How should a generator handle updates to the user's existing project files?

• A. Overwrite files immediately to ensure consistency
• B. Be cautious; avoid overwriting without prompt; use conflicts; merge JSON; respect existing files
• C. Ignore any changes unless the user restarts the generator
• D. Delete conflicting files automatically

Answer: (B)

When updating a user’s existing project files, the priority is to protect the user’s work and avoid surprising changes. A generator should be cautious and avoid overwriting files without a clear prompt or a defined conflict-resolution path. It should surface what would change, offer options, and resolve conflicts in a predictable way. Merging when possible is preferable to replacing a file outright, especially for configuration files like JSON where new keys can be added while preserving the user’s existing values. This approach respects what the user has already built, minimizes data loss, and provides a transparent flow for applying updates.

Overwriting immediately risks losing user edits and customizations, which is why it’s not suitable. Ignoring updates until a restart delays important improvements and can leave projects out of date. Deleting conflicting files automatically is destructive and can break projects, so it’s also not a good strategy.