Tony/675 create template app from anywhere

.lycheeignore

@@ -84,6 +84,8 @@ https://securetoken.google.com/
 file:///home/runner/work/solidui/solidui/lib/src/utils/scheme
 https://pods.example.au/john-doe/profile/card#me
 https://github.com/gjwgit/myapp/blob/main/README.md
+https://github.com/anusii/solidpod/blob/main/solidpodeg/README.md
+https://server/POD_NAME/APP_NAME/data/FILE_PATH
 
 # 20260605 gjw Failing solid servers
 

.pubignore

@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ ARCHIVE
 ignore
 pubspec.yaml.*
 
+!templates/solidpod/pubspec.yaml.tmpl
+
 .flutter-plugins*
 
 qtest_*.txt

README.md

@@ -101,19 +101,71 @@ of a `flutter create --template=solidpod`, which stock Flutter cannot offer
 because the `--template` flag only accepts a fixed set of built-in types. We
 provide a small generator instead.
 
-From any checkout that depends on `solidpod`:
+The recommended way is to activate the generator once and then run it from any
+directory:
 
 ```bash
-dart run solidpod:create my_pod_app
+flutter pub global activate solidpod
+solidpod create my_pod_app
 ```
 
-Or activate it once and use it anywhere:
+Alternatively, `dart run solidpod:create` works **only from within a package
+that already depends on `solidpod`** (for example a clone of the `solidpod`
+repository), because `dart run` must resolve the `solidpod:create` executable
+through that project's `pubspec.yaml`:
 
 ```bash
-flutter pub global activate solidpod
-solidpod create my_pod_app
+dart run solidpod:create my_pod_app
 ```
 
+Running `dart run solidpod:create` from an unrelated directory fails with
+`Found no pubspec.yaml file in <folder> or parent directories` — use the global
+activation above instead.
+
+### Running from a local checkout (before publishing)
+
+If you are working on a branch of `solidpod` that is not yet published to
+pub.dev, you can still generate an app from any directory without publishing.
+Replace `/path/to/solidpod` below with the path to your local checkout.
+
+- Run the generator script directly. This always uses your current working tree
+  — both `bin/create.dart` and the template files — so it picks up your edits
+  on every run:
+
+  ```bash
+  dart run /path/to/solidpod/bin/create.dart my_pod_app
+  ```
+
+- Or activate the local checkout and use the short `solidpod create` command
+  anywhere:
+
+  ```bash
+  flutter pub global activate --source path /path/to/solidpod
+  solidpod create my_pod_app
+  ```
+
+  Note that this takes a snapshot of `bin/create.dart`, so re-run the
+  `activate` command after editing the generator itself; edits to the template
+  files are picked up without re-activating.
+
+For Windows users, command `solidpod` can be added to the system by the
+following steps:
+
+- Run **PowerShell**
+- Run the following commands:
+
+  ```shell
+  $pubCacheBin = "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Pub\Cache\bin"
+  $userPath = [Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("Path", "User")
+
+  if ($userPath -notlike "*$pubCacheBin*") {
+    [Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("Path", "$userPath;$pubCacheBin", "User")
+  }
+  ```
+
+- Close **Powershell**
+- Open **Command Prompter** or **PowerShell** and use `solidpod` command.
+
 The generator runs `flutter create` to lay down the platform folders, overlays
 the template (substituting your app name), and runs `flutter pub get`. Useful
 options:

bin/create.dart

@@ -170,7 +170,11 @@ Future<void> main(List<String> arguments) async {
     await _runProcess('flutter', ['pub', 'get'], outputDir.path);
   }
 
-  _printNextSteps(stdout, outputDir.path, runFlutterCreate: args.runFlutterCreate);
+  _printNextSteps(
+    stdout,
+    outputDir.path,
+    runFlutterCreate: args.runFlutterCreate,
+  );
 }
 
 // ── Template rendering ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -284,7 +288,8 @@ void _patchAndroidRedirectScheme(Directory output, String scheme) {
     if (content.contains(placeholder)) return;
     final patched = content.replaceFirstMapped(
       RegExp(r'versionName flutterVersionName\n'),
-      (m) => '${m[0]}        manifestPlaceholders = [$placeholder: "$scheme"]\n',
+      (m) =>
+          '${m[0]}        manifestPlaceholders = [$placeholder: "$scheme"]\n',
     );
     if (patched != content) {
       groovy.writeAsStringSync(patched);
@@ -403,7 +408,8 @@ Future<bool> _runProcess(
     );
     final code = await process.exitCode;
     if (code != 0) {
-      stderr.writeln('Error: `$executable ${args.join(' ')}` exited with $code.');
+      stderr
+          .writeln('Error: `$executable ${args.join(' ')}` exited with $code.');
       return false;
     }
     return true;
@@ -563,7 +569,11 @@ Example:
 ''');
 }
 
-void _printNextSteps(IOSink out, String path, {required bool runFlutterCreate}) {
+void _printNextSteps(
+  IOSink out,
+  String path, {
+  required bool runFlutterCreate,
+}) {
   out.writeln('''
 
 Done! Your Solid Pod app is ready in $path/