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LAB: Setting Up a Project

Getting a project off the ground can be a simple process. Too simple. It's incredibly easy overlook the simple things that will get us in to hot water later on.

LAB: Setting Up a Project
Photo by Mauro Sbicego / Unsplash

Things such as:

  • A proper license file. No need to explain this, even if the project is internal.
  • A proper .gitignore file.
  • Necessary GitHub files, if our project will be open source, which many projects are these days, even for big companies.
  • A reasonable .editorconfig.
  • A Makefile for building things.
  • Oh yeah, we need a README.md! Let's start there...

A good README is the hallmark of a solid project, so let's take some extra time to get ours in order.

Updated on Nov 21, 2025