Quarkus App Skill

This skill governs how to create and maintain Quarkus applications. Always follow the decision tree and conventions below.

Step 0 — Check the Latest Quarkus Version

Before generating any project, always verify the current latest stable Quarkus release. The version baked into this skill may be stale. Use web search or the Maven Central / GitHub releases to confirm.

• Community latest stable: check https://github.com/quarkusio/quarkus/releases (e.g. currently 3.32.x)
• LTS stream: currently 3.27.x and 3.20.x (use LTS only if user explicitly requests long-term stability)
• Red Hat build of Quarkus (RHBQ): use when the user mentions Red Hat support, OpenShift production, or RHBQ

Use the latest stable community version unless told otherwise.

Step 1 — Gather Project Parameters

Before generating, collect:

If the user hasn't specified a Java version, ask which version they'd like to use and suggest 25 as the default.

If the user hasn't specified extensions, ask or propose sensible defaults based on their described use case.

Step 2 — Choose the Tooling

Always prefer the Quarkus CLI. Fall back to the Maven plugin only if:

• The user says quarkus CLI is not installed, OR
• You're generating commands in a context where CLI availability cannot be assumed (e.g., CI pipelines, Docker)

Option A: Quarkus CLI (preferred)

quarkus create app {groupId}:{artifactId}:{version} \
  --no-code \
  -x={extension1},{extension2},{extension3}

Key CLI flags:

• -x / --extensions — comma-separated extension list (short names, no spaces after commas)
• --no-code — skip generated example code (omit if user wants starter code)
• --gradle — switch to Gradle build (default is Maven)
• -S io.quarkus.platform:3.32 — pin to a specific stream if needed

Installation note (include if user might not have CLI):

# Via SDKMAN (recommended)
sdk install quarkus

# Via JBang
curl -Ls https://sh.jbang.dev | bash -s - trust add https://repo1.maven.org/maven2/io/quarkus/quarkus-cli/
curl -Ls https://sh.jbang.dev | bash -s - app install --fresh --force quarkus@quarkusio

# Via Homebrew (macOS/Linux)
brew install quarkusio/tap/quarkus

Option B: Maven Plugin (fallback)

Use the io.quarkus.platform group (NOT io.quarkus) — this ensures the full Quarkus Platform BOM is used, which includes Quarkiverse extensions and correct dependency alignment.

mvn io.quarkus.platform:quarkus-maven-plugin:{QUARKUS_VERSION}:create \
  -DprojectGroupId={groupId} \
  -DprojectArtifactId={artifactId} \
  -DprojectVersion={version} \
  -Dextensions='{extension1},{extension2},{extension3}' \
  -DnoCode

Key parameters:

• -DnoCode — omit generated example classes
• -DclassName — optional REST resource class name
• -Dpath — optional REST path (used with -DclassName)

Step 3 — Extension Selection Rules

Always use official extensions — never raw Maven dependencies for Quarkus functionality

Resolving extension names

Short names work in both CLI (-x=rest-jackson) and Maven plugin (-Dextensions='rest-jackson'). For Quarkiverse extensions (not in core platform), use the full artifact coordinates:

# CLI — Quarkiverse extension
quarkus ext add io.quarkiverse.langchain4j:quarkus-langchain4j-openai

# Maven plugin — Quarkiverse extension  
-Dextensions='io.quarkiverse.langchain4j:quarkus-langchain4j-openai'

Common extension reference table

See references/extensions.md for a curated list of commonly used extensions by category.

Step 4 — Post-Generation Guidance

After generating, always remind the user:

1. Dev mode: ./mvnw quarkus:dev (Maven) or quarkus dev (CLI)
2. Dev UI: available at http://localhost:8080/q/dev — useful for extension management
3. Adding extensions later:

   quarkus ext add {extension}          # CLI
   ./mvnw quarkus:add-extension -Dextensions='{extension}'  # Maven

4. DevServices: Quarkus auto-starts containers (PostgreSQL, Kafka, etc.) in dev/test mode — no manual setup needed
5. application.properties location: src/main/resources/application.properties

Step 5 — Maintaining Existing Apps

Upgrade Quarkus version

# CLI (preferred)
quarkus update

# Maven plugin
./mvnw quarkus:update

Always check the migration guide at https://quarkus.io/guides/update-quarkus before upgrading.

Add extensions to existing project (run from project root)

quarkus ext add rest-jackson hibernate-orm-panache jdbc-postgresql

List installed extensions

quarkus ext ls

List available extensions

quarkus ext ls -i       # installable from current platform
quarkus ext ls -i -s=ai # search by keyword

Canonical Examples

Minimal REST + PostgreSQL service (CLI)

quarkus create app io.arrogantprogrammer:my-service:1.0.0-SNAPSHOT \
  --no-code \
  -x=rest-jackson,hibernate-orm-panache,jdbc-postgresql

Same, with Maven plugin (pinned to specific version)

mvn io.quarkus.platform:quarkus-maven-plugin:3.32.3:create \
  -DprojectGroupId=io.arrogantprogrammer \
  -DprojectArtifactId=my-service \
  -DprojectVersion=1.0.0-SNAPSHOT \
  -Dextensions='rest-jackson,hibernate-orm-panache,jdbc-postgresql' \
  -DnoCode

AI/LangChain4j service

quarkus create app io.arrogantprogrammer:ai-service:1.0.0-SNAPSHOT \
  --no-code \
  -x=rest-jackson,io.quarkiverse.langchain4j:quarkus-langchain4j-openai

Kafka event-driven service

quarkus create app io.arrogantprogrammer:event-service:1.0.0-SNAPSHOT \
  --no-code \
  -x=messaging-kafka,rest-jackson

Important Rules

• NEVER manually add <dependency> blocks for io.quarkus:quarkus-* artifacts — always go through the extension management tooling to ensure BOM alignment
• NEVER use io.quarkus:quarkus-maven-plugin in the create command — always use io.quarkus.platform:quarkus-maven-plugin (the platform plugin resolves the full BOM)
• Always verify the Quarkus version at Step 0 before filling in commands
• If the user is on Red Hat OpenShift or wants RHBQ, see references/rhbq.md for RHBQ-specific guidance