Ship Python Cookiecutter Template

A cookiecutter template for creating multi-platform Python applications with FastAPI backend, React frontend, and Electron desktop support.

This template is a companion to the book Ship Python, Orchestrate AI: Professional Python in the AI Era by Michael Borck.

Features

• FastAPI Backend: Modern Python API with type hints and automatic documentation
• React Frontend: TypeScript + Vite for fast development
• Electron Desktop: Cross-platform desktop apps with auto-update
• Docker Support: Development and production containers
• CI/CD: GitHub Actions workflows for testing and building
• AI-Ready: Includes CLAUDE.md for AI assistant context

Quick Start

# Install cookiecutter
pip install cookiecutter

# Create a new project
cookiecutter gh:michael-borck/ship-python-cookiecutter

# Follow the prompts to customize your project

Template Options

Option	Description	Default
project_name	Human-readable project name	My Application
project_slug	URL/directory-safe name	my-application
package_name	Python package name	my_application
project_description	Short description	A multi-platform Python application
author_name	Your name	Your Name
author_email	Your email	you@example.com
github_username	GitHub username	your-username
python_version	Python version	3.11
include_frontend	Include React frontend	yes
include_electron	Include Electron wrapper	yes
include_docker	Include Docker configs	yes
license	License type	MIT

Generated Structure

my-application/
├── backend/                # FastAPI backend
│   ├── src/my_application/
│   ├── tests/
│   └── pyproject.toml
├── frontend/               # React frontend (if selected)
│   ├── src/
│   └── package.json
├── electron/               # Electron wrapper (if selected)
├── docker/                 # Docker configs (if selected)
├── .github/workflows/      # CI/CD
├── CLAUDE.md               # AI context
└── README.md

After Generation

cd my-application

# Backend setup
cd backend
uv sync
uv run uvicorn my_application.main:app --reload

# Frontend setup (in another terminal)
cd frontend
npm install
npm run dev

Related Resources

• Ship Python, Orchestrate AI - The companion book
• ship-python-template - GitHub template (no cookiecutter needed)
• ship-python-example - Complete working example

License

MIT License - see LICENSE for details.