# Project setup

How to start a new project on the Default Workflow. Do this once, at the beginning of
a project, before any feature work.

## 1. Create the repository

- Create an empty repo on the forge (git.discworld.casa or wherever the project lives).
- Clone it, or `git init` locally and add the remote.
- The trunk branch is `main` unless the forge defaults to `master`; either is fine, be
  consistent and refer to it as "the trunk" in docs.

## 2. Copy the workflow files in

From this Default-Workflow repo, copy into the new project root:

- `CLAUDE.md` - so every session loads the workflow automatically.
- `docs/` - the detailed workflow docs (or link to them if you prefer one source of
  truth; copying keeps the project self contained and offline readable).
- `templates/*` into `state/` (see next step).

## 3. Create the state directory

The `state/` directory is the project's memory. It replaces chat history. Copy the
templates and fill in the project specifics:

```
state/
  PROJECT.md      - objectives, scope, description, who it is for
  ARCHITECTURE.md - how the system is built and why
  DECISIONS.md    - dated log of decisions and their rationale
  TODO.md         - what is done, in progress, and pending
  NOTES.md        - working notes, gotchas, environment quirks
```

Fill in `PROJECT.md` first. It anchors every later session. A session that reads only
`PROJECT.md`, `TODO.md` and `DECISIONS.md` should understand what the project is and
what to do next.

## 4. Add a .gitignore

Ignore build artefacts, dependencies, secrets and local scratch. Never commit tokens
or credentials.

## 5. First commit

Commit the scaffold to the trunk directly (this is bootstrap, not a feature):

```
git add .
git commit
```

Write a full commit message describing what the scaffold contains and why. From here
on, all work follows the [Workflow](workflow.md): a branch per feature.

## Checklist

- [ ] Repo created and remote set
- [ ] `CLAUDE.md` and `docs/` present in project root
- [ ] `state/` created from templates, `PROJECT.md` filled in
- [ ] `.gitignore` in place, no secrets tracked
- [ ] Scaffold committed to the trunk