README for devs

README.md

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+# vue-cli
+
+> WIP: this is the work in progress branch of the upcoming vue-cli 3.0.
+> Only for preview for template maintainers.
+
+## Development Setup
+
+This project uses a monorepo setup that requires [Lerna](https://github.com/lerna/lerna) and [Yarn](https://yarnpkg.com).
+
+``` sh
+# install root dependencies
+yarn
+
+# bootstrap packages
+lerna bootstrap
+
+# link `vue` executable
+cd packages/@vue/cli
+yarn link
+
+# create a test project in /packages
+# note the name must be "test" so that dependencies can be linked properly
+cd -
+cd packages
+vue create test
+cd test
+yarn
+yarn dev
+```
+
+## Core Concepts
+
+There are two major parts of the system:
+
+- `@vue/cli`: globally installed, exposes the `vue create <app>` command;
+- `@vue/cli-service`: locally installed, exposes the `vue-cli-service` commands.
+
+Both utilize a plugin-based architecture.
+
+### Creator
+
+[Creator][1] is the class created when invoking `vue create <app>`. Responsible for prompting for preferences, generating the project files and installing dependencies.
+
+### Generator
+
+Generator are globally-installed plugins for the Creator. `@vue/cli` ships with a number of [built-in generators][2].
+
+A generator should export a function which receives a [GeneratorAPI][3] instance as the only argument. The API allows a generator to inject prompts, `package.json` fields and files to the project being created.
+
+### Service
+
+[Service][4] is the class created when invoking `vue-cli-service <command> [...args]`. Responsible for managing the internal webpack configuration, and exposes commands for serving and building the project.
+
+### Plugin
+
+Plugins are locally installed into the project as devDependencies. `@vue/cli-service` ships with a number of [built-in][5] [plugins][6].
+
+A plugin should export a function which receives two arguments:
+
+- A [PluginAPI][7] instance
+- Project local options specified in `vue.config.js`
+
+The API allows plugins to extend/modify the internal webpack config for different environments and inject additional commands to `vue-cli-service`.
+
+[1]: https://github.com/vuejs/vue-cli/tree/next/packages/@vue/cli/lib/Creator.js
+[2]: https://github.com/vuejs/vue-cli/tree/next/packages/@vue/cli/lib/generators
+[3]: https://github.com/vuejs/vue-cli/tree/next/packages/@vue/cli/lib/GeneratorAPI.js
+[4]: https://github.com/vuejs/vue-cli/tree/next/packages/@vue/cli-service/lib/Service.js
+[5]: https://github.com/vuejs/vue-cli/tree/next/packages/@vue/cli-service/lib/command-plugins
+[6]: https://github.com/vuejs/vue-cli/tree/next/packages/@vue/cli-service/lib/config-plugins
+[7]: https://github.com/vuejs/vue-cli/tree/next/packages/@vue/cli-service/lib/PluginAPI.js