# Installation

Get started with Macroforge in just a few minutes. Install the package and configure your project to
start using TypeScript macros.

## Requirements

- Node.js 18 or later (or any WebAssembly-capable runtime)
- TypeScript 5.9 or later

## Install the Package

Install Macroforge using your preferred package manager:

npm

```
npm install @macroforge/core
```

bun

```
bun add @macroforge/core
```

pnpm

```
pnpm add @macroforge/core
```

Info

The `macroforge` package ships a single WebAssembly build, so the same artifact runs under Node.js,
Deno, Bun, and edge runtimes with no platform-specific binaries to install.

## Basic Usage

The simplest way to use Macroforge is with the built-in derive macros. Add a `@derive` comment
decorator to your class:

user.ts

```
/** @derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq) */
class User {
  name: string;
  age: number;

  constructor(name: string, age: number) {
    this.name = name;
    this.age = age;
  }
}

// After macro expansion, User has:
// - static toString(value: User): string          (from Debug)
// - static clone(value: User): User               (from Clone)
// - static equals(a: User, b: User): boolean      (from PartialEq)
```

## IDE Integration

For the best development experience, add the TypeScript plugin to your `tsconfig.json`:

tsconfig.json

```
{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "plugins": [
      {
        "name": "@macroforge/typescript-plugin"
      }
    ]
  }
}
```

This enables features like:

- Accurate error positions in your source code
- Autocompletion for generated methods
- Type checking for expanded code

## Build Integration (Vite)

If you're using Vite, add the plugin to your config for automatic macro expansion during build:

vite.config.ts

```
import { macroforge } from "@macroforge/vite-plugin";
import { defineConfig } from "vite";

export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [
    macroforge()
  ]
});
```

## Next Steps

Now that you have Macroforge installed, learn how to use it:

- [Create your first macro](../docs/getting-started/first-macro)
- [Understand how macros work](../docs/concepts)
- [Explore built-in macros](../docs/builtin-macros)