Remove `.replit` and `replit.nix` Files From Boilerplate Repos

One of the Replit devs mentioned that they’re making a lot of changes on their end, and recommends that we remove the .replit and replit.nix files from our boilerplate repos whenever possible. We should be able to do this in most of the boilerplate repos without issue.

There may be a couple of exceptions, though, like with the Rust in Replit project boilerplate. For that project, there are some commands that need to run when the project is imported.

The recommendation for repos that need special commands is to leave the .replit and replit.nix files in the repo, but to make sure the only difference between them and the autogenerated .replit and replit.nix files are the commands that need to run.

Here’s a list of the project boilerplates that should be updated. Please let me know if I missed any:

Remove .replit and replit.nix Files

Back End Development and APIs

Practice Projects

• Managing Packages with NPM

  • Boilerplate repo: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-npm/
  • PRs:
    • Boilerplate: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-npm/pull/491
    • Learn description:

• Basic Node and Express

  • Boilerplate repo: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-express/
  • PRs:
    • Boilerplate: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-express/pull/110
    • Learn description:

• MongoDB and Mongoose

  • Boilerplate repo: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-mongomongoose/
  • PRs:
    • Boilerplate: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-mongomongoose/pull/51
    • Learn description:

Required Projects

• Timestamp Microservice

  • Boilerplate repo: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-project-timestamp/
  • PRs:
    • Boilerplate: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-project-timestamp/pull/85
    • Learn description:

• Request Header Parser Microservice

  • Boilerplate repo: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-project-headerparser/
  • PRs:
    • Boilerplate: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-project-headerparser/pull/31
    • Learn description:

• URL Shortener Microservice

  • Boilerplate repo: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-project-urlshortener/
  • PRs:
    • Boilerplate: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-project-urlshortener/pull/53
    • Learn description:

• Exercise Tracker

  • Boilerplate repo: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-project-exercisetracker/
  • PRs:
    • Boilerplate: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-project-exercisetracker/pull/67
    • Learn description:

• File Metadata Microservice

  • Boilerplate repo: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-project-filemetadata/
  • PRs:
    • Boilerplate: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-project-filemetadata/pull/23
    • Learn description:

Quality Assurance

Practice Projects

• Quality Assurance and Testing with Chai

  • Boilerplate repo: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-mochachai/
  • PRs:
    • Boilerplate: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-mochachai/pull/84
    • Learn description:

• Advanced Node and Express

  • Boilerplate repo: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-advancednode/
  • PRs:
    • Boilerplate: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-advancednode/pull/26
    • Learn description:

Required Projects

• Metric-Imperial Converter

  • Boilerplate repo: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-project-metricimpconverter/
  • PRs:
    • Boilerplate: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-project-metricimpconverter/pull/25
    • Learn description:

• Issue Tracker

  • Boilerplate repo: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-project-issuetracker/
  • PRs:
    • Boilerplate: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-project-issuetracker/pull/26
    • Learn description:

• Personal Library

  • Boilerplate repo: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-project-library
  • PRs:
    • Boilerplate: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-project-library/pull/18
    • Learn description:

• Sudoku Solver

  • Boilerplate repo: https://github.com/freecodecamp/boilerplate-project-sudoku-solver
  • PRs:
    • Boilerplate: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-project-sudoku-solver/pull/26
    • Learn description:

• American British Translator

  • Boilerplate repo: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-project-american-british-english-translator/
  • PRs:
    • Boilerplate: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-project-american-british-english-translator/pull/22
    • Learn description:

Scientific Computing with Python

Required Projects

• Arithmetic Formatter

  • Boilerplate repo: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-arithmetic-formatter
  • PRs:
    • Boilerplate: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-arithmetic-formatter/pull/13
    • Learn description:

• Time Calculator

  • Boilerplate repo: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-time-calculator
  • PRs:
    • Boilerplate: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-time-calculator/pull/7
    • Learn description:

• Budget App

  • Boilerplate repo: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-budget-app
  • PRs:
    • Boilerplate: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-budget-app/pull/14
    • Learn description:

• Polygon Area Calculator

  • Boilerplate repo: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-polygon-area-calculator
  • PRs:
    • Boilerplate: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-polygon-area-calculator/pull/7
    • Learn description:

• Probability Calculator

  • Boilerplate repo: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-probability-calculator
  • PRs:
    • Boilerplate: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-probability-calculator/pull/10
    • Learn description:

Data Analysis with Python

Required Projects

• Mean-Variance-Standard Deviation Calculator

  • Boilerplate repo: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-mean-variance-standard-deviation-calculator
  • PRs:
    • Boilerplate: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-mean-variance-standard-deviation-calculator/pull/8
    • Learn description:

• Demographic Data Analyzer

  • Boilerplate repo: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-demographic-data-analyzer
  • PRs:
    • Boilerplate: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-demographic-data-analyzer/pull/12
    • Learn description:

• Medical Data Visualizer

  • Boilerplate repo: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-medical-data-visualizer
  • PRs:
    • Boilerplate: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-medical-data-visualizer/pull/22
    • Learn description:

• Page View Time Series Visualizer

  • Boilerplate repo: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-page-view-time-series-visualizer
  • PRs:
    • Boilerplate: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-page-view-time-series-visualizer/pull/11
    • Learn description:

• Sea Level Predictor

  • Boilerplate repo: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-sea-level-predictor
  • PRs:
    • Boilerplate: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-sea-level-predictor/pull/9
    • Learn description:

Information Security

Practice Projects

• Information Security with HelmetJS
  • Boilerplate repo: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-infosec/
  • PRs:
    • Boilerplate: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-infosec/pull/54
    • Learn description:

Required Projects

• Stock Price Checker

  • Boilerplate repo: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-project-stockchecker/
  • PRs:
    • Boilerplate: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-project-stockchecker/pull/30
    • Learn description:

• Anonymous Message Board

  • Boilerplate repo: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-project-messageboard/
  • PRs:
    • Boilerplate: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-project-messageboard/pull/23
    • Learn description:

• Port Scanner

  • Boilerplate repo: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-port-scanner
  • PRs:
    • Boilerplate: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-port-scanner/pull/5
    • Learn description:

• SHA-1 Password Cracker

  • Boilerplate repo: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-SHA-1-password-cracker
  • PRs:
    • Boilerplate: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-SHA-1-password-cracker/pull/4
    • Learn description:

• Secure Real Time Multiplayer Game

  • Boilerplate repo: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-project-secure-real-time-multiplayer-game/
  • PRs:
    • Boilerplate: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-project-secure-real-time-multiplayer-game/pull/20
    • Learn description:

Machine Learning with Python

Required Projects

• Rock Paper Scissors
  • Boilerplate repo: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-rock-paper-scissors
  • PRs:
    • Boilerplate: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/boilerplate-rock-paper-scissors/pull/5
    • Learn description:

Special Cases

• Rust in Replit
  • Tasks:
    • Import the project into Replit
    • Copy the autogenerated .replit and replit.nix files back into the boilerplate
    • Add the special commands back to the boilerplate’s .replit file — the only diff between Replit’s autogenerated .replit file and the one in the boilerplate are those special commands
  • Boilerplate repo: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/Rust-In-Replit/
  • PRs:
    • Boilerplate: https://github.com/freeCodeCamp/Rust-In-Replit/pull/27
    • Learn description: N/A

[scissorsneedfoodtoo]

Hi team! To solve this monotonous(?) task in a fun and efficient way, I created a script for automating this full process!

Here’s the link to that project - https://github.com/Prince-Mendiratta/mass-repo-editor

I am not sure what exactly should I add to the Learn description so with any pointers on that and I’ll get that done as well. 😄

Wow, thank you for sharing your script, @Prince-Mendiratta. That looks super helpful. I was wondering how you were able to update so many of the boilerplate repos simultaneously!

For the Learn descriptions, I think a large PR that updates all the English challenge / project files is the best way to do this. That will help in terms of orchestrating the reviews, updating the client, and merging all of the boilerplate PRs.

We would definitely welcome your help with updating the Learn files if you’re interested.

But before we do that, we can discuss the language to use first.

There’s a slight difference between importing a Node.js and a Python boilerplate into Replit. Still, it’d be good if we could use the same language for both types of projects.

Most of the challenge / project descriptions contain this text:

...
- Clone this GitHub repo and complete your project locally.
- Use our Replit starter project to complete your project.
- Use a site builder of your choice to complete the project. Be sure to incorporate all the files from our GitHub repo.

And the Python projects contain this text:

You will be working on this project with our Replit starter code.

The easiest thing to do is to add a couple of short sentences to each description, just after “Use our Repit starter project…” and “You will be working on…”. Something like “After importing this project into Replit, you will see the .replit window. Select Use run command and click the Done button.”

It would be best to put backticks (`) around .replit, Use run command and Done so those don’t get translated.

So the full sentences could read:

• Use our Replit starter project to complete your project. After importing this project into Replit, you will see the .replit window. Select Use run command and click the Done button.
• You will be working on this project with our Replit starter code. After importing this project into Replit, you will see the .replit window. Select Use run command and click the Done button.

Or if there’s a better, more concise way to explain those steps, we can go with that instead.

[scissorsneedfoodtoo]

Thank you again for all of your help updating these boilerplate repos and descriptions @Prince-Mendiratta.

Just went through and merged all of the PRs listed here. Also cloned and tested a few projects and everything seems to work as expected.

It should be safe to close this now, and I’ll do more thorough testing after the weekend.