Cookiecutter — Project Templates from the Command Line

Introduction

Cookiecutter lets you scaffold new projects from predefined templates stored in Git repos, local directories, or zip files. It uses Jinja2 for variable substitution so template authors can parameterize any file or directory name.

What Cookiecutter Does

• Generates project skeletons from community or custom templates
• Prompts users for template variables via an interactive CLI or JSON config
• Supports conditional file inclusion and directory renaming via Jinja2
• Works with any language or framework (not Python-specific)
• Allows pre- and post-generation hooks for setup tasks like git init

Architecture Overview

Cookiecutter reads a cookiecutter.json file from the template root to determine which variables to prompt for. It then renders all files and directory names through Jinja2, writes the output to the current directory, and optionally executes shell-based hooks before or after generation.

Self-Hosting & Configuration

• Install via pip, pipx, or conda for isolated usage
• Templates live in any Git-accessible repo or local path
• Override defaults with ~/.cookiecutterrc YAML config
• Use --no-input with a JSON context file for CI automation
• Pin template versions by specifying a Git tag or commit hash

Key Features

• 6,000+ community templates on GitHub covering Django, Flask, FastAPI, Go, Rust, and more
• Replay mode re-runs last-used variables for quick iteration
• Directory and filename templating (not just file contents)
• Cross-platform with no compiled dependencies
• Extensible via Jinja2 extensions and custom hooks

Comparison with Similar Tools

• Yeoman — heavier ecosystem with generators written in JS; Cookiecutter is language-agnostic and lighter
• copier — similar Python tool with update/migration support; Cookiecutter has a larger template ecosystem
• degit — clones repos without history but lacks variable substitution
• Hygen — template-based code generator embedded in JS projects; less portable

FAQ

Q: Can I use Cookiecutter for non-Python projects? A: Yes. Templates exist for Go, Rust, C++, Java, JavaScript, and more. The tool itself is written in Python but generates any language.

Q: How do I create my own template? A: Create a directory with a cookiecutter.json defining variables and a {{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/ folder containing your scaffolded files.

Q: Can I use it in CI pipelines without prompts? A: Pass --no-input along with a --config-file or set defaults in cookiecutter.json to run non-interactively.

Q: Does it support private Git repos? A: Yes. It uses your system Git credentials or SSH keys for authentication.

Sources

• https://github.com/cookiecutter/cookiecutter
• https://cookiecutter.readthedocs.io