Provider Scaffold Generator

Writing a new Terraform provider is a significant undertaking, and the boilerplate alone can discourage contributors before they reach any real logic. A provider needs a correctly structured resource and data source registration, a provider schema, a Go module layout, documentation stubs and a Makefile or task runner before a single API call is implemented. Getting the skeleton wrong wastes hours and produces code that does not compile against the terraform-plugin-framework or the older SDK, delaying every later step of the project.

The Provider Scaffold Generator produces that skeleton for you. Describe the provider name, the resources and data sources you plan to expose, and the language or framework you target, and the tool lays out the files and registration code you need to start. It follows the conventions the Terraform Plugin Framework expects, so the output compiles and gives you clear places to fill in behaviour. Everything is generated locally in your browser with no upload and no network access, which keeps your provider design private while you work on it and away from any shared server.

Whether you are publishing an internal provider for a private platform or contributing to the ecosystem, this scaffold keeps you aligned with current best practices from the very first commit and removes the friction of hand-writing the initial module layout that every provider inevitably shares before it does anything useful. The generated layout also makes code review easier because every provider begins from the same predictable structure. That consistency pays off as the provider grows.

• Provider schema - a starting provider block with the version and configurable settings.
• Resource stubs - one scaffolded resource file per resource you name in the form.
• Data source stubs - one scaffolded data source file per entry you list for the provider.
• Registration code - the Providers() map wiring resources and data sources together cleanly.
• Module layout - go.mod, main entrypoint and directory structure ready to build and test.
• Docs stubs - index and per-resource markdown placeholders for later documentation.
• Framework aware - targets the terraform-plugin-framework conventions by default for modernity.
• Makefile - build, test and install tasks already defined for you to extend.
• Copy or download - export the whole scaffold as a zip-ready tree of files.
• Private - the layout is built in your browser only, never sent to a server.
• Consistent - matches framework conventions automatically every single time you run it.
• Extensible - clear TODO markers show exactly where your logic should go.

1. Name the provider using a reverse-domain style such as example.com/myorg/myprovider.
2. List resources you intend to implement, one per line in the form provided.
3. List data sources you intend to expose, one per line in the form provided.
4. Choose the framework - terraform-plugin-framework is the modern default choice.
5. Click Generate scaffold to build the full file tree for the provider.
6. Review the preview showing each generated file and its current contents.
7. Resolve any errors such as an invalid provider name format you entered.
8. Copy or download the scaffold and drop it into a new Go module directory.
9. Run go mod tidy and go build to confirm it compiles cleanly on your machine.
10. Implement CRUD in the generated stubs where the TODO markers sit waiting for you.

Worked example - internal DNS provider. Name the provider myorg/dns, list resources dns_record and dns_zone, and list data source dns_zone. The generator emits a provider.go with a schema, a resources map referencing NewDnsRecord and NewDnsZone, a data_sources map referencing the zone data source, a go.mod declaring the plugin framework, and documentation stubs. Each generated file contains TODO markers showing exactly where to implement CRUD logic against your API, so a new contributor can begin wiring endpoints immediately instead of fighting the build system and guessing at structure.

• Less boilerplate - start from compiling code, not a blank and confusing file.
• Consistent structure - matches framework conventions automatically from day one.
• Fewer compile errors - registration is wired correctly from the very start.
• Faster first release - focus on behaviour, not scaffolding files that repeat.
• Onboarding aid - new contributors see the expected shape at once and learn fast.
• Private - nothing is uploaded to any server during generation of the scaffold.
• Maintainable - a known layout others can navigate and extend with confidence.