. Confirm the repo path (should be D:\development-repositories\{project}\repo\{repo-name}\)

2. Propose directory structure based on onboarding discussion — present as tree for approval

3. On approval, create directories using FS MCP tools

4. Place README-pending.md (empty file) in every directory that needs a README

5. Report what was created

Directory creation pattern:

For each directory:
  1. Create directory
  2. Create empty README-pending.md inside it

Do not create:

• Files that already exist
• Directories that already exist (check first)
• Content in .kilocode/ (template handles this)

Phase 2: Hydrate

Prerequisites:

• Scaffold phase complete
• Templates copied to docs/templates/ (user does this manually)
• Same conversation or sufficient context about the project

Actions:

1. Read templates from docs/templates/:

   • template-interior-readme.md — for directory READMEs
   • template-general-kb.md — for methodology docs, guides, etc.

2. Write primary README.md at repo root:

   • Follow user's established style (badges, structure, methodology sections)
   • Include: What Is This, Quick Navigation, Repository Structure, Directory Overview
   • Add TODO comments for assets/infographics if applicable

3. Write interior READMEs (replace each README-pending.md):

   • Follow template-interior-readme.md pattern
   • Link to parent README
   • Link to all child directory READMEs
   • List and describe all files in directory
   • Remove the Guidelines section (that's template-only)

4. Populate memory-bank files in .kilocode/rules/memory-bank/:

   • brief.md — 2-3 paragraphs: what, why, who
   • architecture.md — Structure, components, design principles
   • product.md — Problems solved, how it works, goals
   • Leave context.md, tasks.md, tech.md as templates unless project-specific content exists

5. Delete all README-pending.md and *-pending.md placeholder files

6. Report what was written

Memory Bank Structure

The memory-bank serves AI agents loading context at session start:

File	Purpose	When to Populate
brief.md	What/why/who in 2-3 paragraphs	Always
architecture.md	Structure, components, patterns	Always
product.md	Problems, approach, goals	Always
context.md	Current state, recent decisions	When relevant
tasks.md	Active work items	When relevant
tech.md	Stack, dependencies, constraints	When relevant

Interior README Pattern

Every directory README must:

1. Title & Overview — What this directory is
2. Contents — Tables listing files and subdirectories
3. Structure — ASCII tree of directory layout
4. Related — Links to parent and sibling READMEs
5. Getting Started — Entry points (optional)
6. Document Information — Maintainer, dates

Linking rules:

• Always link to README.md, never bare directories
• Every subdirectory must have its README linked
• Parent directory always linked in Related section

Quality Checks

Before completing each phase:

Scaffold:

• All proposed directories created
• README-pending.md in every directory
• No duplicate or conflicting structures

Hydrate:

• Primary README complete with all sections
• All interior READMEs written
• All *-pending.md files removed
• Memory-bank core files populated (brief, architecture, product)
• All links valid (parent/child/sibling)

References

See references/workflow.md for the complete user workflow this skill supports.