Kenx for JS

⚡ A config-first development framework for Node.js, Deno, and Bun. Build applications faster by declaring resources in YAML instead of writing boilerplate code.

Features

• 🎯 Config-First - Define servers, databases, and services in YAML
• 🔌 Plugin System - Modular architecture with official and community plugins
• 🚀 Multi-Runtime - Works with Node.js, Deno, and Bun
• 🔄 Framework Agnostic - Switch between Express, Fastify, or native HTTP
• 💉 Auto-Wiring - Automatic dependency injection via takeover system
• 📦 TypeScript-First - Built with TypeScript, works with JavaScript too
• 🛠️ CLI Tools - Project scaffolding, building, and plugin management

Quick Start

Installation

# Install CLI globally
npm install -g @ckenx/cli

# Create new project
ckenx create my-app

# Navigate to project
cd my-app

# Start development server
npm run dev

Basic Example

Configuration (.config/index.yml):

typescript: true
directory:
  base: './src'
  pattern: '-'

servers:
  - type: http
    key: api
    plugin: '@ckenx/kenx-express'
    PORT: 8000

Application (src/index.ts):

export const takeover = ['http:api']

export default async (server) => {
  server.app.router('/hello', (req, res) => {
    res.json({ message: 'Hello from Kenx!' })
  })
  
  await server.listen()
}

Documentation

📚 Documentation Guide - Complete overview of all documentation
🌐 Online Documentation - Browse online

Getting Started

• Installation & Setup - Get up and running quickly
• Core Concepts - Understand Kenx's philosophy
• Project Structure - Learn about project organization

Core Documentation

• Configuration System - YAML configuration reference
• CLI Commands - Command-line interface guide
• Architecture - Internal system design
• Environment Setup - TypeScript, runtimes, and tools

Working with Resources

• Services & Resources - HTTP servers, databases, and takeover
• Plugin System - Using and creating plugins
• Available Plugins - Official plugin catalog
• Adapters - Express, Fastify, and framework adapters

Development & Deployment

• Testing - Unit, integration, and API testing
• Deployment - Docker, CI/CD, and production
• Best Practices - Security, performance, and code quality
• Troubleshooting - Common issues and solutions
• FAQ - Frequently asked questions

Supported Plugins

Servers:

• @ckenx/kenx-express - Express.js integration
• @ckenx/kenx-fastify - Fastify integration
• @ckenx/kenx-http - Native HTTP server

Databases:

• @ckenx/kenx-mysql - MySQL/MariaDB support
• @ckenx/kenx-mongodb - MongoDB integration

Real-Time:

• @ckenx/kenx-socketio - Socket.io for WebSockets

Build Tools:

• @ckenx/kenx-vite - Vite build integration

See all plugins →

Examples

Check out example projects in the examples/ directory:

• simple-ts - Basic TypeScript application
• simple-js - Basic JavaScript application
• mvc - MVC pattern example
• react-ssr-ts - React SSR with TypeScript

Why Kenx?

Traditional Setup:

// Lots of boilerplate code
import express from 'express'
import mysql from 'mysql2'

const app = express()
const db = mysql.createPool({ /* config */ })

app.use(express.json())
app.get('/users', async (req, res) => {
  // handler
})

app.listen(8000)

Kenx Setup:

# Just configuration
servers:
  - plugin: '@ckenx/kenx-express'
    PORT: 8000

databases:
  - plugin: '@ckenx/kenx-mysql'
    host: localhost

// Clean application code
export const takeover = ['http', 'database']

export default async (server, db) => {
  server.app.router('/users', handler)
  await server.listen()
}

Feedback

Feedback is always welcome! Please report any issues in our Issue Tracker and we'll address them promptly.

Contributing

We welcome contributions! This is a monorepo managed with Turborepo and Changesets.

Quick Start for Contributors

# Clone and install
git clone https://github.com/ckenx/kenx-js
cd kenx-js
yarn install

# Build all packages (with caching)
yarn build

# Run tests
yarn test

# Make changes and create a changeset
yarn changeset

Key Commands

Command	Description
yarn build	Build all packages (Turborepo, cached)
yarn test	Run all tests in parallel
yarn lint	Lint all packages
yarn changeset	Create version bump changeset
yarn dev	Watch mode for development

Development Workflow

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Create a changeset: yarn changeset
5. Submit a pull request

Please review our:

• Contributing Guidelines - Detailed development guide
• Code of Conduct - Community standards
• Project Roadmap - Future plans
• Migration Guide - Turborepo setup details

Community

• GitHub Discussions: Ask questions and share ideas
• Issues: Report bugs or request features

License

This software is free to use under the MIT license. See the LICENSE file for details.

---

Made with ❤️ by the Kenx team