Add External Template Sources, Configuration System, and Template Management

[solrevdev]

🎯 Overview

This issue consolidates the remaining features from the original Issue #9 into a comprehensive template ecosystem for seedfolder. After the successful completion of PR #10, we now have a solid foundation with 6 built-in project templates and professional CLI features. This issue will add external template support, configuration management, and a GitHub-based template marketplace.

🎨 Design Philosophy

• Pragmatic over complex: Simple GitHub-based marketplace without hosting costs
• Progressive enhancement: All new features are additive, maintaining backward compatibility
• User empowerment: Allow users to override built-in templates and create new project types
• Enterprise ready: Robust validation, error handling, and configuration management

🚀 Feature Areas

1. External Template Sources (Issue #2)

Enable users to load templates from external directories and sources beyond the built-in embedded templates.

Acceptance Criteria:

• Template discovery hierarchy: CLI args → user directory → system directory → built-in
• Support --template-path flag for custom template directories
• User templates directory at ~/.seedfolder/templates/
• External template validation with clear error reporting
• Documentation for creating custom templates

Template Structure:

template-name/
├── template.json # Metadata (version, description, author, etc.)
├── files/ # Template files to copy
│ ├── README.md
│ ├── .gitignore
│ └── package.json
└── docs/ # Optional template documentation
 └── README.md

Subtasks:

• Design template directory structure and metadata format
• Implement template discovery hierarchy (CLI → user → system → built-in)
• Add --template-path command line parameter
• Create ~/.seedfolder/templates/ user directory support
• Implement template validation for external sources
• Add template override capability (external templates override built-in by name)

2. Configuration File Support (Issue #5)

Implement a comprehensive configuration system for user preferences and defaults.

Acceptance Criteria:

• Global configuration at ~/.seedfolder/config.json
• Per-directory configuration via .seedfolder.json files
• seedfolder config command group for configuration management
• Configuration precedence: CLI args → local → global → defaults
• Support for all major settings (default template, date prefixing, behavior options)

Configuration Schema:

{
 "defaultTemplate": "markdown",
 "datePrefix": {
 "enabled": true,
 "format": "yyyy-MM-dd"
 },
 "templateSources": [
 "~/.seedfolder/templates",
 "https://github.com/solrevdev/seedfolder-marketplace"
 ],
 "behavior": {
 "quietMode": false,
 "forceOverwrite": false,
 "dryRun": false
 }
}

Subtasks:

• Design JSON configuration schema with validation
• Implement ~/.seedfolder/config.json global configuration
• Add .seedfolder.json per-directory configuration
• Create seedfolder config command group (list, set, unset, init)
• Implement configuration precedence hierarchy
• Add configuration validation and error handling
• Replace hardcoded date prefix with configurable format

3. Template Management & Marketplace (Issue #6)

Create a comprehensive template management system with a GitHub-based marketplace.

🏪 Marketplace Repository: https://github.com/solrevdev/seedfolder-marketplace

Acceptance Criteria:

• GitHub marketplace repository (solrevdev/seedfolder-marketplace)
• seedfolder template command group for template operations
• Template installation from remote sources (GitHub repos)
• Template validation with detailed error reporting
• Template update and uninstall functionality

Marketplace Repository Structure:

solrevdev/seedfolder-marketplace/
├── templates/
│ ├── angular/
│ ├── vue/
│ ├── rust/
│ └── golang/
├── registry.json # Master catalog
└── README.md # Contribution guidelines

Command Structure:

# Template Management
seedfolder template list # Show all available templates
seedfolder template list --remote # Show marketplace templates
seedfolder template info <name> # Show template details
seedfolder template install <name> # Install from marketplace
seedfolder template install --url <repo> # Install from custom repo
seedfolder template uninstall <name> # Remove template
seedfolder template update [name] # Update templates
seedfolder template validate <path> # Validate template structure
seedfolder template create <name> # Create template scaffold

# Configuration Management 
seedfolder config list # Show current configuration
seedfolder config set <key> <value> # Set configuration value
seedfolder config unset <key> # Remove configuration value
seedfolder config init # Create default config file

Subtasks:

• Create GitHub marketplace repository (solrevdev/seedfolder-marketplace)
• Design template metadata schema (template.json) with validation
• Implement seedfolder template command group infrastructure
• Add template installation from GitHub repositories
• Implement template validation engine with detailed error reporting
• Add template update functionality with version checking
• Implement template uninstall with cleanup
• Create template marketplace client for remote operations
• Add template conflict detection and resolution
• Document template authoring guidelines

🏗️ Implementation Strategy

Phase 1: Foundation (Week 1-2)

• External template loading infrastructure
• Configuration system core
• Template validation framework

Phase 2: Commands (Week 2-3)

• seedfolder template command group
• seedfolder config command group
• Basic marketplace operations

Phase 3: Marketplace (Week 3-4)

• GitHub marketplace repository
• Remote template installation
• Update and management features

Phase 4: Polish (Week 4-5)

• Comprehensive testing
• Documentation updates
• Template authoring guidelines

🎯 Success Metrics

• Users can override any built-in template with their own version
• Users can add completely new project types not covered by built-in templates
• Template sharing works seamlessly through GitHub marketplace
• Configuration provides sensible defaults while allowing full customization
• All operations work reliably across Windows, macOS, and Linux
• Comprehensive error messages guide users to resolution
• Template validation prevents common mistakes and conflicts

🔗 Related Issues

This issue consolidates and closes:

• Issue Add support for external and custom template sources #12: Add support for external and custom template sources
• Issue Add configuration file support for user preferences and defaults #13: Add configuration file support for user preferences and defaults
• Issue Implement comprehensive template management and validation #14: Implement comprehensive template management and validation

Dependencies:

• Requires completion of PR Complete implementation of Issue #9: Multi-template system with comprehensive CLI features, cross-platform testing, project-specific configuration files, OS-specific git integration, and markdown as default template #10 (Issue Issues and subtasks for seedfolder improvements #9 foundation)
• All issues build upon completed Issue Issues and subtasks for seedfolder improvements #9 foundation and can be implemented incrementally

📚 Technical Notes

• Maintain single-file Program.cs structure with new internal classes
• JSON Schema validation for all configuration and metadata files
• Cross-platform path handling using Path.Combine() throughout
• Comprehensive error handling with actionable error messages
• Template caching for performance with remote sources
• Atomic operations for template installation/removal where possible

🤝 Contributing

This issue provides multiple independent subtasks suitable for different skill levels. Contributors can work on individual features while maintaining overall architectural coherence.