project-setup-info-local

Starts a brand-new project from nothing, using the official starter command for the kind of thing you are building rather than a hand-made folder of files.

WHEN TO USE

SCOPE

USE FOR

Scaffold a new VS Code extension, picking its type, bundler, and package manager.
Bootstrap a Next.js, Vite, or MCP-server project with the right starter command and flags.
Create a new standalone Python script or an installable Python package project.
Find the right MCP SDK and setup instructions for a chosen language before scaffolding it.

NOT FOR

Create just one file or a quick code example instead of a full project.
Bolt an extra file onto a project that's already set up.
Change or troubleshoot code in an existing codebase.

This is a saved copy of the skill's SKILL.md instructions. It may differ from the upstream file or the version you install.

In this document (7)

How to setup a project

Determine what kind of project the user wants to create, then based on that, choose which setup info below to follow. Only setup a project if the folder is empty or if you've just called the tool first calling the tool to create a workspace.

vscode-extension

A template for creating a VS Code extension using Yeoman and Generator-Code.

Run this command:

npx --package yo --package generator-code -- yo code . --skipOpen

The command has the following arguments:

-t, --extensionType: Specify extension type: ts, js, command-ts, command-js, colortheme, language, snippets, keymap, extensionpack, localization, commandweb, notebook. Defaults to ts
-n, --extensionDisplayName: Set the display name of the extension.
--extensionId: Set the unique ID of the extension. Do not select this option if the user has not requested a unique ID.
--extensionDescription: Provide a description for the extension.
--pkgManager: Specify package manager: npm, yarn, or pnpm. Defaults to npm.
--bundler: Bundle the extension using webpack or esbuild.
--gitInit: Initialize a Git repository for the extension.
--snippetFolder: Specify the location of the snippet folder.
--snippetLanguage: Set the language for snippets.

Rules

Do not remove any arguments from the command. Only add arguments if the user requests them.
Call the tool get_vscode_api with the user's query to get the relevant references.
After the tool get_vscode_api has completed, only then begin to modify the project.

next-js

A React based framework for building server-rendered web applications.

Run this command:

npx create-next-app@latest .

The command has the following arguments:

--ts, --typescript: Initialize as a TypeScript project. This is the default.
--js, --javascript: Initialize as a JavaScript project.
--tailwind: Initialize with Tailwind CSS config. This is the default.
--eslint: Initialize with ESLint config.
--app: Initialize as an App Router project.
--src-dir: Initialize inside a 'src/' directory.
--turbopack: Enable Turbopack by default for development.
--import-alias <prefix/*>: Specify import alias to use.(default is "@/*")
--api: Initialize a headless API using the App Router.
--empty: Initialize an empty project.
--use-npm: Explicitly tell the CLI to bootstrap the application using npm.
--use-pnpm: Explicitly tell the CLI to bootstrap the application using pnpm.
--use-yarn: Explicitly tell the CLI to bootstrap the application using Yarn.
--use-bun: Explicitly tell the CLI to bootstrap the application using Bun.

vite

A front end build tool for web applications that focuses on speed and performance. Can be used with React, Vue, Preact, Lit, Svelte, Solid, and Qwik.

Run this command:

npx create-vite@latest .

The command has the following arguments:

-t, --template NAME: Use a specific template. Available templates: vanilla-ts, vanilla, vue-ts, vue, react-ts, react, react-swc-ts, react-swc, preact-ts, preact, lit-ts, lit, svelte-ts, svelte, solid-ts, solid, qwik-ts, qwik

mcp-server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server project. This project supports multiple programming languages including TypeScript, JavaScript, Python, C#, Java, and Kotlin.

Rules

First, visit https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol to find the correct SDK and setup instructions for the requested language. Default to TypeScript if no language is specified.
Use the fetch_webpage tool to find the correct implementation instructions from https://modelcontextprotocol.io/llms-full.txt
Update the copilot-instructions.md file in the .github directory to include references to the SDK documentation
Create an mcp.json file in the .vscode folder in the project root with the following content: { "servers": { "mcp-server-name": { "type": "stdio", "command": "command-to-run", "args": [list-of-args] } } }.
- mcp-server-name: The name of the MCP server. Create a unique name that reflects what this MCP server does.
- command-to-run: The command to run to start the MCP server. This is the command you would use to run the project you just created.
- list-of-args: The arguments to pass to the command. This is the list of arguments you would use to run the project you just created.
Install any required VS Code extensions based on the chosen language (e.g., Python extension for Python projects).
Inform the user that they can now debug this MCP server using VS Code.

python-script

A simple Python script project which should be chosen when just a single script wants to be created.

Required extensions: ms-python.python, ms-python.vscode-python-envs

Rules

Call the tool copilot_runVscodeCommand to correctly create a new Python script project in VS Code. Call the command with the following arguments. Note that "python-script" and "true" are constants while "New Project Name" and "/path/to/new/project" are placeholders for the project name and path respectively.
```
{
  "name": "python-envs.createNewProjectFromTemplate",
  "commandId": "python-envs.createNewProjectFromTemplate",
  "args": ["python-script", "true", "New Project Name", "/path/to/new/project"]
}
```

python-package

A Python package project which can be used to create a distributable package.

Required extensions: ms-python.python, ms-python.vscode-python-envs

Rules

Call the tool run_vscode_command to correctly create a new Python package project in VS Code. Call the command with the following arguments. Note that "python-package" and "true" are constants while "New Package Name" and "/path/to/new/project" are placeholders for the package name and path respectively.
```
{
  "name": "python-envs.createNewProjectFromTemplate",
  "commandId": "python-envs.createNewProjectFromTemplate",
  "args": ["python-package", "true", "New Package Name", "/path/to/new/project"]
}
```

Built into VS Code. Nothing to install there. The npx skills add command copies the same instructions into another agent, but they are written for VS Code and may call tools only VS Code has.

Run this outside your AI tool, using Node.js 22.20.0 or newer. Skills CLI 1.7.2 skips skill selection; prompts cancel installation without an interactive terminal. If choosing Project when asked about installation scope, open your project's folder before running this.

Install checklist

Check selected tools if a picker appears; Claude Code may be unchecked under Additional agents. ↑/↓ moves, Space toggles selections, Enter confirms.
Without a tool picker, check Installing to: for your intended tool. Stop if it names a different tool.
If asked, choose Symlink (Recommended) for shared files or Copy to all agents for separate copies; review the summary before confirming installation.
Install the find-skills skill? defaults to Yes, adding another skill for all projects. Choose No if you don't want that extra installation.

Skills CLI 1.7.2 sends install data to skills.sh by default, including the source, skill names, target tools and file details; GitHub sources are reported only when GitHub confirms the repository is public, while other remote sources can also be reported. Confirmed-public GitHub sources also trigger a security-audit request. Before installing, set the environment variable DO_NOT_TRACK=1 or DISABLE_TELEMETRY=1 to disable both.

npx skills add microsoft/vscode --skill "project-setup-info-local" --full-depth

After installing for Claude Code, open it in the installation project if you chose Project; Global makes the skill available across projects on this computer. Once Claude Code loads the skill, its description helps Claude decide when to use it.

If installation created a top-level skills folder that did not exist when your Claude Code session started, run /reload-skills in that session. Run it again after later changes in that folder.

View on GitHub

How to setup a project

vscode-extension

Rules

next-js

vite

mcp-server

Rules

python-script

Rules

python-package

Rules

Local tool required

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