fix(project create): never block on a name prompt — auto-generate when the dir name is useless (#46)

`insta project create` (no arg) dropped into an interactive `project name [projects]:`
prompt — so `curl … | sh && insta project create` and any run from ~/projects just
HANGS, with a nonsense default (the cwd basename 'projects'). Railway-grade onboarding
shouldn't stall on input.

Now name resolution never prompts:
- explicit arg wins (slugified)
- else the cwd basename IF it's a real project-dir name (e.g. ~/my-app → 'my-app')
- else an auto-generated friendly name (Vercel/Render style, e.g. 'swift-meadow-482')
  for generic dirs (projects, tmp, ~, src, code, …) and the home dir itself

Removed the readline prompt path entirely (stdin no longer touched). Pass a name or
rename later if you want something specific. 77/77 tests green, tsc clean.


Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01GMbAe5K1RfwaAcge5inX7P

Co-authored-by: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

Author: tonychang04

src/commands/project.ts

@@ -1,14 +1,26 @@
-import { createInterface } from 'node:readline/promises'
+import { homedir } from 'node:os'
 import { ApiClient, requireProject } from '../api.js'
 import { writeProject } from '../config.js'
 import { info, die, printJson, handleApproval, renderNextActions } from '../util.js'
 import { installObserve } from '../observe/install.js'
 import { installSkills } from '../ensure-skills.js'
 
-// Interactive name prompt (stderr, so piped stdout stays clean). Enter accepts the default.
-async function promptName(question: string, def: string): Promise<string> {
-  const rl = createInterface({ input: process.stdin, output: process.stderr })
-  try { return (await rl.question(`${question} [${def}]: `)).trim() } finally { rl.close() }
+// Generic directory names that make a useless project name ("projects", "~", "tmp", …). When the
+// cwd basename is one of these we auto-generate a friendly name instead of using it.
+const GENERIC_DIRS = new Set([
+  'projects', 'project', 'home', 'tmp', 'temp', 'desktop', 'documents', 'downloads',
+  'src', 'source', 'code', 'dev', 'work', 'workspace', 'repos', 'repo', 'git',
+  'app', 'apps', 'users', 'user', 'bin', 'new', 'test', 'tests',
+])
+const ADJ = ['swift', 'brave', 'calm', 'bright', 'bold', 'quiet', 'warm', 'keen', 'wise',
+  'lucky', 'sunny', 'cosmic', 'gentle', 'rapid', 'vivid', 'amber', 'crisp', 'noble']
+const NOUN = ['otter', 'falcon', 'maple', 'river', 'harbor', 'meadow', 'comet', 'cedar', 'lark',
+  'delta', 'summit', 'ember', 'willow', 'pixel', 'forge', 'harbor', 'atlas', 'quartz']
+
+/** A friendly auto-generated name like `swift-meadow-482` (Vercel/Render style). */
+export function generateProjectName(rand: () => number = Math.random): string {
+  const pick = (a: string[]) => a[Math.floor(rand() * a.length)]
+  return `${pick(ADJ)}-${pick(NOUN)}-${100 + Math.floor(rand() * 900)}`
 }
 
 // Best-effort: wire the credential-audit hook into the project (no-op if assets aren't built).
@@ -31,23 +43,26 @@ export function slugifyName(raw: string): string {
   return raw.toLowerCase().replace(/[^a-z0-9]+/g, '-').replace(/^-+|-+$/g, '').slice(0, 40)
 }
 
-/** Name resolution so the recommended one-liner (`insta project create`, no arg) is paste-and-run:
- *  explicit arg wins; else prompt with the cwd basename as default (TTY); else use the basename. */
+/** Name resolution so `insta project create` (no arg) NEVER blocks on a prompt — the whole point
+ *  of a paste-and-run one-liner. Explicit arg wins; else use the cwd basename when it's a real
+ *  project-dir name; else auto-generate a friendly name (e.g. in ~/projects, where the basename
+ *  "projects" is useless). You can always pass a name or rename later. */
 export async function resolveProjectName(
   nameArg: string | undefined,
   cwd = process.cwd(),
-  prompt?: (question: string, def: string) => Promise<string>,
+  generate: () => string = generateProjectName,
 ): Promise<string> {
-  const fromDir = slugifyName(cwd.split('/').filter(Boolean).pop() ?? 'app') || 'app'
   if (nameArg) return slugifyName(nameArg)
-  if (prompt && process.stdin.isTTY) return slugifyName((await prompt('project name', fromDir)) || fromDir) || fromDir
-  return fromDir
+  const base = slugifyName(cwd.split('/').filter(Boolean).pop() ?? '')
+  const home = slugifyName(homedir().split('/').filter(Boolean).pop() ?? '')
+  if (base && base !== home && !GENERIC_DIRS.has(base)) return base
+  return generate()
 }
 
 export async function projectCreate(name: string | undefined, opts: { org?: string }): Promise<void> {
   const api = await ApiClient.load()
   const orgId = await resolveOrg(api, opts.org)
-  const resolved = await resolveProjectName(name, process.cwd(), promptName)
+  const resolved = await resolveProjectName(name, process.cwd())
   const out = await api.request('POST', `/orgs/${orgId}/projects`, { name: resolved })
   await writeProject({ projectId: out.project.id, orgId, branch: out.defaultBranch.name })
   info(`created project ${out.project.id} (${resolved})`)

test/create-name.test.ts

@@ -1,22 +1,36 @@
-import { test, expect, afterEach } from 'vitest'
-import { slugifyName, resolveProjectName } from '../src/commands/project.js'
-
-const realTTY = process.stdin.isTTY
-afterEach(() => { Object.defineProperty(process.stdin, 'isTTY', { value: realTTY, configurable: true }) })
+import { test, expect } from 'vitest'
+import { slugifyName, resolveProjectName, generateProjectName } from '../src/commands/project.js'
 
 test('slugify makes a valid project name', () => {
   expect(slugifyName('My Cool App!')).toBe('my-cool-app')
   expect(slugifyName('linkbox')).toBe('linkbox')
 })
+
 test('explicit arg wins (slugified)', async () => {
   expect(await resolveProjectName('LinkBox', '/x/whatever')).toBe('linkbox')
 })
-test('no arg, non-TTY → directory basename (so the pasted one-liner runs unedited)', async () => {
-  Object.defineProperty(process.stdin, 'isTTY', { value: false, configurable: true })
-  expect(await resolveProjectName(undefined, '/Users/me/my-project')).toBe('my-project')
+
+test('no arg, real project dir → the dir basename (intuitive, no prompt)', async () => {
+  expect(await resolveProjectName(undefined, '/Users/me/my-project', () => 'gen-name-1')).toBe('my-project')
+})
+
+test('no arg, GENERIC dir → auto-generated name, never the useless basename', async () => {
+  // ~/projects, /tmp, etc. must NOT become a project literally named "projects"/"tmp".
+  expect(await resolveProjectName(undefined, '/Users/gary/projects', () => 'swift-otter-482')).toBe('swift-otter-482')
+  expect(await resolveProjectName(undefined, '/tmp', () => 'swift-otter-482')).toBe('swift-otter-482')
+})
+
+test('no arg NEVER blocks on a prompt (no stdin/TTY dependency)', async () => {
+  // Regression: create must resolve a name with zero interaction so `curl|sh && insta project create`
+  // and `insta project create` in ~/projects never hang waiting for input.
+  const name = await resolveProjectName(undefined, '/Users/gary/projects', () => 'auto-name-1')
+  expect(name).toBe('auto-name-1')
 })
-test('no arg, TTY → prompt, Enter accepts the dir-name default', async () => {
-  Object.defineProperty(process.stdin, 'isTTY', { value: true, configurable: true })
-  expect(await resolveProjectName(undefined, '/Users/me/cool-thing', async () => '')).toBe('cool-thing')
-  expect(await resolveProjectName(undefined, '/Users/me/cool-thing', async () => 'chosen name')).toBe('chosen-name')
+
+test('generated names are valid slugs shaped adjective-noun-NNN', () => {
+  // deterministic rand → first adjective, first noun, floor(0*900)=0 → "swift-otter-100"
+  const n = generateProjectName(() => 0)
+  expect(n).toBe('swift-otter-100')
+  expect(slugifyName(n)).toBe(n) // already a valid project name
+  expect(n).toMatch(/^[a-z]+-[a-z]+-\d{3}$/)
 })