vratix

Vratix CLI

• Overview
• Installation
• Usage
• Community Modules
• Private Modules
• API Modules Repo

Overview

Easy-to-use, open-source modules that implement common API logic to simplify backend development.

We created this library of reusable Node.js API Modules to simplify API development because we were wasting too much time setting up basic functionality and researching the latest backend best practices. We wanted a repository of high-quality API modules we can reuse, copy and paste into our projects and have a working backend in seconds.

This led us to build a high-quality repository of reusable API modules that address common functionality used in every backend service.

These modules have been reliably built by us, following best practices with minimal assumptions so you can integrate them into any API project and have full ownership and control of your codebase.

Currently, the modules work for Express.js, however, we’re actively working to extend compatibility with other backend languages and popular Node.js frameworks. We would be more than happy for you to contribute and help us achieve this faster.

Installation

You’re free to copy and use any code from the API Module Library — it's designed to be a foundation you can build on.

To simplify setup and integration, we created a CLI tool that helps you start new projects or integrate our API Modules into existing ones. The CLI handles imports, configurations, and dependencies automatically, so you can get up and running in minutes.

Start a New Project

Use the init command to create a new Node.js project or configure an existing one. Add the -c flag to specify a custom folder, or the CLI will set up the project in the current directory:

npx vratix-cli init

Configure Your Project

The CLI will prompt you with a few questions to configure your project and create ./config/modules.json:

Select your package manager: › pnpm
What database are you going to use: › PostgreSQL
Select your schema validator: › zod
Should we set up Docker containers for this service (docker-compose.yaml): › no / yes 
Should we configure a web proxy for this project (NGINX): › no / yes

Choose API Modules

During setup, select any initial API Modules you’d like to install as part of the project template:

☐ Auth (Basic)
☐ Stripe Subscriptions
☐ S3 File Upload
☐ None

If you choose "None" you can add modules individually after setup.

Set Folder Overrides

Customize the paths for main module folders if needed:

@components -> /src/components
@routes -> /src/routes
@middleware -> /src/middleware
@utils -> /src/utils

Note: Any folder overrides will still be located within /src.

Ready To Go

Once setup is complete, run:

npm run dev

to start your service.

To add additional modules later, simply use:

npx vratix-cli add auth-basic

Usage

init

Use the init command to create a new project using our Node.js template or to add a .config/modules.json file to an existing project.

npx vratix init

This command installs the template, sets up package.json, and configures the project based on your choices.

Options

Usage: vratix init|i [options]

Initialize project

Options:
  -c, --cwd <cwd>  The working directory. Defaults to the current directory.
  -h, --help       Display help for the command

add

The add command allows you to add new API modules to your project. It checks if both package.json and .config/modules.json exist in the project directory. If these files are missing, use the init command first.

npx vratix add <module>

This command installs all relevant files for the specified module, manages dependencies, and adjusts import statements as needed.

Options

Usage: vratix add [options] [module...]

Add an API module to your project

Arguments:
  module           The name of the module you want to add

Options:
  -c, --cwd <cwd>  The working directory. Defaults to the current directory.
  -h, --help       Display help for the command

module [command]

You can use the module commands to create and publish new API modules to your private registry.

npx vratix module [command]

NOTE: To publish API modules you need to authenticate your CLI session using the login command

Options

Usage: vratix module|m [options] [command]

Private module commands. Use them to create, validate and publish Private API Modules.

Options:
  -h, --help         display help for command

Commands:
  new                Create a new API Module, this will create the necessary files and directories for your new module.
  publish [options]  Publish your API Module to your Vratix registry.
  help [command]     display help for command

login

To publish or install Private API Modules you need to authenticate your CLI session. To do this use the login command:

npx vratix login

This will open a browser window and ask you to verify an 8 character code shown in your terminal. The code will look something like this 6AF2-4CPI. You need to have a Vratix account to be able to authenticate your CLI session. Create a new account.

Options

Usage: vratix login [options]

Authenticate your CLI session with your Vratix account.

Options:
  -h, --help  display help for command