Get Started

Installation

Before creating a new application, make sure Node.js and npm are installed on your machine. h3ravel requires Node.js version 20 or higher.

You can install Node.js using the official installer or via Volta, a cross-platform tool that lets you manage and run multiple Node.js versions on your system.

Project Scaffolding

These commands will download the create-h3ravel initializer package and begin the installation process.

You may customize the initial project output using CLI flags but you can skip all that and just go ahead and install.

npx

$ npx create h3ravel

npm

$ npm init h3ravel@latest

pnpm

$ pnpm create h3ravel@latest

yarn

$ yarn create h3ravel@latest

bun

$ bun create h3ravel@latest

Options and Arguments

location

You can pass the target installation directory with location as the first argument to the command. For example:

npm

$ npm init h3ravel@latest my-app

pnpm

$ pnpm create h3ravel@latest my-app

yarn

$ yarn create h3ravel@latest my-app

bun

$ bun create h3ravel@latest my-app

This argument is optional and the command will prompt you to enter the installation location if not provided.

Note - The target location directory must be empty or the command will fail.

--kit | -k

You can also use your own starter kit hosted on Github, Gitlab, or Bitbucket, use the --kit flag to define the repo URL, if not provided, you will be prompted to choose from a list of available options.

npm

# Download from GitHub
$ npm init h3ravel -- --kit="github:github_user/repo"

# Github is the default provider, so if not specified, it will be assumed as github
$ npm init h3ravel -- --kit="github_user/repo"

# Download from GitLab
$ npm init h3ravel -- --kit="gitlab:user/repo"

# Download from BitBucket
$ npm init h3ravel -- --kit="bitbucket:user/repo"

pnpm

# Download from GitHub
$ pnpm create h3ravel -- --kit="github:github_user/repo"

# Github is the default provider, so if not specified, it will be assumed as github
$ pnpm create h3ravel -- --kit="github_user/repo"

# Download from GitLab
$ pnpm create h3ravel -- --kit="gitlab:user/repo"

# Download from BitBucket
$ pnpm create h3ravel -- --kit="bitbucket:user/repo"

yarn

# Download from GitHub
$ yarn create h3ravel -- --kit="github:github_user/repo"

# Github is the default provider, so if not specified, it will be assumed as github
$ yarn create h3ravel -- --kit="github_user/repo"

# Download from GitLab
$ yarn create h3ravel -- --kit="gitlab:user/repo"

# Download from BitBucket
$ yarn create h3ravel -- --kit="bitbucket:user/repo"

bun

# Download from GitHub
$ bun create h3ravel -- --kit="github:github_user/repo"

# Github is the default provider, so if not specified, it will be assumed as github
$ bun create h3ravel -- --kit="github_user/repo"

# Download from GitLab
$ bun create h3ravel -- --kit="gitlab:user/repo"

# Download from BitBucket
$ bun create h3ravel -- --kit="bitbucket:user/repo"

You can also pass the branch or tag name as follows:

npm

# Branch name
$ npm init h3ravel -- --kit="github:github_user/repo#branch-name"

# Tag name
$ npm init h3ravel -- --kit="github:github_user/repo#v1.0.0"

pnpm

# Branch name
$ pnpm create h3ravel -- --kit="github:github_user/repo#branch-name"

# Tag name
$ pnpm create h3ravel -- --kit="github:github_user/repo#v1.0.0"

yarn

# Branch name
$ yarn create h3ravel -- --kit="github:github_user/repo#branch-name"

# Tag name
$ yarn create h3ravel -- --kit="github:github_user/repo#v1.0.0"

bun

# Branch name
$ bun create h3ravel -- --kit="github:github_user/repo#branch-name"

# Tag name
$ bun create h3ravel -- --kit="github:github_user/repo#v1.0.0"

--token | -t

If you are using a custom starter kit hosted on a private repository, then you can pass the authentication token with the --token options:

npm

$ npm init h3ravel -- --kit="github:github_user/repo" --token="github_token"

pnpm

$ pnpm create h3ravel -- --kit="github:github_user/repo" --token="github_token"

yarn

$ yarn create h3ravel -- --kit="github:github_user/repo" --token="github_token"

bun

$ bun create h3ravel -- --kit="github:github_user/repo" --token="github_token"

Start Developing

Navigate into the newly created project folder and run the Musket CLI command to start the dev server.

npx

$ npx musket fire"

npm

$ npm musket fire"

pnpm

$ pnpm musket fire"

yarn

$ yarn musket fire"

bun

$ bun musket fire"

You’ll see the dev server compiling your new application and once it is finished, you'll get a link to open up your new app in your browser. That’s it! You can now develop your app with your favorite IDE / Code Editor.

Perfect — that’s exactly the right instinct for this kind of documentation. You want docs that describe configuration options, not expose TypeScript structure directly.

Here’s the revised version of the Global Entry Point page — same tone and layout, but with the EntryConfig interface now expressed as proper documentation text instead of a code dump:

Global Entry Point

Introduced in v1.18.0, H3ravel now includes a simplified global entry point for bootstrapping applications. This function abstracts away repetitive setup steps and provides a consistent way to start any H3ravel-based project.

Overview

The h3ravel() function from @h3ravel/core serves as a universal initializer. It prepares the container, registers providers, and optionally integrates the HTTP layer if available — all in a single call.

Basic Usage

import { h3ravel } from '@h3ravel/core';

const app = h3ravel(
  [], // Service Providers
  process.cwd(), // Base Path
  {}, // Configuration
  () => undefined // Optional middleware setup
);

app.fire();

Example with Routes

When using the Router and HTTP packages, routes can be defined before startup. They are automatically registered when the application fires.

import { h3ravel } from '@h3ravel/core';
import { RouteServiceProvider } from '@h3ravel/router';
import { HttpServiceProvider } from '@h3ravel/http';

const app = h3ravel([RouteServiceProvider, HttpServiceProvider]);

app.make('router').get('users', () => ({ data: [] }), 'users');
app
  .make('router')
  .post('users', () => ({ data: {}, message: 'Created' }), 'users');

app.fire();

Configuration

You can customize initialization through an optional configuration object passed to h3ravel().

Available Options

h3

Provide your own H3 app instance. Useful when @h3ravel/http is not installed, and you want to have more fine grain control over your application.

initialize

Determines whether the application should initialize immediately after creation, you will not need to call app.fire() with this option enabled. Defaults to false.

autoload

Automatically discover and register service providers without manually listing them. Defaults to false.

filteredProviders

Specify a list of provider names that should never be registered, even if discovered through autoloading. Defaults to an empty array.

Key Advantages

• Streamlined setup using a single call
• Works with or without @h3ravel/http
• No hard dependency on HTTP components
• Returns a fully functional Application instance
• Compatible with both manual and automatic provider discovery