typebase-io-cli generate-server

The generate-server command builds your server files locally instead of deploying them. This is useful when you want to:

Self-host your server on your own infrastructure
Inspect the generated code to understand what Typebase produces
Customize the deployment process beyond what npx typebase-io-cli deploy offers

Quick start

npx typebase-io-cli generate-server

This generates a complete, runnable server in the typebase/_server/ directory (by default).

Output formats

You can choose between three output formats:

TypeScript (default)

npx typebase-io-cli generate-server --output ts

Generates TypeScript source files. You'll need to compile them yourself before running.

ESM (ECMAScript Modules)

npx typebase-io-cli generate-server --output esm

Generates JavaScript files using import/export syntax. Ready to run with Node.js (with "type": "module") or Deno.

CommonJS

npx typebase-io-cli generate-server --output cjs

Generates JavaScript files using require/module.exports syntax. Ready to run with Node.js without "type": "module".

HTTP adapters

Typebase supports multiple HTTP adapters. The adapter determines how your server handles incoming HTTP requests:

Adapter	Description	Best for
`node`	Node.js built-in `http.createServer`	Self-hosting with Node.js (default)
`bun`	Bun's built-in HTTP server	Self-hosting with Bun
`hono`	Hono framework	Vercel, general-purpose
`fastify`	Fastify framework	High-performance Node.js
`deno`	Deno's built-in `Deno.serve`	Deno Deploy
`cloudflare`	Cloudflare Workers fetch handler	Cloudflare Workers

npx typebase-io-cli generate-server --adapter hono

npx typebase-io-cli generate-server --adapter node

npx typebase-io-cli generate-server --adapter fastify

Options

Flag	Description	Default
`--output <type>`	Output format: `ts`, `esm`, or `cjs`	`ts`
`--adapter <adapter>`	HTTP adapter: `node`, `bun`, `hono`, `fastify`, `deno`, `cloudflare`	`node`
`--skip-load-env`	Don't include `dotenv/config` import	`false`
`--out-dir <path>`	Output directory for generated files	`_server`
`--port <number>`	Port the generated server listens on	`8080`

Default configuration

You can set defaults in your typebase.json so you don't have to pass flags every time:

typebase.json

{
  "server": {
    "output": "esm",
    "adapter": "hono",
    "skipLoadEnv": false,
    "outDir": "_server",
    "port": 8080
  }
}

See the Configuration page for all available options.

What gets generated

The generated server directory contains:

_server/
  src/
    index.ts          # Server entry point (with the chosen adapter)
    _generated/
      server.ts       # Action builder and middleware setup
    actions/          # Your action files (copied and processed)
    db/               # Your schema and relations (if applicable)
    auth.ts           # Your auth config (if applicable)
  package.json        # Dependencies for the server
  tsconfig.json       # TypeScript config

Running the generated server

After generating the server, you can run it like any Node.js project:

cd typebase/_server

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Run (if TypeScript output)
npx tsx src/index.ts

# Run (if ESM output)
node src/index.js

# Run (if CJS output)
node src/index.js

The server starts on port 8080 by default. Override it with --port or the server.port field in typebase.json.

typebase-io-cli generate-server

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