You can get started with the Polymer App Toolbox using one of several templates that incorporate the elements and patterns discussed here using the Polymer CLI.

To initialize a project from a template, ensure you have the Polymer CLI installed, cd into an empty project folder, and simply run the following command, which will prompt you to select from the currently available templates.

    $ polymer init

The polymer-2-application template is the most basic starting point for any app built with Polymer. It starts with a single bare-bones custom element that can serve as the root of your application, from which you can build in any direction with maximum flexibility.

The polymer-2-starter-kit introduces the app-layout elements, and composes them in a common left-hand drawer arrangement with a toolbar. The template provides navigation between a series of views that load and are rendered in the main content area.

The template is also set up to use the PRPL pattern for efficient and progressive loading of the application, where views are loaded on-demand and will be pre-cached for offline and subsequent use.

The shop template is a full-fledged application that builds on the starter-kit and implements a series of elements that compose into a complete e-commerce application. It demonstrates a typical "home - list - detail" type of application flow, and can serve as inspiration or a starting point for a complete application.

See the Shop case study for more information.

The templates are starting points, and you are free to add web components discussed in the rest of the Polymer App Toolbox documentation according to the needs of your application, as well as from other sources such as the WebComponents.org.

See the section on Building your first Polymer application for a tutorial on getting started with one of the App Toolbox templates.