bknd-local-setup_skill

Overview

This skill guides setting up a Bknd project locally and configuring a development environment. It covers installing the CLI, creating a project, choosing runtime adapters, preparing config files, and running the dev server. The goal is a reproducible local workflow for development and quick prototyping.

How this skill works

Follow an interactive CLI or manual code flow to scaffold a project, install dependencies, and generate a bknd.config file that declares the schema and connection. Run the built-in development server with flags for in-memory or file-based SQLite, port selection, and runtime choice (bun or node). Use adapter handlers to integrate Bknd into frameworks like Next.js, Astro, or React Router.

When to use it

• Starting a new Bknd project locally or onboarding a dev machine
• Prototyping quickly with an ephemeral in-memory database
• Developing against a persistent local SQLite file (file:data.db)
• Integrating Bknd into Next.js, Astro, or other frameworks
• Debugging local routes, config detection, or type generation

Best practices

• Use npx bknd create for fastest interactive scaffolding
• Prefer file:data.db for persistent dev, --memory for quick experiments
• Generate TypeScript types after schema changes (npx bknd types)
• Keep bknd.config.ts in version control; add data.db and .env to .gitignore
• Restart the server after schema edits or use a watch tool for hot reload

Example use cases

• Create a demo app with Todos using npx bknd create and default SQLite
• Run npx bknd run --memory to prototype auth flows with ephemeral state
• Embed Bknd API into a Next.js app using createHandler in app/api
• Manually bootstrap a project: npm init, install bknd, add bknd.config.ts and run
• Switch runtime: npx bknd run --server bun for faster local performance