# Project creation

## Recognized project inputs

Conda Code checks exact filenames at the registered Python project root.

| Filename           | Provider                                                    | Result                    | Additional creation packages |
| ------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------- | ---------------------------- |
| `environment.yml`  | conda, [CEP 24](https://conda.org/learn/ceps/cep-0024/)     | Regular named environment | Allowed                      |
| `environment.yaml` | conda, [CEP 24](https://conda.org/learn/ceps/cep-0024/)     | Regular named environment | Allowed                      |
| `explicit.txt`     | conda, [CEP 23](https://conda.org/learn/ceps/cep-0023/)     | Exact named environment   | Refused                      |
| `conda-lock.yml`   | [conda-lockfiles](https://github.com/conda/conda-lockfiles) | Exact named environment   | Refused                      |
| `conda-lock.yaml`  | [conda-lockfiles](https://github.com/conda/conda-lockfiles) | Exact named environment   | Refused                      |

Conda Code lists the conda-lock filenames whenever they are present. Creation
requires conda-lockfiles 0.2 or newer for the configured `conda` executable.

Conda Code does not automatically treat `requirements.txt`, `spec.txt`, or
`pixi.lock` as project creation inputs. `requirements.txt` normally describes
pip packages in Python projects. Pixi projects stay with Pixi Code when it is
installed, or with conda-workspaces otherwise.

## Precedence

Creation follows this order:

1. An existing discovered conda workspace offers its uninstalled environment
   declarations.
2. Quick Create uses the only recognized project input.
3. Without an input, Quick Create creates a `conda.toml` workspace when
   permitted.
4. Global and multi-project creation creates a named environment.

When several recognized project inputs exist, Quick Create fails. Interactive
creation lists every recognized input and lets the user choose.

Interactive project creation also offers:

- a new conda workspace when permitted
- a regular prefix at `<project>/.conda`
- a regular named environment

The project `.conda` prefix is never selected by Quick Create.

## Naming

Quick Create derives a named environment from the project directory name. It
replaces unsupported characters with hyphens and adds `-1`, `-2`, and later
suffixes until the name is available.

Interactive creation asks for a name. Names must start with a letter or number
and may contain letters, numbers, dots, underscores, and hyphens. `base`,
`root`, and existing named environments are refused.

For project input files, Conda Code runs:

```console
conda create --yes --json --name NAME --file FILE
```

The working directory is the project root. `--name` overrides a `name` or
`prefix` declared by a CEP 24 file.

## Exact inputs

For `explicit.txt`, `conda-lock.yml`, and `conda-lock.yaml`, Conda Code also
passes `--no-default-packages`. This prevents conda's configured
`create_default_packages` from changing the exact result.

Additional packages supplied by the creation flow are refused for exact inputs.

## File lifecycle

Project input files are used only during creation. Conda Code does not watch,
rewrite, export, or synchronize them. The created environment is subsequently
discovered and managed as a regular named conda environment.