---
id: init-commit
title: Initial Commit
sidebar_label: Init Commit
---

Include basic setup for your project.

The first commit requires some necessary setup. See an example: [init · ShMcK/coderoad-fcc-basic-node-and-express@c722f9e · GitHub](https://github.com/ShMcK/coderoad-fcc-basic-node-and-express/commit/c722f9e9ec8f94d7fba04cfa3375e0896346ced0). A JS project should include:

- .gitignore - ignore `package-lock.json` or it will cause merge conflicts
- .vscode/extensions - would recommend “dbaeumer.vscode-eslint”
- .vscode/launch.json - file for running the debugger
- .vscode/settings.json - ensure that `formatOnSave` and linting are enabled
- README.md
- package.json - include test commands - include repo - include test runner dependencies

If starting a project with React, bear in mind that create-react-app runs some pretty hacky processes behind the scenes. You can use the following boilerplate in your project: [init with coderoad react tutorial starter · ShMcK/coderoad-tutorial-tweeter@059e004 · GitHub](https://github.com/ShMcK/coderoad-tutorial-tweeter/commit/059e0041691f39e3bf078022512d01a93214b6bb)
