python-uv-project - Opinionated Python Project Bootstrap

Build a modern Python repo around uv, fast local automation, and predictable quality gates. Prefer current stable releases and avoid unnecessary version pin micromanagement unless the user asks for it.

Default stack

• Bootstrap with uv init, then keep dependency management in uv.
• Initialize git immediately and make the repo ready for normal commit flow.
• Use a src/ layout for packages.
• Use pytest for tests.
• Use ruff for formatting and linting.
• Use pyright for type checking.
• Use pydantic (and pydantic-settings when config/env modeling is needed) for strict data contracts.
• Use hatch for version bump operations.
• Drive routine developer commands through Makefile targets: test, format, lint, typecheck.
• Include a practical repo baseline: README.md, LICENSE, .gitignore, .editorconfig, CI, and coverage support.

Standard repo baseline

For a generic Python project, include these by default unless the user asks for a slimmer scaffold:

• README.md with setup, major Make targets, and developer workflow.
• LICENSE using MIT by default when the repo is intended for sharing or publication.
• .gitignore for Python caches, local environments, build outputs, and IDE noise.
• .editorconfig for consistent whitespace and line endings.
• src/<package_name>/__about__.py as the canonical version source for Hatch when appropriate.
• src/<package_name>/py.typed when the package may be distributed as a typed library.
• src/<package_name>/settings.py for pydantic-settings-based configuration.
• minimal GitHub Actions CI that runs the same Make targets used locally.
• coverage support through pytest-cov and a dedicated make coverage target.

Treat this as the default "this is worth having" baseline, not as an excuse to add large framework-specific boilerplate.

Workflow

1. Scaffold with uv

Create the project with uv init rather than hand-writing pyproject.toml. Prefer package mode for reusable libraries and service code:

uv init --package <project-name>

Then add the default toolchain with uv add / uv add --dev. Keep the initial setup non-interactive and scriptable.

2. Normalize project layout

• Keep package code under src/<package_name>/.
• Add tests/ for pytest.
• Add a small version module when needed for Hatch version management.
• Add .gitignore entries appropriate for Python, .venv/, caches, and build artifacts.

If the generated layout is close but not fully aligned, update it rather than replacing uv defaults wholesale.

3. Configure quality tooling

Add the development dependencies through uv and wire them into pyproject.toml.

Recommended dev tools:

• pytest
• pytest-cov when coverage is part of the baseline
• ruff
• pyright
• hatch
• pydantic
• pydantic-settings when the app has config models

Use current stable releases by default. Do not invent exact version pins unless the repo already pins tools consistently.

4. Add Makefile entry points

Every project created with this skill should expose these targets at minimum:

• make test
• make format
• make lint
• make typecheck
• make check
• make coverage
• make bump-patch
• make bump-minor
• make bump-major

Prefer uv run ... inside Make targets so the project-local environment is always used. Use the template in python-uv-project/references/templates.md.

5. Install prek hooks

Use prek for git hooks. Recommended split:

• pre-commit: make format and make lint
• pre-push: make typecheck and make test

Keep hooks fast on commit and comprehensive on push. Use a local-hook configuration that shells out to Make targets instead of duplicating commands.

6. Make Pydantic the source of truth for data

When the project touches structured data, configs, request/response models, or file-backed schemas:

• model them with pydantic.BaseModel
• validate inputs at boundaries
• prefer explicit field types over dict[str, Any]
• set stricter model config when appropriate (extra="forbid", frozen models, validation on assignment, etc.)
• centralize environment/config parsing in dedicated settings models

Do not leave loosely typed config parsing or ad hoc JSON validation in place if Pydantic can express it cleanly.

7. Establish logging and settings defaults

Set the project up so application code prefers logging over scattered print statements. For reusable templates, include a minimal settings.py backed by pydantic-settings and keep environment parsing there.

• keep settings models explicit and typed
• load configuration once near the application boundary
• avoid reading raw environment variables throughout the codebase

8. Set up Hatch version bumps

Use Hatch for release version changes and expose it via Make. The user specifically wants:

• make bump-patch
• make bump-minor
• make bump-major

Prefer a simple, explicit Hatch configuration that updates one canonical version source. If the repo uses a package module such as src/<package_name>/__about__.py, point Hatch there. If the repo already manages version directly in pyproject.toml, keep the approach consistent.

9. Add minimal GitHub Actions and verify the scaffold

If the project is expected to live beyond a one-off script, add a minimum GitHub Actions workflow. Keep it small and boring: one job on ubuntu-latest, triggered on push to main and on pull_request.

The minimum CI contract is:

make check

Prefer make check as the single CI entry point so local and remote verification stay aligned. Do not add a matrix, release automation, cache tuning, or separate format job unless the project explicitly needs them.

10. Verify the scaffold

After generating or refactoring the project, run the full local workflow:

make format
make lint
make typecheck
make test
make coverage

If hooks were added, also install them and ensure prek run --all-files passes.

Implementation notes

• Prefer uv sync / uv run instead of raw virtualenv activation instructions.
• Keep commands agent-friendly and non-interactive.
• Preserve existing repository conventions when modifying an already-started project.
• If CI is requested, mirror the same Make targets rather than re-specifying tool commands in multiple places.

References

• Copy/paste bootstrap snippets: python-uv-project/references/templates.md