Laju

A high-performance TypeScript web framework combining HyperExpress, Svelte 5, and Inertia.js for building modern full-stack applications. Features server-side rendering, real-time capabilities, and seamless client-server state management.

Visit laju.dev

Features

• Fast server-side rendering with HyperExpress
• Modern frontend with Svelte 5
• TypeScript support for better type safety
• Inertia.js integration for seamless client-server communication
• Built-in authentication system
• SQLite database with Knex query builder
• Email support with Nodemailer
• Google APIs integration
• Redis caching support
• Asset bundling with Vite
• TailwindCSS for styling

Prerequisites

• Node.js (Latest LTS version recommended)
• npm or yarn
• Redis server (optional, for caching)

Installation

Run the following command

npx create-laju-app project-name

Development

To start the development server:

npm run dev

This will:

• Start the Vite development server for frontend assets
• Run the backend server with nodemon for auto-reloading

Building for Production

To build the application for production:

npm run build

This command will:

• Clean the build directory
• Build frontend assets with Vite
• Compile TypeScript files
• Copy necessary files to the build directory

Project Structure

• /app - Core application files
  • /middlewares - Custom middleware functions
  • /services - Service layer implementations
  • /controllers - Application controllers
• /resources - Frontend resources
  • /views - Svelte components and views
  • /js - JavaScript assets and modules
• /routes - Route definitions
• /migrations - Database migrations
• /public - Static files
• /dist - Compiled assets (generated)
• /build - Production build output

Key Dependencies

Backend

• HyperExpress - High-performance web server
• Knex - SQL query builder
• SQLite3 - Database
• Nodemailer - Email sending
• Redis - Caching (optional)

Frontend

• Svelte 5 - UI framework
• Inertia.js - Client-server communication
• TailwindCSS - Utility-first CSS framework
• Vite - Build tool and dev server

Scripts

• npm run dev - Start development server
• npm run build - Build for production

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch
3. Commit your changes
4. Push to the branch
5. Create a new Pull Request

License

ISC License

Tutorial: Building Your First App

This tutorial will guide you through building a simple application using this framework.

1. Setting Up a New Route and Controller

First, let's create a new route and controller for a blog post feature.

1. Create a new controller file app/controllers/PostController.ts:

import { Request, Response } from "../../type";
import DB from "../services/DB";

class Controller {
  public async index(request: Request, response: Response) {
    const posts = await DB.from("posts");
    return response.inertia("posts/index", { posts });
  }

  public async create(request: Request, response: Response) {
    return response.inertia("posts/create");
  }

  public async store(request: Request, response: Response) {
    const { title, content } = request.body;
    
    await DB.table("posts").insert({
      title,
      content,
      created_at: Date.now(),
      updated_at: Date.now()
    });

    return response.redirect("/posts");
  }
}

export default new Controller();

2. Add routes in routes/web.ts:

import PostController from "../app/controllers/PostController";

// Add these routes with your existing routes
Route.get("/posts", PostController.index);
Route.get("/posts/create", PostController.create);
Route.post("/posts", PostController.store);

2. Creating the Database Migration

Create a migration for the posts table:

npx knex migrate:make create_posts_table

In the generated migration file:

import { Knex } from "knex";

export async function up(knex: Knex): Promise<void> {
  await knex.schema.createTable('posts', function (table) {
    table.increments('id').primary();
    table.string('title').notNullable();
    table.text('content').notNullable();
    table.bigInteger('created_at');
    table.bigInteger('updated_at');
  });
}

export async function down(knex: Knex): Promise<void> {
  await knex.schema.dropTable('posts');
}

Run the migration:

npx knex migrate:latest

3. Creating Svelte Components

1. Create resources/views/posts/index.svelte:

<script>
  export let posts = [];
</script>

<div class="max-w-4xl mx-auto p-4">
  <div class="flex justify-between items-center mb-6">
    <h1 class="text-2xl font-bold">Blog Posts</h1>
    <a 
      href="/posts/create" 
      class="bg-blue-500 text-white px-4 py-2 rounded hover:bg-blue-600"
    >
      Create Post
    </a>
  </div>

  <div class="space-y-4">
    {#each posts as post}
      <div class="border p-4 rounded">
        <h2 class="text-xl font-semibold">{post.title}</h2>
        <p class="mt-2 text-gray-600">{post.content}</p>
      </div>
    {/each}
  </div>
</div>

2. Create resources/views/posts/create.svelte:

<script>
  import { router } from '@inertiajs/svelte';

  let form = {
    title: '',
    content: ''
  };

  function handleSubmit() {
    router.post('/posts', form);
  }
</script>

<div class="max-w-4xl mx-auto p-4">
  <h1 class="text-2xl font-bold mb-6">Create New Post</h1>

  <form on:submit|preventDefault={handleSubmit} class="space-y-4">
    <div>
      <label class="block text-sm font-medium mb-1">Title</label>
      <input
        type="text"
        bind:value={form.title}
        class="w-full px-3 py-2 border rounded"
      />
    </div>

    <div>
      <label class="block text-sm font-medium mb-1">Content</label>
      <textarea
        bind:value={form.content}
        class="w-full px-3 py-2 border rounded h-32"
      ></textarea>
    </div>

    <div>
      <button
        type="submit"
        class="bg-blue-500 text-white px-4 py-2 rounded hover:bg-blue-600"
      >
        Create Post
      </button>
    </div>
  </form>
</div>

4. Testing Your Application

1. Start the development server:

npm run dev

2. Visit http://localhost:5555/posts in your browser
3. Try creating a new post using the form
4. View the list of posts on the index page

Key Concepts

1. Routing: Routes are defined in routes/web.ts using the HyperExpress router
2. Controllers: Handle business logic and return Inertia responses
3. Database: Use Knex.js for database operations and migrations
4. Frontend: Svelte components with Inertia.js for seamless page transitions
5. Styling: TailwindCSS for utility-first styling

Best Practices

1. File Organization

   • Keep controllers in app/controllers
   • Place Svelte components in resources/views
   • Database migrations in migrations

2. Code Structure

   • Use TypeScript types for better type safety
   • Keep controllers focused on single responsibilities
   • Use Inertia.js for state management between server and client

3. Database

   • Always use migrations for database changes
   • Use the Query Builder for complex queries
   • Include timestamps for tracking record changes

Need help with anything specific? Feel free to ask!