fix(cli): fail early on non-empty target dir (0.2.10)

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## 0.2.10 - 2026-07-22
+
+### CLI / UX
+
+- Validate non-empty target directory **before** the interactive wizard so a leftover default `my-project/` does not waste a full prompt session.
+- Exit cleanly with a hint to use `--force` or pick a different directory name (no traceback).
+
 ## 0.2.9 - 2026-07-22
 
 ### CLI / argv trailing directory

docs/TROUBLESHOOTING.md

@@ -27,7 +27,10 @@ inherit `requires-python` from their template.
 `Target directory is not empty: <path>`.
 
 **Cause:** CPA refuses to scaffold into a directory that already contains files,
-to avoid overwriting user data.
+to avoid overwriting user data. The default target is `my-project` when no
+directory argument is given — a leftover from a previous run is a common tripwire.
+Interactive mode checks this **before** the template/extension prompts so you
+do not lose a full wizard session to a traceback.
 
 **Fix:**
 

packages/create-awesome-python-app/pyproject.toml

@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 [project]
 name = "create-awesome-python-app"
-version = "0.2.9"
+version = "0.2.10"
 description = "Composable scaffolding CLI for production-ready Python apps"
 readme = "README.md"
 requires-python = ">=3.12"
 license = "MIT"
 dependencies = [
- "create-python-app-core>=0.2.6",
+ "create-python-app-core>=0.2.10",
  "questionary>=2.1.1",
  "rich>=15.0.0",
  "typer>=0.27.0",

packages/create-awesome-python-app/src/create_awesome_python_app/__init__.py

@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 """Create Awesome Python App CLI."""
 
-__version__ = "0.2.9"
+__version__ = "0.2.10"

packages/create-awesome-python-app/src/create_awesome_python_app/cli.py

@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@
 from create_python_app_core import (
  ConfigParseError,
  CpaCustomOption,
+ NonEmptyTargetDirectoryError,
+ assert_directory_is_empty,
  check_for_latest_version,
  check_python_version,
  create_python_app,
@@ -323,6 +325,18 @@ def scaffold(
  la(template)
  raise typer.Exit(0)
 
+ target_directory = project_directory or "my-project"
+ # Fail before the interactive wizard so a leftover `my-project/` does not
+ # waste a full prompt session (and so we exit cleanly, not with a traceback).
+ if not force:
+ try:
+ assert_directory_is_empty(
+ Path(target_directory).expanduser().resolve(), force=False
+ )
+ except NonEmptyTargetDirectoryError as err:
+ console.print(f"[red]{err}[/red]")
+ raise typer.Exit(1) from err
+
  effective_refresh = _normalize_refresh(refresh)
  if refresh and effective_refresh is None:
  console.print(
@@ -540,25 +554,31 @@ def scaffold(
  raise typer.Exit(1)
  console.print(f"[yellow]{msg}[/yellow]")
 
- asyncio.run(
- create_python_app(
- project_directory or "my-project",
- {
- "template": template,
- "addons": addons or [],
- "extend": extend or [],
- "install": not no_install,
- "force": force,
- "verbose": verbose,
- "offline": offline,
- "refresh": effective_refresh,
- "keep_on_failure": keep_on_failure,
- "cache_dir": str(cache_dir) if cache_dir else None,
- "set": set_map,
- },
+ try:
+ asyncio.run(
+ create_python_app(
+ target_directory,
+ {
+ "template": template,
+ "addons": addons or [],
+ "extend": extend or [],
+ "install": not no_install,
+ "force": force,
+ "verbose": verbose,
+ "offline": offline,
+ "refresh": effective_refresh,
+ "keep_on_failure": keep_on_failure,
+ "cache_dir": str(cache_dir) if cache_dir else None,
+ "set": set_map,
+ },
+ )
  )
- )
- console.print(f"[green]Created[/green] {project_directory}")
+ except NonEmptyTargetDirectoryError as err:
+ # Safety net if the target fills up after the early check (e.g. during
+ # a long interactive session).
+ console.print(f"[red]{err}[/red]")
+ raise typer.Exit(1) from err
+ console.print(f"[green]Created[/green] {target_directory}")
 
 
 @cache_app.command("dir")

packages/create-awesome-python-app/tests/test_cli.py

@@ -541,3 +541,91 @@ def test_list_templates_with_fixture_dir(
  assert result.exit_code == 0, text
  assert "fixture-only" in text
  assert os.environ.get("CPA_CATALOG_FIXTURE") == "1"
+
+
+def test_non_empty_target_fails_before_scaffold(
+ tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch
+) -> None:
+ """Leftover target dir must fail immediately — not after interactive work."""
+ target = tmp_path / "existing"
+ target.mkdir()
+ (target / "leftover.txt").write_text("already here", encoding="utf-8")
+ tpl = tmp_path / "tpl"
+ tpl.mkdir()
+ called: dict[str, bool] = {"create": False}
+
+ async def fake_check_for_latest_version(_package_name):
+ return None
+
+ async def fake_create_python_app(*_args, **_kwargs):
+ called["create"] = True
+
+ monkeypatch.setattr(
+ "create_awesome_python_app.cli.check_for_latest_version",
+ fake_check_for_latest_version,
+ )
+ monkeypatch.setattr(
+ "create_awesome_python_app.cli.create_python_app",
+ fake_create_python_app,
+ )
+
+ result = runner.invoke(
+ app,
+ [
+ "--template",
+ f"file://{tpl}",
+ "--no-install",
+ "--no-interactive",
+ str(target),
+ ],
+ )
+ text = (result.stdout or "") + (result.stderr or "")
+ assert result.exit_code == 1, text
+ assert "not empty" in text.lower()
+ assert "--force" in text
+ assert called["create"] is False
+
+
+def test_non_empty_target_allows_force(
+ tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch
+) -> None:
+ target = tmp_path / "existing"
+ target.mkdir()
+ (target / "leftover.txt").write_text("already here", encoding="utf-8")
+ tpl = tmp_path / "tpl"
+ tpl.mkdir()
+ captured: dict[str, object] = {}
+
+ async def fake_check_for_latest_version(_package_name):
+ return None
+
+ async def fake_create_python_app(project_directory, options, *_args, **_kwargs):
+ captured["project_directory"] = project_directory
+ captured["options"] = options
+
+ monkeypatch.setattr(
+ "create_awesome_python_app.cli.check_for_latest_version",
+ fake_check_for_latest_version,
+ )
+ monkeypatch.setattr(
+ "create_awesome_python_app.cli.create_python_app",
+ fake_create_python_app,
+ )
+
+ result = runner.invoke(
+ app,
+ [
+ "--template",
+ f"file://{tpl}",
+ "--force",
+ "--no-install",
+ "--no-interactive",
+ str(target),
+ ],
+ )
+ text = (result.stdout or "") + (result.stderr or "")
+ assert result.exit_code == 0, text
+ assert captured["project_directory"] == str(target)
+ options = captured["options"]
+ assert isinstance(options, dict)
+ assert options["force"] is True

packages/create-python-app-core/pyproject.toml

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [project]
 name = "create-python-app-core"
-version = "0.2.6"
+version = "0.2.10"
 description = "Scaffolding engine for Create Awesome Python App"
 readme = "README.md"
 requires-python = ">=3.12"

packages/create-python-app-core/src/create_python_app_core/_version.py

@@ -1 +1 @@
-__version__ = "0.2.6"
+__version__ = "0.2.10"

packages/create-python-app-core/src/create_python_app_core/config.py

@@ -60,4 +60,7 @@ def assert_directory_is_empty(path: Path, *, force: bool = False) -> None:
  if force:
  return
  if path.exists() and any(path.iterdir()):
- raise NonEmptyTargetDirectoryError(f"Target directory is not empty: {path}")
+ raise NonEmptyTargetDirectoryError(
+ f"Target directory is not empty: {path}. "
+ "Use --force to continue, or pick a different directory name."
+ )

packages/create-python-app-core/tests/test_config.py

@@ -30,6 +30,6 @@ def test_bad_json(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
 
 def test_non_empty(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
  (tmp_path / "f").write_text("x")
- with pytest.raises(NonEmptyTargetDirectoryError):
+ with pytest.raises(NonEmptyTargetDirectoryError, match="Use --force"):
  assert_directory_is_empty(tmp_path)
  assert_directory_is_empty(tmp_path, force=True)