initialization
Use when starting a new session without feature-list.json, setting up project structure, or breaking down requirements into atomic features. Load in INIT state. Detects project type (Python/Node/Django/FastAPI), creates feature-list.json with priorities, initializes .claude/progress/ tracking.
SKILL.md
Full skill instructions
Initialization
Project setup and feature breakdown for INIT state.
Execution Order (MANDATORY)
Follow this exact sequence. Do NOT skip steps.
Step 1: Global Setup (once per machine)
# Check if global CLAUDE.md exists
[ -f ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md ] || ~/.claude/skills/initialization/scripts/global-init.sh
Step 2: Global Hooks (once per machine)
# Check and install global hooks
[ -x ~/.claude/hooks/verify-state-transition.py ] || \
~/.claude/skills/global-hook-setup/scripts/setup-global-hooks.sh
IMPORTANT: Load global-hook-setup skill if hooks missing.
Step 3: MCP Servers (once per project)
# Check and install MCP servers
[ -d mcp/token-efficient-mcp ] || \
~/.claude/skills/mcp-setup/scripts/setup-all.sh --non-interactive
IMPORTANT: Load mcp-setup skill if MCP missing.
Step 4: Project Structure
~/.claude/skills/initialization/scripts/init-project.sh
Creates:
.claude/config/project.json- Project settings.claude/progress/state.json- State (transitions to INIT)CLAUDE.md- Project documentation.claude/CLAUDE.md- Quick reference
Step 5: Project Hooks (once per project)
# Check and install project hooks
[ -x .claude/hooks/verify-tests.py ] || \
~/.claude/skills/project-hook-setup/scripts/setup-project-hooks.sh --non-interactive
IMPORTANT: Load project-hook-setup skill if hooks missing.
Step 6: Check Dependencies
~/.claude/skills/initialization/scripts/check-dependencies.sh
Fix any errors before proceeding.
Step 7: Create Feature List
- Analyze user requirements
- Break down into atomic features (INVEST criteria)
- Create
.claude/progress/feature-list.json
~/.claude/skills/initialization/scripts/create-feature-list.sh
Step 8: Initialize Progress
~/.claude/skills/initialization/scripts/init-progress.sh
Step 9: Verify INIT Complete
~/.claude/skills/initialization/scripts/verify-init.sh
Must pass all 14 checks before transitioning to IMPLEMENT.
CLAUDE.md Hierarchy
| File | Scope | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
~/.claude/CLAUDE.md | Global | User preferences, skill enforcement |
CLAUDE.md | Project | Project documentation (100-300 lines) |
.claude/CLAUDE.md | Local | Quick reference (<50 lines) |
Exit Criteria (Code Verified)
# Project structure initialized
[ -f "CLAUDE.md" ] # Project documentation created
[ -f ".claude/CLAUDE.md" ] # Quick reference created
[ -f ".claude/config/project.json" ] # Project config
[ -d ".claude/progress/" ] # Tracking directory
# Feature list created
[ -f ".claude/progress/feature-list.json" ]
jq '.features | length > 0' .claude/progress/feature-list.json
jq '.features[0] | has("id", "description", "priority", "status")' .claude/progress/feature-list.json
# Dependencies verified
scripts/check-dependencies.sh --quiet
# Hooks installed
[ -x "~/.claude/hooks/verify-state-transition.py" ] # Global hooks
[ -x ".claude/hooks/verify-tests.py" ] # Project hooks
Scripts
| Script | Purpose |
|---|---|
scripts/global-init.sh | One-time setup for ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md (global preferences) |
scripts/init-project.sh | Initialize .claude/ structure, generate CLAUDE.md files |
scripts/detect-project.sh | Detect Python/Node/Django/etc |
scripts/check-dependencies.sh | Verify MCP, env vars, services, ports |
scripts/create-init-script.sh | Generate init.sh for dev server |
scripts/create-feature-list.sh | Generate feature-list.json |
scripts/init-progress.sh | Initialize .claude/progress/ |
scripts/verify-init.sh | Verify all INIT criteria met |
References
| File | Load When |
|---|---|
| references/feature-breakdown.md | Breaking down requirements |
| references/project-detection.md | Detecting project type |
| references/mvp-feature-breakdown.md | MVP-first tiered feature generation (10/30/200) |
Assets
| File | Purpose |
|---|---|
| templates/CLAUDE.project.template.md | Template for CLAUDE.md (project root) |
| templates/CLAUDE.local.template.md | Template for .claude/CLAUDE.md (quick reference) |
| templates/framework-templates/*.md | Framework-specific content (python, node, rust, go) |
| assets/feature-list.template.json | Template for new feature lists |