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Local Installation Overview

What is Local Installation?​

Local Installation means installing Spec-Up-T directly on your computer and running it via the command line. This is the most powerful and fastest way to work with Spec-Up-T, giving you complete control over your development environment.

How It Works​

With local installation, you:

  1. Install Node.js, npm, and Git on your computer (if not already installed) — see Install prerequisites
  2. Clone or create a Spec-Up-T repository on your local machine
  3. Use command line tools to run Spec-Up-T commands
  4. Edit files using your preferred text editor (like Visual Studio Code)
  5. Push changes to GitHub when ready to share or publish

Interactive Command Line Menu​

Once installed, Spec-Up-T provides an interactive menu - you don't need to memorize commands! Simply run:

npm run menu

This presents a numbered menu where you can:

  • Render your specification
  • Generate PDFs and DOCX files
  • Collect external references
  • Run health checks
  • And more

Two Ways to Get Started​

Option 1: Clone an Existing Repository​

If you're joining an existing Spec-Up-T project:

  • Clone the repository to your local machine
  • Install dependencies with npm install
  • Start working immediately

Option 2: Install from Scratch​

If you're creating a new specification project:

  • Install Spec-Up-T on your local machine using npx
  • Configure your new project
  • Begin writing your specification

Pros and Cons​

Advantages:

  • ⚡ Very fast - no waiting for GitHub Actions
  • 💪 Full control over your environment
  • 📴 Can work offline
  • 🔧 Access to all Spec-Up-T features
  • 🎯 Best for heavy development work

Requirements:

Is This Right for You?​

Choose Local Installation if you:

  • Are comfortable with command line tools
  • Want the fastest rendering and editing experience
  • Need to work offline
  • Are doing significant development work
  • Want full control over your development environment