diff --git a/extra/files/file-format.nix b/extra/files/file-format.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ac46d0f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extra/files/file-format.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+format: {pkgs, config, lib, ...}: 
+let
+  yj-args.json = "-jji";
+  yj-args.yaml = "-jy";
+  yj-args.toml = "-jt";
+  yj-args.hcl = "-jc";
+  yj-arg = yj-args.${format};
+  cfg = config.files.${format};
+  type = (pkgs.formats.json {}).type;
+  generate = name: value: pkgs.runCommand name {
+      nativeBuildInputs = [ pkgs.yj ];
+      value = builtins.toJSON value;
+      passAsFile = [ "value" ];
+    } ''
+      cat "$valuePath"| yj ${yj-arg} > "$out"
+    '';
+  toFile = name: value: {
+    source = generate (builtins.baseNameOf name) value;
+  };
+in {
+  options.files.${format} = lib.mkOption {
+    type = lib.types.attrsOf type;
+    description = ''
+      Create ${format} files with correponding content
+    '';
+    default = {};
+    example."/hello.${format}".greeting = "hello World";
+    example."/hellows.${format}".greetings = [ ["Hello World"] ["Ola Mundo" ["Holla Que Tal"]]];
+  };
+  config.file = lib.mapAttrs toFile cfg;
+}
diff --git a/extra/files/file-type.nix b/extra/files/file-type.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a3959857
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extra/files/file-type.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+{ pkgs, config, lib, ... }:
+let
+  inherit (lib) hasPrefix literalExpression mkDefault mkIf mkOption removePrefix types;
+in
+{
+  # all rights reserved to nix-community
+  # copy of https://github.com/nix-community/home-manager/blob/master/modules/lib/file-type.nix
+  # Constructs a type suitable for a `devshell.file` like option. The
+  # target path may be absolute, in which case it
+  # is relative to project root
+  # Arguments:
+  #   - basePathDesc   docbook compatible description of the base path
+  #   - basePath       the file base path
+  fileType = basePathDesc: types.attrsOf (types.submodule (
+    { name, config, ... }: {
+      options = {
+        target = mkOption {
+          type = types.str;
+          defaultText = literalExpression "<name>";
+          description = ''
+            Path to target file relative to ${basePathDesc}.
+          '';
+        };
+
+        text = mkOption {
+          default = null;
+          type = types.nullOr types.lines;
+          description = ''
+            Text of the file. If this option is null then
+            <link linkend="devshell.file._name_.source">devshel.file.&lt;name?&gt;.source</link>
+            must be set.
+          '';
+        };
+
+        source = mkOption {
+          type = types.path;
+          description = ''
+            Path of the source file or directory. If
+            <link linkend="devshell.file._name_.text">devshell.file.&lt;name?&gt;.text</link>
+            is non-null then this option will automatically point to a file
+            containing that text.
+          '';
+        };
+
+        executable = mkOption {
+          type = types.nullOr types.bool;
+          default = null;
+          description = ''
+            Set the execute bit. If <literal>null</literal>, defaults to the mode
+            of the <varname>source</varname> file or to <literal>false</literal>
+            for files created through the <varname>text</varname> option.
+          '';
+        };
+      };
+
+      config = {
+        target = mkDefault name;
+        source = mkIf (config.text != null) (
+          mkDefault (pkgs.writeTextFile {
+            inherit (config) executable text;
+            name = name;
+          })
+        );
+      };
+    }
+  ));
+}
diff --git a/extra/files/files.nix b/extra/files/files.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5011e43f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extra/files/files.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+{ pkgs, config, lib, ... }:
+let
+  files = config.file;
+  fileType = (import ./file-type.nix { inherit pkgs config lib; }).fileType;
+  chmod = file:
+    if file.executable == null then ""
+    else if file.executable then "chmod +x $target"
+    else "chmod -x $target";
+  # Execute this script to update the project's files
+  nameToScript = name: builtins.replaceStrings ["/" "."] ["-" "-"] (lib.removePrefix "/" name);
+  copy-file = name: file: pkgs.writeShellScriptBin (nameToScript name) ''
+    export PATH=${pkgs.coreutils}/bin:$PATH
+    out="$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)"
+    realOut="$(realpath -m "$out")"
+    target="$(realpath -m "$realOut/${file.target}")"
+    mkdir -p "$(dirname "$target")"
+    cp --no-preserve=mode,ownership,timestamps "${file.source}" "$target"
+    ${chmod file}
+  '';
+  startups = lib.mapAttrsToList (n: f: 
+    let name  = nameToScript n;
+    in {
+      ${name}.text = ''
+        $DEVSHELL_DIR/bin/${name}
+      '';
+    }) files;
+in {
+  options.file = lib.mkOption {
+    description = "Attribute set of files to create into the project root.";
+    default = {};
+    type = fileType "<envar>PRJ_ROOT</envar>";
+  };
+  config.commands = [
+    {
+      name = "files";
+      help = "Regenerate files";
+      command = "nix develop --build";
+    }
+  ];
+  config.devshell.packages = lib.mapAttrsToList copy-file files;
+  config.devshell.startup = lib.foldAttrs lib.mergeAttrs {} startups;
+}
diff --git a/extra/files/hcl.nix b/extra/files/hcl.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6287e1d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extra/files/hcl.nix
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+import ./file-format.nix "hcl"
diff --git a/extra/files/json.nix b/extra/files/json.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e09c512c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extra/files/json.nix
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+import ./file-format.nix "json"
diff --git a/extra/files/toml.nix b/extra/files/toml.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f43f720e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extra/files/toml.nix
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+import ./file-format.nix "toml"
diff --git a/extra/files/yaml.nix b/extra/files/yaml.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..44cc29d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extra/files/yaml.nix
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+import ./file-format.nix "yaml"