🤖 AI Development Template

The ultimate template for AI-assisted development with ADHD-friendly workflows and budget-conscious token usage.

A comprehensive, production-ready template that transforms how you build software with AI assistants. Designed specifically for developers who want structure, clarity, and cost control in their AI-powered development workflow.

✨ Why This Template?

• 🧠 ADHD-Friendly: Structured workflows that prevent overwhelm and maintain focus
• 💰 Budget-Conscious: Smart token usage tracking and cost optimization
• 🤖 AI-Optimized: Pre-configured for Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, and GitHub Copilot
• ⚡ One-Command Setup: From zero to coding in under 5 minutes
• 🎯 Task-Driven: Taskmaster AI breaks down projects into manageable chunks
• 🔄 Cross-Platform: Works on macOS, Linux, and Docker environments

🚀 Quick Start

# 1. Clone this template
git clone https://github.com/Cordycepsers/ai-dev-template.git
cd ai-dev-template

# 2. One-command setup (installs everything)
chmod +x /path/to/ai-dev-template/scripts/playwright_setup.sh
./scripts/python_setup.sh
./scripts/playwright_setup.sh

# 3. Add your API keys
nano .env

# 4. Create your project plan
nano .taskmaster/docs/prd.txt

# 5. Generate development tasks
task-master parse-prd .taskmaster/docs/prd.txt

# 6. Start building with AI
task-master next

That's it! You're now ready for AI-assisted development with full task management, budget tracking, and ADHD-friendly workflows.

🏗️ Project Structure

ai-dev-template/
├── 🎛️ .vscode/                 # VS Code optimized for AI development
│   ├── settings.json          # AI-friendly editor settings
│   ├── extensions.json        # Essential AI development extensions
│   └── tasks.json             # One-click Taskmaster integration
├── 🎯 .cursor/                 # Cursor IDE configuration
│   └── mcp.json               # MCP server for Taskmaster AI
├── 🤖 .claude/                 # Claude Code integration
│   ├── agents/                # Specialized Claude agents
│   │   ├── task-checker.md    # Quality assurance agent
│   │   ├── task-executor.md   # Implementation specialist
│   │   └── task-orchestrator.md # Strategic planning agent
│   └── commands/              # Claude-specific commands
│       ├── tm                 # Task Master CLI wrapper
│       └── TM_COMMANDS_GUIDE.md # Command reference
├── 📋 .taskmaster/             # Task management system
│   ├── docs/                  # Project documentation
│   │   └── prd.txt            # Your Product Requirements Document
│   └── templates/             # PRD and task templates
│       └── prd-template.txt   # Structured PRD template
├── ⚙️ config/                  # Configuration management
│   ├── .env.template          # Environment variables template
│   └── ai-models.json         # AI model configurations & budgets
├── 📚 docs/                    # Comprehensive documentation
│   ├── AGENTS.md              # 🤖 AI agent personas & instructions
│   ├── WORKFLOW.md            # 🧠 Complete ADHD-friendly workflow
│   ├── GITHUB_COPILOT_SETUP.md # 🔧 GitHub Copilot troubleshooting
│   ├── prompt-engineer.md     # 🤖 AI prompt building helper
│   └── HOT-TO-USE-AGENTS.md   
├── 🔧 scripts/                 # Automation scripts
│   ├── python_setup.sh        # One-command environment setup
│   └── playwright_setup.sh    # One-command environment setup
├── 📊 usage-data/              # Budget tracking
│   └── monthly-usage.json     # Token usage monitoring
└── 📖 README.md                # This comprehensive guide

🧠 ADHD-Friendly Development

Focus Management

• 🍅 Pomodoro Integration: 25-minute focused work sessions
• 📝 One Task at a Time: Taskmaster ensures you never feel overwhelmed
• 🎯 Clear Next Steps: Always know exactly what to work on next
• 🏆 Progress Celebration: Visual task completion tracking

Cognitive Load Reduction

• 🤖 AI Agent Personas: Each AI has a specific role and context
• 📋 Template-Driven: Never start from a blank page
• 🔄 Consistent Workflow: Same process for every project
• 📚 Documentation-First: Everything is documented and searchable

Overwhelm Prevention

• 📊 Task Breakdown: Complex features become simple, actionable tasks
• ⏰ Time Boxing: Built-in time limits for each activity
• 🚫 Scope Creep Protection: PRD-driven development keeps you on track
• 🎮 Gamification: Task completion provides dopamine hits

🤖 AI Assistant Integration

Supported AI Tools

Tool	Purpose	Configuration
Claude Code	Primary coding assistant	.cursor/mcp.json
OpenAI Codex	Code generation & review	config/ai-models.json
GitHub Copilot	Real-time code suggestions	.vscode/extensions.json (Setup Guide)
Taskmaster AI	Project management	.taskmaster/
Manus	Brainstorming & documentation	Manual integration

AI Agent Personas (Prevents Hallucinations)

Each AI assistant has a specific role defined in docs/AGENTS.md:

• 🎯 PromptEngineerAgent - AI prompt creation and optimization (starting point for AI configurations)
• 🏗️ ArchitectAgent - System design and technical architecture
• 🔍 CodeReviewAgent - Code quality and best practices enforcement
• 📝 DocumentationAgent - Technical writing and documentation
• 🚀 DeploymentAgent - CI/CD and infrastructure automation
• 💰 BudgetAgent - Cost optimization and resource management
• 🧪 TestingAgent - Quality assurance and test automation

Usage Example

# In your AI chat:
"Please read docs/AGENTS.md for context. You are CodeReviewAgent. 
Review this Python function for bugs and performance issues."

💰 Budget-Conscious Development

Smart Token Management

• 📊 Real-time Usage Tracking - Monitor API costs as you work
• 🎯 Model Optimization - Use the right AI model for each task
• ⚠️ Budget Alerts - Get notified before hitting spending limits
• 📈 Usage Analytics - Understand your AI spending patterns

Cost Optimization Features

// config/ai-models.json
{
  "budget": {
    "monthlyLimit": 100,
    "alertThreshold": 0.8,
    "usageFile": "../usage-data/monthly-usage.json"
  }
}

Efficient AI Usage Patterns

• Batch Requests: Combine multiple questions in one prompt
• Template Reuse: Avoid regenerating common patterns
• Local Tools First: Use linters/formatters before AI review
• Smart Model Selection: GPT-3.5 for simple tasks, GPT-4 for complex ones

🛠️ Development Environment

Cross-Platform Support

• 🍎 macOS - Native support with Homebrew integration
• 🐧 Linux - Ubuntu and other distributions
• 🐳 Docker - Containerized development environment
• ☁️ Cloud - Works in GitHub Codespaces and similar platforms

Language & Framework Support

• 🐍 Python - Conda/venv environments with testing
• 📦 Node.js - npm/yarn with modern JavaScript/TypeScript
• 🌐 Web Development - React, Vue, Flask, FastAPI templates
• ☁️ Cloud Native - Terraform, Docker, Kubernetes ready

Development Tools

• VS Code - Optimized settings and extensions
• Cursor IDE - AI-native development environment
• Docker - Containerized development and deployment
• Git - Version control with conventional commits
• Testing - pytest, jest, and other testing frameworks

📚 Complete Documentation

Getting Started Guides

• 🔄 WORKFLOW.md - Complete ADHD-friendly development workflow
• 🤖 AGENTS.md - AI agent personas and instructions
• 📖 HOW-TO-USE-AGENTS.md - Complete guide to using AGENTS.md effectively
• 🔧 GITHUB_COPILOT_SETUP.md - GitHub Copilot setup and troubleshooting
• 🛠️ VSCODE_TROUBLESHOOTING.md - Fix VS Code reloading, extension errors, and performance issues
• 🎯 .claude/ - Claude Code integration with specialized agents and commands
• Setup Scripts - Platform-specific automated setup

Workflow Overview

1. 💡 Ideation - Brainstorm with AI and research tools
2. 📋 Planning - Create structured PRD with AI assistance
3. 🔧 Setup - One-command environment configuration
4. 🎯 Development - Task-driven coding with AI assistants
5. 🧪 Testing - Automated testing and quality assurance
6. 🚀 Deployment - Containerized deployment and CI/CD

🎯 Real-World Usage

Perfect For:

• Solo Developers building side projects
• Startup Teams needing rapid prototyping
• Learning Developers who want AI guidance
• ADHD Developers who need structure and focus
• Budget-Conscious Teams tracking AI costs

Project Types:

• Web Applications (React, Vue, Flask, FastAPI)
• APIs and Microservices (REST, GraphQL)
• Data Science Projects (Jupyter, pandas, scikit-learn)
• Cloud Applications (AWS, GCP, Azure)
• Mobile Apps (React Native, Flutter)

🚀 Advanced Features

Taskmaster Integration

# Parse your PRD into actionable tasks
task-master parse-prd .taskmaster/docs/prd.txt

# See what to work on next
task-master next

# Break down complex tasks
task-master expand --id=5 --num=3

# Track your progress
task-master list --status=done

Docker Development

# Build and test locally
docker build -t my-project .
docker run -p 8000:8000 my-project

# Full development environment
docker-compose up -d

VS Code Integration

• Ctrl+Shift+P → "Tasks: Run Task" → "Taskmaster: Next Task"
• Ctrl+Shift+P → "Tasks: Run Task" → "Python: Run Tests"
• Ctrl+Shift+P → "Tasks: Run Task" → "Docker: Build"

🤝 Contributing & Customization

This template is designed to be your foundation. Customize it by:

• Adding new AI agent personas for your specific domain
• Extending the setup script for your preferred tools
• Creating project-specific templates for common patterns
• Sharing improvements back to the community

📄 License

MIT License - Use this template for any project, commercial or personal.

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🎉 Ready to Build?

# Start your AI-powered development journey
git clone <this-repo> my-awesome-project
cd my-awesome-project
./scripts/setup.sh

Welcome to the future of development! 🚀🤖