Skip to main content
Version: 2.74.3

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 services. 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.

🌐 Services & APIs​

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

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

🎨 Framework Integrations (Stackables)​

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

  • Next.js - React applications with SSR/SSG
  • 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 services.

🗄️ 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 service 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​

  • Discord Community - Join our Discord server
  • GitHub Issues - Report bugs or request features
  • Documentation - Search or browse this reference section