What Preset IDs Should and Should Not Do

A preset is a template combination, not a business script

One CLI preset IDs express template selections. A preset can represent a Go API, a Next.js app, and a TypeScript library in one compact input. The goal is to make scaffolding short, stable, and reproducible, not to encode every product intention into a string.

That boundary matters. If a preset starts representing business scenes like ecommerce admin, content platform, or social app, it quickly becomes another DSL. A DSL needs an interpreter, migration policy, compatibility rules, and a long tail of exceptions. That weight belongs outside the core CLI surface.

The value of compact codes

Compact preset codes are useful because they are deterministic:

• The same preset expands to the same template combination on every machine.
• The preset code can be stored in the manifest for review and replay.
• Docs, the template builder, and agent prompts can share the same short code.
• Unsupported versions can fail before writing workspace files.

These capabilities are valuable for scaffolding and governance, but they stay at the project-structure layer. They do not model the user’s business domain.

Custom names belong in fallback commands

Template selection can be encoded, but project names and directory names are often better represented by commands. The same nextjs-app template might be added as web, admin, or console. Those names are not the core meaning of the preset.

one create my-stack --preset 1.bgok.fnav.ei --yes
one add nextjs-app --name admin --yes

This split keeps presets responsible for which templates were selected, while CLI commands handle what those templates are called inside the current workspace.

Keep the surface small

The One CLI product surface should stay small. Commands such as create, add, templates, configure, serve, and skills cover the main workflows. A preset is one input to create; it does not need to become a new center of gravity.

A good preset design helps users type less, helps agents guess less, and keeps generated output replayable. It does not need to explain every business scenario, and it should not replace a clear template catalog or manifest.