VoltRN CLI (React Native/Expo project dynamic boilerplate)

A powerful CLI tool to quickly scaffold React Native and Expo TypeScript projects with best practices.

Features

• ✅ React Native CLI or Expo support
• ✅ Full TypeScript configuration with strict mode
• ✅ React Navigation or Expo Router
• ✅ i18n support with react-i18next and MMKV storage
• ✅ NEW: Complete authentication flow with JWT tokens
• ✅ Environment management (dev/staging/prod)
• ✅ Path aliases for clean imports
• ✅ Splash screen with react-native-bootsplash (auto-hide)
• ✅ App icon generation with @forward-software/react-native-toolbox
• ✅ Example screens with best practices
• ✅ Ready-to-use project structure

Installation

Prerequisites

Before installing the CLI, make sure you have the following installed:

• Node.js (v22 or higher recommended)
• npm (v6 or higher) or yarn
• For React Native CLI projects: Xcode (macOS) and Android Studio (for Android development)
• For Expo projects: Expo CLI (optional, but recommended)

Installation Methods

Method 1: Using npx (Recommended) ⭐

The easiest way to use the CLI is with npx, which downloads and runs the latest version without installing it globally:

npx create-voltrn-boilerplate

This method:

• ✅ Always uses the latest version
• ✅ No global installation needed
• ✅ Keeps your system clean
• ✅ Works immediately

Method 2: Global Installation

Install the CLI globally to use it from anywhere:

npm install -g create-voltrn-boilerplate

After installation, you can run:

create-voltrn-boilerplate

Note: On macOS/Linux, you might need to use sudo:

sudo npm install -g create-voltrn-boilerplate

Method 3: Using Yarn

If you prefer Yarn:

# Global installation
yarn global add create-voltrn-boilerplate

# Or use with yarn create
yarn create voltrn-boilerplate

Verify Installation

To verify the CLI is installed correctly:

# If installed globally
create-voltrn-boilerplate --version

# Or check if the command exists
which create-voltrn-boilerplate

Updating the CLI

If you installed globally, update to the latest version:

npm update -g create-voltrn-boilerplate

Or reinstall:

npm install -g create-voltrn-boilerplate@latest

Uninstallation

To remove the globally installed CLI:

npm uninstall -g create-voltrn-boilerplate

Troubleshooting

Permission Errors (macOS/Linux)

If you encounter permission errors during global installation:

# Option 1: Use sudo (not recommended for security reasons)
sudo npm install -g create-voltrn-boilerplate

# Option 2: Fix npm permissions (recommended)
mkdir ~/.npm-global
npm config set prefix '~/.npm-global'
export PATH=~/.npm-global/bin:$PATH
# Add the export line to your ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc

Command Not Found

If the command is not found after installation:

1. Check if npm's global bin directory is in your PATH:

   npm config get prefix
   

2. Add it to your PATH (add to ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc):

   export PATH="$(npm config get prefix)/bin:$PATH"
   

3. Restart your terminal or run:

   source ~/.zshrc  # or source ~/.bashrc
   

Using npx Instead

If you continue having issues with global installation, just use npx - it works without any setup:

npx create-voltrn-boilerplate

Usage

Run the CLI and follow the interactive prompts:

npx create-voltrn-boilerplate

You'll be asked:

1. Project name - Enter your project name
2. Framework - Choose between React Native CLI or Expo
3. Navigation - Choose React Navigation or Expo Router (Expo only)
4. i18n - Enable internationalization support
5. Authentication - Enable JWT-based auth flow
6. Theming - Enable dark/light mode support
7. Screen names - Define your own screen names (comma-separated)
8. Navigation pattern - Choose how screens are organized (non-auth only)

Screen Customization

You can fully customize the screens generated in your project. Enter screen names as a comma-separated list (e.g., Home, Profile, Settings, About). Names are automatically converted to PascalCase.

Navigation Patterns (without auth flow)

When not using the authentication flow, you can choose from 4 navigation patterns and assign each screen to a specific navigator:

Pattern	Description
Stack	Simple linear navigation with back/forward buttons
Bottom Tabs	Tab bar at the bottom; each screen can go in a Tab or Stack
Drawer	Side menu navigation; each screen can go in the Drawer or Stack
Tabs + Drawer	Combined tab bar and side menu; each screen can go in Tab, Drawer, or Stack

For Tabs, Drawer, and Tabs + Drawer patterns, the CLI asks where each screen should go, so you can mix and match freely.

Screen Configuration with Auth Flow

When the authentication flow is enabled, screens are organized into three categories:

• Public screens (default: PublicHome) - Accessible before login
• Private tab screens (default: PrivateHome, Profile, Settings) - Main app screens shown as bottom tabs after login
• Private stack screens (default: Details) - Detail/modal screens accessible from tabs

The auth flow always includes Intro and Login as fixed screens.

i18n Support

When you enable i18n support, the CLI will set up:

• ✅ i18next with React Native integration
• ✅ MMKV storage for language persistence
• ✅ Language detector that uses device settings
• ✅ English and Italian translations included by default

⚠️ Important for Expo Projects

Since i18n uses react-native-mmkv which requires native code, Expo projects need to run:

npx expo prebuild

before starting the app. This generates the necessary native code for MMKV to work correctly.

After prebuild, you can start the app normally:

npx expo start -c

Authentication Flow Feature

When you enable the authentication flow, the CLI will set up:

What's Included

• ✅ Auth Client with @forward-software/react-auth

  • JWT token management (access + refresh)
  • MMKV persistent storage
  • Axios HTTP client
  • Automatic token refresh

• ✅ Public Routes

  • IntroScreen (landing page)
  • LoginScreen (email/password)
  • PublicHomeScreen (guest access with language selector)

• ✅ Private Routes (Tab Navigator)

  • PrivateHomeScreen (authenticated home)
  • ProfileScreen (token display + logout)
  • SettingsScreen (settings placeholder)
  • DetailsScreen (additional screen)

• ✅ Custom Hooks

  • useAsyncCallback - Handle async operations with loading states
  • useUserCredentials - Manage login form state

• ✅ Full i18n Support

  • English and Italian translations
  • All auth screens localized

API Configuration

The authentication flow example uses the Platzi Fake Store API as a demo backend. This is a free, public API that provides JWT-based authentication out of the box, making it ideal for testing the auth flow without setting up your own server.

Default login credentials for the example:

Email:    john@mail.com
Password: changeme

To connect to your own API, update the configuration in src/env/env.js:

export default {
  API_URL: "https://your-api.com",
  ENVIRONMENT: "development"
};

Expected endpoints:

• POST /v1/auth/login - Returns { access_token, refresh_token }
• POST /v1/auth/refresh-token - Refreshes tokens

Documentation

Generated projects with auth flow include:

• AUTH_FLOW.md - Complete authentication documentation
• IMPLEMENTATION_SUMMARY.md - Implementation details

Project Structure

your-project/
├── src/
│   ├── screens/           # Screen components
│   ├── components/        # Reusable components
│   ├── i18n/             # Internationalization
│   ├── mmkv/             # MMKV storage setup
│   ├── auth/             # Auth client (if enabled)
│   ├── hooks/            # Custom hooks (if auth enabled)
│   ├── navigators/       # Navigation setup (if auth enabled)
│   └── env/              # Environment config
├── navigation.d.ts       # Navigation types
└── app.json             # Environment configurations

Environment Configuration

Environment variables are stored in .env.* files using standard KEY=VALUE format:

• .env.development -Development environment
• .env.staging -Staging environment
• .env.production -Production environment
• .env.example -Template with required keys (committed to git)

All .env.* files (except .env.example) are gitignored to keep sensitive values out of version control.

Setting the Environment

Use the following npm scripts to switch between environments:

npm run env:dev      # Development
npm run env:stage    # Staging
npm run env:prod     # Production

This reads the corresponding .env.* file and generates src/env/env.js (also gitignored), which is imported via the @env/env path alias.

Importing in Your Code

import env from '@env/env';

const apiUrl = env.API_URL;
const environment = env.ENVIRONMENT;

Adding New Variables

1. Add the new variable to each .env.* file:

# .env.development
API_URL=https://dev-api.example.com
API_KEY=dev-api-key
ENVIRONMENT=development
FEATURE_FLAG=true

2. Add the key (without a real value) to .env.example so other developers know it's required:

# .env.example
API_URL=
API_KEY=
ENVIRONMENT=
FEATURE_FLAG=

3. Regenerate env.js:

npm run env:dev

4. Use the new variable:

import env from '@env/env';

const featureEnabled = env.FEATURE_FLAG;

Important Notes

• ⚠️ Do not commit sensitive data -.env.* files are gitignored; use .env.example to document required keys
• ⚠️ Do not edit src/env/env.js manually -it is generated and will be overwritten
• ✅ Always run the appropriate env:* script before building for a specific environment

Path Alias

The @env/ path alias is configured in babel.config.js and tsconfig.json, allowing you to import from @env/env instead of using relative paths like ../../env/env.

Splash Screen & App Icons

Every generated project includes automatic splash screen and app icon setup:

• Splash Screen react-native-bootsplash with auto-hide on app ready
• App Icons @forward-software/react-native-toolbox generates all icon sizes from a single source

A default VoltRN placeholder logo is included so the project works out of the box.

Customizing in Generated Projects

Splash Screen

1. Replace assets/splashscreen.svg (or .png) with your own logo
   • SVG recommended for best quality at all densities
   • If using PNG: minimum 1024x1024px
2. Run:

npm run assets:splash

Customization flags:

Flag	Description	Default
--background	Background color (hex)	1A1A2E
--logo-width	Logo width at @1x in dp	150
--platforms	Target platforms	android,ios
--dark-background	Dark mode background (license key required)	-
--dark-logo	Dark mode logo path (license key required)	-

App Icon

1. Replace assets/icon.png with your own image (PNG format, minimum 1024x1024px)
2. Run:

npm run assets:icons

This generates all required sizes for both iOS and Android automatically.

License

This project is licensed under the Mozilla Public License 2.0. See the LICENSE fil