make backend optional

.changeset/few-dogs-grow.md

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"create-better-t-stack": patch
+---
+
+make backend optional

apps/cli/src/helpers/examples-setup.ts

@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ export async function setupExamples(config: ProjectConfig): Promise<void> {
 			});
 		}
 
-		if (serverDirExists) {
+		if (serverDirExists && backend !== "none") {
 			await addPackageDependency({
 				dependencies: ["ai", "@ai-sdk/google"],
 				projectDir: serverDir,

apps/cli/src/helpers/template-manager.ts

@@ -213,15 +213,23 @@ export async function setupBackendFramework(
 	projectDir: string,
 	context: ProjectConfig,
 ): Promise<void> {
+	if (context.backend === "none") {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	const serverAppDir = path.join(projectDir, "apps/server");
+
 	if (context.backend === "convex") {
+		if (await fs.pathExists(serverAppDir)) {
+			await fs.remove(serverAppDir);
+		}
+
 		const convexBackendDestDir = path.join(projectDir, "packages/backend");
 		const convexSrcDir = path.join(
 			PKG_ROOT,
 			"templates/backend/convex/packages/backend",
 		);
-
 		await fs.ensureDir(convexBackendDestDir);
-
 		if (await fs.pathExists(convexSrcDir)) {
 			await processAndCopyFiles(
 				"**/*",
@@ -229,17 +237,10 @@ export async function setupBackendFramework(
 				convexBackendDestDir,
 				context,
 			);
-		} else {
-		}
-
-		const serverAppDir = path.join(projectDir, "apps/server");
-		if (await fs.pathExists(serverAppDir)) {
-			await fs.remove(serverAppDir);
 		}
 		return;
 	}
 
-	const serverAppDir = path.join(projectDir, "apps/server");
 	await fs.ensureDir(serverAppDir);
 
 	const serverBaseDir = path.join(
@@ -540,7 +541,11 @@ export async function setupExamplesTemplate(
 
 		const exampleBaseDir = path.join(PKG_ROOT, `templates/examples/${example}`);
 
-		if (serverAppDirExists && context.backend !== "convex") {
+		if (
+			serverAppDirExists &&
+			context.backend !== "convex" &&
+			context.backend !== "none"
+		) {
 			const exampleServerSrc = path.join(exampleBaseDir, "server");
 
 			if (example === "ai" && context.backend === "next") {

apps/cli/src/index.ts

@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ async function main() {
 			.option("backend", {
 				type: "string",
 				describe: "Backend framework",
-				choices: ["hono", "express", "next", "elysia", "convex"],
+				choices: ["hono", "express", "next", "elysia", "convex", "none"],
 			})
 			.option("runtime", {
 				type: "string",
@@ -303,6 +303,14 @@ async function main() {
 				config.runtime = "none";
 				config.dbSetup = "none";
 				config.examples = ["todo"];
+			} else if (config.backend === "none") {
+				config.auth = false;
+				config.database = "none";
+				config.orm = "none";
+				config.api = "none";
+				config.runtime = "none";
+				config.dbSetup = "none";
+				config.examples = [];
 			} else if (config.database === "none") {
 				config.orm = "none";
 				config.auth = false;
@@ -389,17 +397,18 @@ function processAndValidateFlags(
 	if (
 		providedFlags.has("backend") &&
 		config.backend &&
-		config.backend !== "convex"
+		config.backend !== "convex" &&
+		config.backend !== "none"
 	) {
 		if (providedFlags.has("api") && options.api === "none") {
 			consola.fatal(
-				`'--api none' is only supported with '--backend convex'. Please choose 'trpc', 'orpc', or remove the --api flag.`,
+				`'--api none' is only supported with '--backend convex' or '--backend none'. Please choose 'trpc', 'orpc', or remove the --api flag.`,
 			);
 			process.exit(1);
 		}
 		if (providedFlags.has("runtime") && options.runtime === "none") {
 			consola.fatal(
-				`'--runtime none' is only supported with '--backend convex'. Please choose 'bun', 'node', or remove the --runtime flag.`,
+				`'--runtime none' is only supported with '--backend convex' or '--backend none'. Please choose 'bun', 'node', or remove the --runtime flag.`,
 			);
 			process.exit(1);
 		}
@@ -544,6 +553,48 @@ function processAndValidateFlags(
 		config.runtime = "none";
 		config.dbSetup = "none";
 		config.examples = ["todo"];
+	} else if (config.backend === "none") {
+		const incompatibleFlags: string[] = [];
+
+		if (providedFlags.has("auth") && options.auth === true)
+			incompatibleFlags.push("--auth");
+		if (providedFlags.has("database") && options.database !== "none")
+			incompatibleFlags.push(`--database ${options.database}`);
+		if (providedFlags.has("orm") && options.orm !== "none")
+			incompatibleFlags.push(`--orm ${options.orm}`);
+		if (providedFlags.has("api") && options.api !== "none")
+			incompatibleFlags.push(`--api ${options.api}`);
+		if (providedFlags.has("runtime") && options.runtime !== "none")
+			incompatibleFlags.push(`--runtime ${options.runtime}`);
+		if (providedFlags.has("dbSetup") && options.dbSetup !== "none")
+			incompatibleFlags.push(`--db-setup ${options.dbSetup}`);
+
+		if (incompatibleFlags.length > 0) {
+			consola.fatal(
+				`The following flags are incompatible with '--backend none': ${incompatibleFlags.join(
+					", ",
+				)}. Please remove them.`,
+			);
+			process.exit(1);
+		}
+
+		config.auth = false;
+		config.database = "none";
+		config.orm = "none";
+		config.api = "none";
+		config.runtime = "none";
+		config.dbSetup = "none";
+		if (
+			options.examples &&
+			!options.examples.includes("none") &&
+			options.examples.length > 0
+		) {
+			consola.fatal(
+				"Cannot select examples when backend is 'none'. Please remove the --examples flag or set --examples none.",
+			);
+			process.exit(1);
+		}
+		config.examples = [];
 	} else {
 		const effectiveDatabase =
 			config.database ?? (options.yes ? DEFAULT_CONFIG.database : undefined);
@@ -635,7 +686,9 @@ function processAndValidateFlags(
 				}
 				if (effectiveOrm !== "drizzle") {
 					consola.fatal(
-						`Turso setup requires Drizzle ORM. Cannot use --db-setup turso with --orm ${effectiveOrm ?? "none"}.`,
+						`Turso setup requires Drizzle ORM. Cannot use --db-setup turso with --orm ${
+							effectiveOrm ?? "none"
+						}.`,
 					);
 					process.exit(1);
 				}
@@ -782,10 +835,11 @@ function processAndValidateFlags(
 			if (
 				config.examples.includes("todo") &&
 				effectiveBackend !== "convex" &&
+				effectiveBackend !== "none" &&
 				effectiveDatabase === "none"
 			) {
 				consola.fatal(
-					"The 'todo' example requires a database (unless using Convex). Cannot use --examples todo when database is 'none'.",
+					"The 'todo' example requires a database if a backend (other than Convex) is present. Cannot use --examples todo when database is 'none' and a backend is selected.",
 				);
 				process.exit(1);
 			}

apps/cli/src/prompts/api.ts

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { cancel, isCancel, log, select } from "@clack/prompts";
+import { cancel, isCancel, select } from "@clack/prompts";
 import pc from "picocolors";
 import { DEFAULT_CONFIG } from "../constants";
 import type { ProjectApi, ProjectBackend, ProjectFrontend } from "../types";
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ export async function getApiChoice(
 	frontend?: ProjectFrontend[],
 	backend?: ProjectBackend,
 ): Promise<ProjectApi> {
-	if (backend === "convex") {
+	if (backend === "convex" || backend === "none") {
 		return "none";
 	}
 

apps/cli/src/prompts/backend-framework.ts

@@ -48,6 +48,13 @@ export async function getBackendFrameworkChoice(
 		});
 	}
 
+	// Add "None" option
+	backendOptions.push({
+		value: "none" as const,
+		label: "None",
+		hint: "No backend server (e.g., for a static site or client-only app)",
+	});
+
 	let initialValue = DEFAULT_CONFIG.backend;
 	if (hasIncompatibleFrontend && initialValue === "convex") {
 		initialValue = "hono";

apps/cli/src/prompts/config-prompts.ts

@@ -106,6 +106,16 @@ export async function gatherConfig(
 		result.dbSetup = "none";
 	}
 
+	if (result.backend === "none") {
+		result.runtime = "none";
+		result.database = "none";
+		result.orm = "none";
+		result.api = "none";
+		result.auth = false;
+		result.dbSetup = "none";
+		result.examples = [];
+	}
+
 	return {
 		projectName: projectName,
 		projectDir: projectDir,

apps/cli/src/prompts/database.ts

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { cancel, isCancel, log, select } from "@clack/prompts";
+import { cancel, isCancel, select } from "@clack/prompts";
 import pc from "picocolors";
 import { DEFAULT_CONFIG } from "../constants";
 import type { ProjectBackend, ProjectDatabase } from "../types";
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ export async function getDatabaseChoice(
 	database?: ProjectDatabase,
 	backend?: ProjectBackend,
 ): Promise<ProjectDatabase> {
-	if (backend === "convex") {
+	if (backend === "convex" || backend === "none") {
 		return "none";
 	}
 

apps/cli/src/prompts/examples.ts

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { cancel, isCancel, log, multiselect } from "@clack/prompts";
+import { cancel, isCancel, multiselect } from "@clack/prompts";
 import pc from "picocolors";
 import { DEFAULT_CONFIG } from "../constants";
 import type {
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@ export async function getExamplesChoice(
 		return ["todo"];
 	}
 
+	if (backend === "none") {
+		return [];
+	}
+
 	if (database === "none") return [];
 
 	const onlyNative =

apps/cli/src/prompts/runtime.ts

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { cancel, isCancel, log, select } from "@clack/prompts";
+import { cancel, isCancel, select } from "@clack/prompts";
 import pc from "picocolors";
 import { DEFAULT_CONFIG } from "../constants";
 import type { ProjectBackend, ProjectRuntime } from "../types";
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ export async function getRuntimeChoice(
 	runtime?: ProjectRuntime,
 	backend?: ProjectBackend,
 ): Promise<ProjectRuntime> {
-	if (backend === "convex") {
+	if (backend === "convex" || backend === "none") {
 		return "none";
 	}
 

apps/cli/src/types.ts

@@ -14,7 +14,13 @@ export type ProjectAddons =
 	| "starlight"
 	| "turborepo"
 	| "none";
-export type ProjectBackend = "hono" | "elysia" | "express" | "next" | "convex";
+export type ProjectBackend =
+	| "hono"
+	| "express"
+	| "next"
+	| "elysia"
+	| "convex"
+	| "none";
 export type ProjectRuntime = "node" | "bun" | "none";
 export type ProjectExamples = "todo" | "ai" | "none";
 export type ProjectFrontend =