[DOCS] Missing Volto generator defaults documentation

[ichim-david]

If you look at here: https://6.docs.plone.org/volto/recipes/creating-project.html You have info about generating a volto project using just the generator.

On the next page: https://6.docs.plone.org/volto/recipes/developing-a-project.html You get some info that actually happens even when you don't use cookie cutter and use just the generator "The generator also creates a default add-on in the frontend/src/addons folder. The project is already configured to use this add-on. This add-on is configured as a theme add-on, so you are able to customize the look and feel of your site as well"

We should also be more specific that the addon created will be named "volto-[project-name]" unless you pass --defaultAddonName within the docs not just by using the help command

[ichim-david]

I don't know if it's a bug that it also happens on the app generator by default, for now I treat it as a miss-documentation until I'm told otherwise.

[stevepiercy]

I think that these two pages are confusing. I have no clue why I would choose one method over another. I can see the obvious differences—for example, one uses cookiecutter whereas the other does not—but that is just a difference of commands and tools used to create a project, not why I would want to use a method.

Maybe a quick chat in Discord could help provide purpose to each method? Then I can update the docs.

[davisagli]

@stevepiercy @plone/generator-volto (as discussed on the creating-project page) generates only a frontend. cookiecutter-plone-starter generates both a frontend and backend (as well as configuration for deployment). Actually, cookiecutter-plone-starter uses @plone/generator-volto to generate the frontend folder, so that part should end up with the same contents regardless of which tool is used.

I expect that using @plone/generator-volto to generate only a frontend is a fairly niche use case -- only for when someone already has an existing backend and wants to create a volto project to use with it.

[stevepiercy]

Yeah, the note on creating-project did not give a reason for generating only a frontend. It's also poorly titled. It should be "Create a project with only the Volto frontend", then explain why you would want to do that.

Your explanation of already having a backend now makes sense to me. Maybe for Guillotina, too?

Having no backend made no sense, as I reckoned using some static site generator would be more appropriate in that case.

[davisagli]

Maybe for Guillotina, too?

Yes, or Nick. Any case where you want to use Volto with a backend that is different than the one that the cookiecutter creates for you. But it definitely seems like an "advanced" use case to me.

[stevepiercy]

https://github.com/plone/volto/pull/5674 addresses the items I brought up in the discussion.

However the original issue should still be updated. @ichim-david would you please submit a PR?

[ichim-david]

Added pull request https://github.com/plone/volto/pull/5709 which brings the documentation of the behavior of the generator first in the generator readme, depending on the feedback I receive I will see about what other steps are needed for extra documenting of the generator and where.

[stevepiercy]

Closed by https://github.com/plone/volto/pull/5709