Installation

Install

npm install @digital-alchemy/core
# or
yarn add @digital-alchemy/core
# or
bun add @digital-alchemy/core

No additional peer dependencies are required for the core package alone.

Runtime requirements

Runtime	Minimum version
Node.js	20
Bun	1.0
Deno	1.40 (with Node compat mode)
tsx	any current

The framework uses AsyncLocalStorage and EventEmitter from Node's standard library. Both are available in all supported runtimes.

TypeScript configuration

DA Core relies on module resolution features available in TypeScript 5+ with NodeNext (or Bundler) module settings. Your tsconfig.json must include:

{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "target": "ES2022",
    "module": "NodeNext",
    "moduleResolution": "NodeNext",
    "strict": true
  }
}

If you use .mts files (recommended for ESM projects), also ensure your package.json has:

{
  "type": "module"
}

tip

Using .mts extensions for source files and .mjs for outputs is the most reliable path for ESM in Node 20+. The framework itself is published as ESM, so a CommonJS-only project will require a bundler or interop shim.

Common setup errors

ERR_REQUIRE_ESM — You're importing an ESM package from a CJS module. Set "type": "module" in package.json and use .mts extensions.

Cannot find module '@digital-alchemy/core' — TypeScript cannot resolve the package. Check that moduleResolution is NodeNext or Bundler, not Node (legacy).

Type 'X' is not assignable to type 'Y' on TServiceParams — Usually means target is set below ES2022. Async iterators, Object.hasOwn, and other features used internally require ES2022 output.

Next step

Quickstart →