Quick Start

Create a new application

The fastest path into NestForge is the CLI:

nestforge new demo-api
cd demo-api
cargo run

That gives you a runnable HTTP app with:

• src/main.rs
• src/app_module.rs
• root controllers
• service, DTO, guard, interceptor, and environment scaffolding

Create transport-first variants

The CLI also supports transport-specific templates:

nestforge new demo-graphql --transport graphql
nestforge new demo-grpc --transport grpc
nestforge new demo-bus --transport microservices
nestforge new demo-events --transport websockets

These templates change the bootstrap files and generated folders so the project starts from the chosen runtime model instead of from plain HTTP.

Minimal bootstrap

The core HTTP bootstrap pattern is:

use nestforge::{NestForgeFactory, NestForgeFactoryOpenApiExt};

NestForgeFactory::<AppModule>::create()?
    .with_global_prefix("api")
    .with_openapi_docs("My API", "1.0.0")?
    .listen(3000)
    .await?;

This is the main equivalent of NestFactory.create(AppModule) in NestJS terms.

Minimal module

NestForge applications are wired through a module:

use nestforge::module;

#[module(
    imports = [],
    controllers = [AppController],
    providers = [load_app_config()?],
    exports = []
)]
pub struct AppModule;

Modules are where you make feature boundaries explicit. They also determine provider registration order and export visibility.

Add a feature module

The CLI can generate a feature module:

nestforge g module users
nestforge g resource users --module users

That pattern creates a Nest-style folder layout under src/users/ and patches the application module so the feature becomes part of the app.

What to inspect next

After your first app boots, inspect these files in the generated or example app:

• src/main.rs for runtime bootstrap
• src/app_module.rs for module wiring
• src/users/ or another feature folder for the module pattern
• .env and .env.example for configuration assumptions

If you prefer to learn from a maintained example instead of from generated output, read Hello NestForge.