Introduction

Learn about Asimilation, a lightweight TypeScript web framework for building modern HTTP servers

What is Asimilation?

Asimilation is a minimalist TypeScript web framework designed for building fast, type-safe HTTP servers with an intuitive API. It provides a clean separation between routing, middleware, and request handling, making it easy to build scalable web applications.

Key Features

Type-Safe

Built with TypeScript from the ground up, providing full type safety for your routes and handlers

Django-Style Routing

Familiar URL patterns with dynamic parameters like /<int:id> and /<slug:title>

Middleware Pipeline

Flexible middleware system for both global and route-specific processing

Minimal & Fast

Lightweight core built on Node.js HTTP with minimal dependencies

Quick Example

Here’s a simple server with both static and dynamic routes:

import { asi, url } from '@asimilation/core';

asi.setup(3000, import.meta.url);

// Static route
url.addPath("/", (req, res) => {
  res.sendJson({ message: "Hello, World!" }, 200);
});

// Dynamic route with parameter
url.addPath("/<int:id>", (req, res) => {
  console.log(req.params.id); // Type-safe access to route parameters
  res.sendJson({ id: req.params.id }, 200);
});

asi.run();

How Asimilation Compares

vs Express

• Routing: Asimilation uses Django-style URL patterns (/<int:id>) instead of Express’s :id syntax
• Type Safety: Built with TypeScript first, providing better type inference out of the box
• Architecture: Clearer separation between server setup, routing, and middleware

vs Fastify

• Simplicity: Asimilation focuses on a minimal API surface with less configuration
• Learning Curve: Easier to get started with familiar patterns from Django/Flask
• Performance: Both are performant, but Fastify has more optimization for high-throughput scenarios

When to Use Asimilation

Asimilation is perfect for developers who:

• Want a lightweight framework without the complexity of larger solutions
• Prefer Django/Flask-style routing patterns
• Need full TypeScript support from day one
• Are building APIs, microservices, or backend services

Asimilation is currently in early development (v0.0.2). While it’s functional for prototypes and small projects, consider more mature frameworks for production-critical applications.

Core Concepts

Server Instance (asi)

The main server instance that handles setup and lifecycle:

import { asi } from '@asimilation/core';

asi.setup(port, modulePath);
asi.run();

URL Manager (url)

The routing manager for defining URL patterns and handlers:

import { url } from '@asimilation/core';

url.addPath("/path", handler, options);

Route Modules

Organize routes into namespaced modules:

const apiModule = url.createRouteModule("/api");
apiModule.addPath("/users", handler); // Maps to /api/users

Next Steps

Quickstart

Get a server running in under 5 minutes

Installation

Detailed installation and setup guide

Routing

Learn about URL patterns and dynamic routes

Middleware

Add processing logic to your request pipeline