feat(core): allow empty docker-git create workspaces (#80)

Author: skulidropek

README.md

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # docker-git
 
-`docker-git` generates a disposable Docker development environment per repository and stores it under a single projects root (default: `~/.docker-git`).
+`docker-git` generates a disposable Docker development environment per repository (or empty workspace) and stores it under a single projects root (default: `~/.docker-git`).
 
 Key goals:
 - Functional Core, Imperative Shell implementation (pure templates + typed orchestration).
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ pnpm install
 # Interactive TUI menu (default)
 pnpm run docker-git
 
+# Create an empty workspace container (no git clone)
+pnpm run docker-git create
+
 # Clone a repo into its own container (creates under ~/.docker-git)
 pnpm run docker-git clone https://github.com/agiens/crm/tree/vova-fork --force
 

packages/app/src/docker-git/cli/usage.ts

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { Match } from "effect"
 import type { ParseError } from "@effect-template/lib/core/domain"
 
 export const usageText = `docker-git menu
-docker-git create --repo-url <url> [options]
+docker-git create [--repo-url <url>] [options]
 docker-git clone <url> [options]
 docker-git apply [<url>] [options]
 docker-git mcp-playwright [<url>] [options]
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ docker-git state <action> [options]
 
 Commands:
   menu                Interactive menu (default when no args)
-  create, init        Generate docker development environment
+  create, init        Generate docker development environment (repo URL optional)
   clone               Create + run container and clone repo
   apply               Apply docker-git config to an existing project/container (current dir by default)
   mcp-playwright      Enable Playwright MCP + Chromium sidecar for an existing project dir
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ Commands:
   state               Manage docker-git state directory via git (sync across machines)
 
 Options:
+  --repo-url <url>          Repository URL (create: optional; clone: required via positional arg or flag)
   --repo-ref <ref>          Git ref/branch (default: main)
   --branch, -b <ref>        Alias for --repo-ref
   --target-dir <path>       Target dir inside container (create default: /home/dev/app, clone default: ~/workspaces/<org>/<repo>[/issue-<id>|/pr-<id>])

packages/app/src/docker-git/menu-create.ts

@@ -46,11 +46,16 @@ type CreateReturnContext = CreateContext & {
 }
 
 export const buildCreateArgs = (input: CreateInputs): ReadonlyArray<string> => {
-  const args: Array<string> = ["create", "--repo-url", input.repoUrl]
+  const args: Array<string> = ["create"]
+  if (input.repoUrl.length > 0) {
+    args.push("--repo-url", input.repoUrl)
+  }
   if (input.repoRef.length > 0) {
     args.push("--repo-ref", input.repoRef)
   }
-  args.push("--out-dir", input.outDir)
+  if (input.outDir.length > 0) {
+    args.push("--out-dir", input.outDir)
+  }
   if (!input.runUp) {
     args.push("--no-up")
   }
@@ -106,8 +111,8 @@ export const resolveCreateInputs = (
   values: Partial<CreateInputs>
 ): CreateInputs => {
   const repoUrl = values.repoUrl ?? ""
-  const resolvedRepoRef = repoUrl.length > 0 ? resolveRepoInput(repoUrl).repoRef : undefined
-  const outDir = values.outDir ?? (repoUrl.length > 0 ? resolveDefaultOutDir(cwd, repoUrl) : "")
+  const resolvedRepoRef = resolveRepoInput(repoUrl).repoRef
+  const outDir = values.outDir ?? resolveDefaultOutDir(cwd, repoUrl)
 
   return {
     repoUrl,
@@ -179,10 +184,6 @@ const applyCreateStep = (input: {
 }): boolean =>
   Match.value(input.step).pipe(
     Match.when("repoUrl", () => {
-      if (input.buffer.length === 0) {
-        input.setMessage("Repo URL is required.")
-        return false
-      }
       input.nextValues.repoUrl = input.buffer
       input.nextValues.outDir = resolveDefaultOutDir(input.cwd, input.buffer)
       return true
@@ -222,11 +223,6 @@ const finalizeCreateFlow = (input: {
   readonly setActiveDir: (dir: string | null) => void
 }) => {
   const inputs = resolveCreateInputs(input.state.cwd, input.nextValues)
-  if (inputs.repoUrl.length === 0) {
-    input.setMessage("Repo URL is required.")
-    return
-  }
-
   const parsed = parseArgs(buildCreateArgs(inputs))
   if (Either.isLeft(parsed)) {
     input.setMessage(formatParseError(parsed.left))

packages/app/src/docker-git/menu-render.ts

@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ import { createSteps, menuItems } from "./menu-types.js"
 
 export const renderStepLabel = (step: CreateStep, defaults: CreateInputs): string =>
   Match.value(step).pipe(
-    Match.when("repoUrl", () => "Repo URL"),
+    Match.when("repoUrl", () => "Repo URL (optional for empty workspace)"),
     Match.when("repoRef", () => `Repo ref [${defaults.repoRef}]`),
     Match.when("outDir", () => `Output dir [${defaults.outDir}]`),
     Match.when("runUp", () => `Run docker compose up now? [${defaults.runUp ? "Y" : "n"}]`),

packages/app/tests/docker-git/parser.test.ts

@@ -101,7 +101,20 @@ describe("parseArgs", () => {
       expect(command.config.volumeName).toBe("dg-repo-issue-9-home")
     }))
 
-  it.effect("fails on missing repo url", () => expectParseErrorTag(["create"], "MissingRequiredOption"))
+  it.effect("parses create command without repo url into empty workspace defaults", () =>
+    expectCreateCommand(["create"], (command) => {
+      expect(command.config.repoUrl).toBe("")
+      expect(command.config.repoRef).toBe(defaultTemplateConfig.repoRef)
+      expect(command.outDir).toBe(".docker-git/app")
+      expect(command.openSsh).toBe(false)
+      expect(command.waitForClone).toBe(false)
+      expect(command.config.containerName).toBe("dg-app")
+      expect(command.config.serviceName).toBe("dg-app")
+      expect(command.config.volumeName).toBe("dg-app-home")
+      expect(command.config.targetDir).toBe(expandDefaultTargetDir(defaultTemplateConfig.targetDir))
+    }))
+
+  it.effect("fails clone when repo url is missing", () => expectParseErrorTag(["clone"], "MissingRequiredOption"))
 
   it.effect("parses clone command with positional repo url", () =>
     expectCreateCommand(["clone", "https://github.com/org/repo.git"], (command) => {

packages/lib/src/core/command-builders.ts

@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ type RepoBasics = {
 
 const resolveRepoBasics = (raw: RawOptions): Either.Either<RepoBasics, ParseError> =>
   Either.gen(function*(_) {
-    const rawRepoUrl = yield* _(nonEmpty("--repo-url", raw.repoUrl))
+    const rawRepoUrl = raw.repoUrl?.trim() ?? ""
     const resolvedRepo = resolveRepoInput(rawRepoUrl)
     const repoUrl = resolvedRepo.repoUrl
     const repoSlug = deriveRepoSlug(repoUrl)