CLI — `init` · Docs

npx devsnips init creates the DevSnips project context in the current working directory without installing anything. Implementation: cli/src/commands/init.js; tests: cli/test/init.test.js.

Syntax

npx devsnips init

No arguments or options. Requires network access? No — init is fully local.

Behavior

If both devsnips/config.json and devsnips/AGENTS.md already exist, print "DevSnips project context already initialized." and exit 0 without touching anything (idempotent).
Otherwise:
- create ./devsnips/ (if missing);
- create ./devsnips/config.json if missing — { "version": 1, "project": {}, "resources": [] };
- create ./devsnips/AGENTS.md if missing — the default agent instructions;
- report which files were created; exit 0.

Expected output

First run:

DevSnips
 
  Initializing DevSnips project context... ✓
  Created devsnips/AGENTS.md
  Created devsnips/config.json
 
✓ DevSnips project initialized successfully

Subsequent run:

DevSnips
 
  DevSnips project context already initialized.

Failure behavior

Condition	Result
Existing `devsnips/config.json` is malformed JSON or not an object	"✗ Initialization failed" with the parse error; the file is left byte-for-byte untouched; exit 1
Filesystem write failure	"✗ Initialization failed" with the OS error; exit 1

A malformed config.json is an error, never silently replaced. Fix or remove the file and re-run.

Filesystem changes

Change	When
`./devsnips/` directory	Created if missing
`./devsnips/config.json`	Created only when missing
`./devsnips/AGENTS.md`	Created only when missing — never overwritten once it exists

Relationship to `add`

add performs the same initialization automatically on the first successful install, so init is optional. Use it when you want the context (notably the agent instructions file) present before any install. The contracts of the two created files are described in Configuration.

Notes for agents

Running init in a project that already has the context is a safe no-op.
init never reports the project's stack; config.json's project object is CLI-protected and left empty by the CLI itself (the CLI never fabricates project information it cannot know).
After init, an agent should read devsnips/AGENTS.md before doing UI work — it carries the adaptation rules and quality checks that govern how installed resources are used in that project.