catalyst-basics

Original：🇺🇸 English

Translated

Core Catalyst project setup — directory structure, environments, CLI commands, and all Catalyst IDs (Project ID, ZAID, Table ID, Segment ID, Org ID). Trigger on 'start a Catalyst project', 'what is .catalystrc', 'where do I find my Table ID', 'difference between Development and Production', or any Catalyst ID or CLI question.

8installs

Sourcecatalystbyzoho/agent-skills

Added on2026-08-01

NPX Install

npx skill4agent add catalystbyzoho/agent-skills catalyst-basics

SKILL.md Content

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⚠️ PRE-FLIGHT CHECK: Before creating any project files, confirm that
.catalystrc
and
catalyst.json
exist in the project directory. If they don't:
Use MCP (
CatalystbyZoho_List_All_Organizations
→
CatalystbyZoho_List_All_Projects
) to get the org ID and project ID.
Run:
catalyst init --org <orgId> -p <projectId> -ni
Never ask the user to run
catalyst init
interactively. Never create these files manually — they are CLI-generated and must come from the CLI.

How It Works

MCP check first — Before reading any local files, look for
```
CatalystbyZoho_*
```
tools. If available, use MCP to get org ID, project ID, and all resource IDs instead of asking the user.
New to Catalyst? — If the user is setting up Catalyst for the first time or asking "how do I start", load
```
references/quick-start.md
```
for the full walkthrough.
Console navigation — If the user asks how to find IDs, create tables, set permissions, or configure CORS in the console, load
```
references/console-ui-guide.md
```
.
Pre-flight — Confirm
```
.catalystrc
```
and
```
catalyst.json
```
exist. If missing, use MCP to get org/project IDs and run
```
catalyst init --org <orgId> -p <projectId> -ni
```
. Never use interactive
```
catalyst init
```
.
Project structure — Load
```
references/project-basics.md
```
for directory layout,
```
catalyst.json
```
, IDs, and dev-to-prod checklist.
CLI questions — Load
```
references/cli.md
```
for the exact command, flags, and safety rules.
Answer — Provide the specific ID path or CLI command needed. Never ask the user to manually look up IDs when MCP is connected.

Triggers

Use this skill for: "how do I start a Catalyst project", "what is .catalystrc", "where do I find my Table ID / ZAID / Segment ID / Project ID", "difference between Development and Production", "Catalyst project structure", "catalyst.json explained",

catalyst init

,

catalyst deploy

,

catalyst serve

,

catalyst login

, "how do I set up Catalyst with Claude", "how do I use Catalyst in Cursor", "how do I use Catalyst with GitHub Copilot", "which service should I use", "what Catalyst service for X", or any question about Catalyst IDs, environments, organizations, IDE setup, architecture decisions, or CLI subcommands.

🔌 MCP Connection Check (Do This Before Anything Else)

Before reading
.catalystrc
, asking the user for IDs, or doing anything project-related — check whether Zoho MCP tools are available in your tool list.

Look for tools prefixed with

CatalystbyZoho_

(e.g.,

CatalystbyZoho_List_All_Projects

,

CatalystbyZoho_List_All_Tables

).

If MCP tools ARE available:

Use
```
CatalystbyZoho_List_All_Organizations
```
to get the org ID
Use
```
CatalystbyZoho_List_All_Projects
```
to get the project ID
Use MCP tools to fetch table names, bucket names, ZAIDs, and all other project details directly — do NOT ask the user to copy-paste IDs from the console

If MCP tools are NOT available:

Prompt the user to connect Zoho MCP before proceeding
Guide them to: VS Code → Settings → MCP (or Claude Desktop
```
claude_desktop_config.json
```
) and add the Catalyst MCP server
Fall back to reading
```
.catalystrc
```
and
```
catalyst.json
```
from the local project directory only as a last resort

Never ask the user to manually look up IDs from the console if MCP is connected. Every project detail — org ID, project ID, table IDs, ZAIDs, bucket names — is retrievable via MCP tools. Asking the user to hunt for IDs when MCP is available wastes time and introduces copy-paste errors.

References

Load the relevant reference file for detailed information:

Reference	Contents
`references/quick-start.md`	First-time setup — install CLI, `catalyst init` , find org/project IDs, add a function, serve locally, deploy, create a Data Store table, configure CORS/Authorized Domains
`references/console-ui-guide.md`	Console navigation — finding Project ID/ZAID/Table ID, creating tables with typed columns, enabling App User permissions (Scopes and Permissions), Authorized Domains + CORS toggle
`references/project-basics.md`	Project directory structure, `catalyst.json` , `.catalystrc` , `catalyst-config.json` , environments, dev-to-prod checklist, all Catalyst IDs (Project ID, ZAID, Table ID, Segment ID, etc.)
`references/cli.md`	Full CLI command reference — all subcommands with flags, Slate/AppSail non-interactive setup, `catalyst serve` port behavior, deploy scoping, safety rules, resource-first development order
`references/architecture.md`	Service selection guide — which Catalyst service to use for which pattern, typical stack combinations, DC availability table for regionally restricted services
`references/setup/claude-code.md`	Installing skills and connecting Zoho MCP in Claude Code (Claude Desktop)
`references/setup/cursor.md`	Installing skills and connecting Zoho MCP in Cursor
`references/setup/github-copilot.md`	Installing skills and connecting Zoho MCP in GitHub Copilot (VS Code)