Building Better Dev Tools: What I Learned After Launching My React Generator CLI A few weeks ago, I launched rgenex — a config-driven React architecture scaffolding CLI for teams. The goal was simple: Define your architecture once in rgenex.config.js The initial feedback was encouraging. But it also surfaced an important lesson quickly: Developer experience matters as much as functionality. A generator can technically work… But if developers don’t trust it, they won’t use it. The biggest concerns weren’t about features. They were about confidence and safety: “Can I preview what will be generated first?” “What if it overwrites existing files?” “How do I see available generators?” “Can I skip prompts in CI/scripts?” That made me realize: Building dev tools isn’t just about automation. Preview generated files before writing anything: npx rgenex g component Button --dry If files already exist, rgenex now prompts before overwriting. This prevents accidental destructive generation. For scripted workflows / power users: npx rgenex g component Button --force Quickly inspect configured generators: npx rgenex list This release reinforced something I think applies to all developer tooling: Features get attention. Especially for tools developers integrate into daily workflows. Most React teams don’t struggle because they lack coding skill. They struggle because architecture standards drift over time: Different folder structures Inconsistent naming conventions Missing tests/styles Repeated PR comments about organization rgenex helps solve that by making architecture configurable and enforceable: module.exports = { language: "typescript", styling: "scss-modules", testing: "vitest", paths: { components: "src/components", hooks: "src/hooks", pages: "src/pages", }, }; Define once. I’m continuing to iterate based on real-world usage. If you use React in team environments, I’d love to know: What would make a generator like this useful enough for your team to adopt? GitHub: https://github.com/asengar14/rgenex https://www.npmjs.com/package/rgenex Thanks to everyone who shared feedback after the initial release — it directly shaped this update.