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Reference Documentation

This section contains comprehensive technical specifications, configuration references, and API documentation for all Platformatic components.

How This Section is Organized​

The reference documentation is organized by user mental model rather than internal package structure, making it easier to find what you need based on what you want to accomplish:

🏗️ Watt (Node.js Application Server)​

The core application server that runs and orchestrates all your applications. This is the primary product that everything else runs within.

  • Overview - What Watt is and how it works
  • Configuration - Complete configuration options
  • CLI Reference - Command-line interface documentation

🛠️ CLI Tools​

Command-line tools for creating, managing, and deploying Platformatic applications.

🌐 Applications & APIs​

Applications that run within Watt to handle different aspects of your application:

  • Database Application - Auto-generated APIs from your database schema
  • HTTP Application - Custom application logic and APIs
  • API Gateway (Gateway) - Aggregate multiple applications into unified APIs
  • Client SDK - Generated clients for consuming APIs

🎨 Framework Integrations (Capabilities)​

Framework integrations that let you run frontend applications alongside your APIs:

  • Next.js - React applications with SSR/SSG
  • Nitro - Standalone Nitro and Nitro-powered Vite applications
  • Astro - Multi-framework static sites
  • Remix - Full-stack React applications
  • Vite - Modern build tooling for any framework
  • Node.js - Generic Node.js applications

⚙️ Runtime & Orchestration​

Development and production runtime environment for managing multiple applications.

  • Runtime APIs - Typed getters and setters exposed by @platformatic/globals.

🗄️ SQL Data Layer​

Low-level components for database integration and API generation:

  • SQL Mapper - Database ORM and entity management
  • GraphQL API Generation - Automatically generated GraphQL APIs
  • REST API Generation - Automatically generated REST APIs
  • SQL Events - Database change events and triggers

Finding What You Need​

  • New to Platformatic? Start with Getting Started
  • Need to solve a specific problem? Check How-to Guides
  • Need specific examples? Check How-to Guides for practical solutions
  • Looking for specific configuration options? Use the search or browse the relevant application section above

Configuration Patterns​

Most Platformatic components follow consistent patterns:

  • JSON Schema validation - All configuration files are validated
  • Environment variable support - Use {PLT_*} placeholders
  • Plugin architecture - Extend functionality with Fastify plugins
  • TypeScript support - Auto-generated types for your APIs

Getting Help​

  • GitHub Issues - Report bugs or request features
  • Documentation - Search or browse this reference section