pwsh-module-template

An opinionated PowerShell module template — manifest, autoloader, tests, lint, CI, and publish workflow ready to go.

What you get

• Cross-platform module skeleton (src/MyModule/{Public,Private}) with auto-loader
• Test-ModuleManifest-clean .psd1
• Sample cmdlet (Get-Hello) demonstrating the project conventions
• Pester 5 test suite (module meta + cmdlet tests)
• PSScriptAnalyzer config
• GitHub Actions CI on Windows / macOS / Linux (PowerShell 7+)
• PR + issue templates, CODE_OF_CONDUCT, SECURITY, CHANGELOG
• Bootstrap script that personalises the template in one command

Prerequisites

• PowerShell 7+ — the module targets 7.2+ (PowerShellVersion in the manifest).
• Git, and optionally the GitHub CLI for the gh repo create flow.

Pester and PSScriptAnalyzer install automatically in CI. To run tests or lint locally: Install-Module Pester, PSScriptAnalyzer.

Use it

1. Click Use this template → Create a new repository on GitHub, or run:

   gh repo create my-org/AcmeTools --public --template razakadam74/pwsh-module-template --clone
   cd AcmeTools

2. Run the bootstrap script to replace placeholders ({{ModuleName}}, {{Author}}, {{GitHubUser}}, {{Year}}, {{ReleaseDate}}), rename the module folder, regenerate the manifest GUID, and remove itself:

   .\Initialize-Template.ps1 -ModuleName 'AcmeTools' -Author 'Your Name' -GitHubUser 'your-handle'

3. Verify it loads:

   Import-Module .\src\AcmeTools\AcmeTools.psd1 -Force
   Get-Hello -Name 'World'
   Invoke-Pester

4. Push. CI runs on the first commit.

How publishing works

Two scripts and one workflow:

• .\Build.ps1 stages src/<ModuleName>/ into output/<ModuleName>/ and fills in FunctionsToExport.
• .\Publish.ps1 -ApiKey <key> re-validates the staged manifest and runs Publish-Module to the PowerShell Gallery (-WhatIf for a dry run).
• .github/workflows/publish.yml — push a v*.*.* tag and CI builds, publishes to the Gallery, and cuts a GitHub Release.

One-time setup before your first release: add a repository secret PSGALLERY_API_KEY (Settings → Secrets and variables → Actions) with your PowerShell Gallery API key.

Conventions

• Public cmdlets live in src/<ModuleName>/Public/, one function per file, filename matches function name.
• Private helpers live in src/<ModuleName>/Private/, auto-loaded but not exported.
• Every public function uses approved verbs (Get-Verb), [CmdletBinding()], [OutputType()], and comment-based help.
• Every behaviour change ships with a Pester test.
• Conventional Commits for commit messages.

See CONTRIBUTING.md for the full development workflow.

How it compares

No templating engine, no dependencies — just GitHub's "Use this template" button and a one-shot bootstrap script. That keeps it simple, at the cost of the configurability the Plaster-based tools offer.

	pwsh-module-template	Catesta	PSStucco	Plaster
Mechanism	GitHub template + bootstrap	Plaster generator	Plaster template	templating engine
Dependencies	none	Plaster	Plaster	—
CI/CD	GitHub Actions	GitHub Actions, Azure, AppVeyor, GitLab, etc.	build/test scripts	template-defined
Best for	grab-and-go GitHub Actions modules	multi-platform CI choices	strict, standards-driven modules	rolling your own templates

Want multiple CI providers or lots of options? Use Catesta. Want a minimal, opinionated, GitHub-Actions-first starter? Use this.

License

MIT © Abdul-Razak Adam