Helm Scaffold

Workflow Decision Tree

User Request
├─ Simple chart (name + type provided)
│  └─ Use scaffold_chart.py directly
├─ Complex chart (many options)
│  └─ Ask clarifying questions, then use scaffold_chart.py
├─ Manifest conversion
│  └─ Manual templatization process
└─ Custom requirements
   └─ Manual generation with template references

Interactive Workflow

Step 1: Understand Use Case

Identify the scenario:

• Simple new chart: Use scaffold_chart.py with user-provided params
• Complex chart: Ask questions, build command
• Manifest conversion: Extract variables, templatize
• Team template: Apply organizational standards

Step 2: Gather Requirements

Minimum required:

• Chart name
• Workload type (deployment, statefulset, job, cronjob)

Optional (ask if not provided):

• Container image repository and tag
• Application port
• Include Ingress? (--ingress flag)
• Include HPA? (--hpa flag)
• Include ConfigMap? (--configmap flag)
• Multi-environment configs?

Step 3: Generate Chart

Option A: Using scaffold_chart.py (Recommended)

For straightforward charts, execute the Python script:

import subprocess
cmd = [
    'python3', 'scripts/scaffold_chart.py',
    chart_name,
    '--workload-type', workload_type,
    '--output', '/mnt/user-data/outputs'
]
if include_ingress:
    cmd.append('--ingress')
if include_hpa:
    cmd.append('--hpa')
if include_configmap:
    cmd.append('--configmap')

subprocess.run(cmd, check=True)

The script automatically:

• Creates chart directory structure
• Copies template files from assets/templates/
• Replaces CHARTNAME placeholder with actual chart name
• Includes only requested resources
• Applies best practices

Option B: Manual Generation

For custom requirements, manually copy and modify templates:

1. Read template from assets/templates/<workload>/<file>.yaml
2. Replace CHARTNAME with actual chart name
3. Customize based on user requirements
4. Write to /home/claude/<chart-name>/templates/

Step 4: Multi-Environment Configuration

If user requests dev/staging/prod configs, create additional values files:

values-dev.yaml:

replicaCount: 1