CW Scaffolding Generation

VerifiedSafe

Adds standardized components like GitHub workflows, CODEOWNERS, Helm charts, or Backstage catalog files to existing repositories, or generates complete project archetypes locally. Ideal for bootstrapping new projects or applying compliance and automation patterns.

Sby Skills Guide Bot
DevOpsIntermediate
6/2/2026
Claude Code
#scaffolding#code-generation#devops#project-templates

Recommended for

Automated summary

Adds standardized components (e.g., CODEOWNERS, GitHub workflows, Helm charts, Backstage catalog) to existing repositories or generates complete project archetypes using the cw CLI tool.

Strengths

  • Automates repetitive setup tasks
  • Supports multiple component types and archetypes
  • Offers both interactive and non-interactive modes
  • Includes validation and troubleshooting commands

Limitations

  • Requires the cw CLI to be installed
  • Modifies files directly, requiring explicit user confirmation
  • Limited to predefined templates
When to use it

Use this skill when you need to add common DevOps components like GitHub workflows, CODEOWNERS, or Backstage catalog files to a repository, or when generating a new project structure.

When not to use it

Avoid this skill when custom components not covered by the predefined templates are needed, or when you want to manually configure each file.

Security analysis

Safe
Quality score90/100

The skill only uses the cw CLI tool to scaffold files (codeowners, workflows, helm charts, etc.) within the current repository. It requires user confirmation before modifying files and does not execute arbitrary system commands, destructive actions, or exfiltrate data. The allowed-tools are scoped to cw scaffold:* and cw version, both safe.

No concerns found

How this analysis is made

Examples

Add CODEOWNERS to a repository
Add CODEOWNERS to this repository. The team name is 'my-team'.
Generate a Go HTTP service
Generate a new Go HTTP service project in a directory called 'my-service'.

name: cw-scaffold description: Add components to existing repos or generate archetypes locally. Use when adding GitHub workflows, CODEOWNERS, Helm charts, Backstage catalog files, or generating new project structures. allowed-tools:

  • Bash(cw scaffold:*)
  • Bash(cw version)

CW Scaffolding

Add standardized components to existing repositories or generate complete project archetypes locally.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

  • Adding CODEOWNERS to a repository
  • Setting up GitHub workflows (linting, dependency updates, PR review)
  • Adding Backstage catalog configuration
  • Creating Helm charts
  • Generating a new project structure locally

Instructions

Step 1: Understand the Request

Determine what the user wants:

  • Component: Add a specific feature to an existing repo
  • Archetype: Generate a complete project structure

Available Components:

| Group | Component | Purpose | |-------|-----------|---------| | backstage | catalog-yaml-component | Register as Backstage Component | | backstage | catalog-yaml-location | Register as Backstage Location | | backstage | catalog-yaml-system | Register as Backstage System | | github | codeowners | Define code ownership | | github | workflow-claude-review-prs | AI-powered PR review | | github | workflow-close-stale-prs | Auto-close stale PRs | | github | workflow-megalinter | Comprehensive linting | | github | workflow-renovate | Automated dependency updates | | helm | chart-basic | Kubernetes Helm chart |

Available Archetypes:

| Archetype | Purpose | |-----------|---------| | blank-repo | Minimal starter with CODEOWNERS and Backstage | | go-http-service | Production-ready Go HTTP service |

Step 2: Pre-flight Checks

cw version  # Verify CLI installed
pwd         # Confirm in correct directory (for components)

For components, user should be in the repository root.

Step 3: Component Generation

IMPORTANT: This modifies files in the repository. Get user confirmation before running.

Interactive mode:

cw scaffold generate -c

With specific version:

cw scaffold generate -c --version v2.5.0

Non-interactive mode (for automation):

Create config.yaml:

componentGroup: github
componentName: codeowners
inputs:
  github_team_name: your-team

Run:

cw scaffold generate --config config.yaml --skip-pr

Step 4: Archetype Generation

Interactive mode:

cw scaffold generate -a

This prompts for:

  • Archetype selection
  • Output directory
  • Project-specific inputs

Step 5: Post-Generation

After generation:

  1. Review generated files:

    git status
    git diff
    
  2. Commit changes: Use /commit skill for proper commit message

  3. Create PR if needed: The CLI may offer to create a PR automatically

Common Workflows

Add CODEOWNERS

cd your-repo
cw scaffold generate -c
# Select: github -> codeowners
# Provide: team name

Add Megalinter

cd your-repo
cw scaffold generate -c
# Select: github -> workflow-megalinter

Add Renovate for Dependency Updates

cd your-repo
cw scaffold generate -c
# Select: github -> workflow-renovate

Generate Go Service Locally

cw scaffold generate -a
# Select: go-http-service
# Specify: output directory
# Provide: project name, team, etc.

Validation

To validate templates (useful for template maintainers):

cw scaffold validate <path> -c   # Validate as component
cw scaffold validate <path> -a   # Validate as archetype
cw scaffold validate <path> -f   # Fail fast on first error

Troubleshooting

Component not found:

rm -rf ~/.cw/cli/cached-templates/
cw scaffold generate -c  # Re-fetches templates

Wrong version:

cw scaffold generate -c --version v2.5.0

Test local templates:

cw scaffold generate -c --path /path/to/local/repo-templates

View available components/archetypes:

cw scaffold info -c
cw scaffold info -a

From the file to a first result

The download contains exactly the content displayed on this page. This copy may differ from the latest version in the source repository.

View the source and supporting files

This download contains SKILL.md only. Any scripts, references, templates and dependencies are not included. Get the required files from the source, preserving their directory structure, before continuing.

1. Download the file

Download SKILL.md

From the root of a test project, save the file as .skill-downloads/cw-scaffolding-generation-mmh8qr8r/SKILL.md, or use the command below. This folder is for inspecting the skill before installation.

Command for macOS/Linux or WSL: requires a POSIX shell and curl. On Windows without WSL, use the download button and create the folder manually.

mkdir -p '.skill-downloads/cw-scaffolding-generation-mmh8qr8r' && curl --fail --show-error --location 'https://skills-guides.com/api/skills/cw-scaffolding-generation-mmh8qr8r/download' --output '.skill-downloads/cw-scaffolding-generation-mmh8qr8r/SKILL.md.part' && mv '.skill-downloads/cw-scaffolding-generation-mmh8qr8r/SKILL.md.part' '.skill-downloads/cw-scaffolding-generation-mmh8qr8r/SKILL.md'

2. Check prerequisites

Read SKILL.md before using it. If it references scripts or external services, inspect them and prepare the required access in your test environment.

No recognized prerequisites section in this file. This does not mean it is self-contained: libraries, tools and access requirements may be mentioned elsewhere in the content or source repository.

The platforms on this page are catalog indications. The paths below follow tool documentation; they do not prove this skill has been run in those tools. No minimum tool version is confirmed for this listing.

3. Load the skill

After inspection, copy the complete folder into your project using one of the commands below, then open a new tool session. The command stops if a folder with the same name already exists: compare the files before replacing it.

Claude Code
test -f '.skill-downloads/cw-scaffolding-generation-mmh8qr8r/SKILL.md' && test -s '.skill-downloads/cw-scaffolding-generation-mmh8qr8r/SKILL.md' && mkdir -p '.claude/skills' && test ! -e '.claude/skills/cw-scaffold' && cp -R '.skill-downloads/cw-scaffolding-generation-mmh8qr8r' '.claude/skills/cw-scaffold'

OpenSkills

OpenSkills must already be installed. The local install/read procedure is checked with OpenSkills 1.5.0, which requires Node.js ≥ 20.6.0. Catalog slugs are not resolved automatically.

Official OpenSkills installation
openskills install './.skill-downloads/cw-scaffolding-generation-mmh8qr8r'

openskills read 'cw-scaffolding-generation-mmh8qr8r'

Reading should display the installed file content and its base directory. It does not run the skill or install its dependencies.

For an agent that reads AGENTS.md, then sync the index. This command changes AGENTS.md: review the diff before using it.

openskills sync

Manual method or another tool: attach SKILL.md to a conversation, or open it in an agent that can read files. Include any required supporting resources. No universal folder is recognized by every tool.

4. Try a first task

Use a short, synthetic input: an API endpoint, a small document or an interface brief. In a new conversation, attach the file or give the agent its path, then adapt this request:

Read .skill-downloads/cw-scaffolding-generation-mmh8qr8r/SKILL.md and apply its instructions to this example: [describe a test input]. Identify any missing files, dependencies or access. Produce the result requested by the skill without inventing data or running unreviewed scripts.

Expected result: output matching the skill instructions, or a precise list of missing prerequisites. A read confirmation alone does not validate a first use. If an external resource is unavailable, that path remains untested.

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