Installation

Install ByteKit and configure your TypeScript project

Installation

Get started with ByteKit by installing it in your project. ByteKit works with Node.js 18+ and all modern browsers.

Package installation

Install ByteKit using your preferred package manager:

npm

npm install bytekit

ByteKit has zero dependencies and uses native fetch for HTTP operations, keeping your bundle size minimal.

Requirements

Node.js version

ByteKit requires Node.js 18 or higher. This is because ByteKit uses native fetch which was introduced in Node.js 18.

# Check your Node.js version
node --version

If you’re using an older version, you’ll need to upgrade:

nvm

# Using nvm
nvm install 18
nvm use 18

Browser support

ByteKit works in all modern browsers that support:

• Native fetch API
• ES2020+ features
• ESM modules

This includes:

• Chrome 90+
• Firefox 88+
• Safari 14.1+
• Edge 90+

TypeScript configuration

For the best experience with TypeScript projects, configure your tsconfig.json with these recommended settings:

tsconfig.json

{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "target": "ES2020",
    "module": "ESNext",
    "moduleResolution": "bundler",
    "esModuleInterop": true,
    "skipLibCheck": true,
    "strict": true,
    "resolveJsonModule": true,
    "isolatedModules": true,
    "lib": ["ES2020", "DOM", "DOM.Iterable"]
  }
}

ByteKit is fully typed and provides excellent IntelliSense support out of the box. No need for @types packages!

Key settings explained

• target: "ES2020" - ByteKit uses modern JavaScript features
• module: "ESNext" - ByteKit is 100% ESM
• moduleResolution: "bundler" - Works with Vite, webpack, etc.
• strict: true - Enables all strict type checking (recommended)

Verification

Verify your installation by creating a simple test file:

1. Create a test file

   Create a new file called test.ts or test.js:

   test.ts

   import { ApiClient, StringUtils, DateUtils } from "bytekit";
   
   console.log("ByteKit installed successfully!");
   
   // Test string utilities
   const slug = StringUtils.slugify("Hello World!");
   console.log("Slug:", slug); // Output: hello-world
   
   // Test date utilities
   const formatted = DateUtils.format(new Date(), "en-US");
   console.log("Formatted date:", formatted);
   
   // Test API client
   const api = new ApiClient({ baseUrl: "https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com" });
   console.log("API client created:", api.getBaseUrl());
   
2. Run the test

   Execute your test file:

   Node.js (ESM)

   node test.js
   
3. Check the output

   You should see output similar to:

   ByteKit installed successfully!
   Slug: hello-world
   Formatted date: 3/4/2026
   API client created: https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com
   

If you’re using a bundler like Vite, webpack, or Rollup, no additional configuration is needed. ByteKit works out of the box with all modern bundlers.

Global CLI installation (optional)

ByteKit includes a CLI tool for generating TypeScript types from Swagger/OpenAPI specs:

npm install -g bytekit

Once installed, you can use the CLI commands:

# Generate a CRUD service
bytekit create users

# Generate types from OpenAPI/Swagger
bytekit types https://api.example.com/swagger.json

The CLI requires Node.js 18+ and should be installed globally if you want to use it from anywhere in your terminal.

Import strategies

ByteKit supports multiple import strategies to optimize your bundle size:

Default imports (convenience)

Import everything from the main package:

import { ApiClient, Logger, DateUtils, StringUtils } from "bytekit";

Modular imports (tree-shaking)

Import specific modules to reduce bundle size:

import { ApiClient } from "bytekit/api-client";
import { Logger } from "bytekit/logger";
import { DateUtils } from "bytekit/date-utils";
import { StringUtils } from "bytekit/string-utils";

Modular imports are recommended for production builds as they enable better tree-shaking and smaller bundle sizes.

Troubleshooting

Module not found errors

If you see “Cannot find module ‘bytekit’” errors:

1. Ensure you’ve installed the package: npm install bytekit
2. Clear your package manager cache:
   • npm: npm cache clean --force
   • yarn: yarn cache clean
   • pnpm: pnpm store prune
3. Delete node_modules and reinstall: rm -rf node_modules && npm install

TypeScript errors

If TypeScript can’t find types:

1. Ensure moduleResolution is set to "bundler" or "node"
2. Make sure skipLibCheck is set to true
3. Try restarting your TypeScript server in your editor

Fetch is not defined

If you see “fetch is not defined” in Node.js:

1. Upgrade to Node.js 18 or higher
2. Or use a fetch polyfill for older versions

Next steps

Quick start guide

Now that you have ByteKit installed, follow our quick start guide to learn the basics