Team Hydra Documentation

Installing Node and your tools

This page is for people who have never set up a JavaScript project before. If you already have Node.js and an editor, skip to Getting Started.

This page is for people who have never set up a JavaScript project before. If you already have Node.js and an editor, skip to Getting Started.

By the end you will have: Node.js installed, a code editor, and an empty project folder ready for a bot.

1. Install Node.js

Node.js is the program that runs JavaScript on your computer (outside a web browser). A Discord bot is a Node.js program.

  • Go to nodejs.org and download the LTS ("Long Term Support") version.
  • Install it like any other app.
  • Athena needs Node 22.15 or newer. Newer is fine.

Check it worked. Open a terminal (on Windows use "PowerShell" or "Windows Terminal", on macOS use "Terminal", on Linux your usual shell) and run:

node --version
npm --version

You should see two version numbers. node runs your code; npm installs libraries (like Athena).

2. Install a code editor

Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is free and the most common choice. Install it. When you open a .ts file it will understand TypeScript and show you helpful popups, which makes learning Athena much easier.

3. Make a project folder

Pick a folder for your bot and open a terminal inside it. Then:

mkdir my-bot
cd my-bot
npm init -y

npm init -y creates a package.json file. That file is a list of your project's settings and the libraries it depends on. You do not need to understand all of it yet.

4. Install Athena and TypeScript

npm install athena@npm:athena-prime
npm install --save-dev typescript tsx @types/node

What these are:

  • athena@npm:athena-prime - the Discord library this wiki is about. It is published under the name athena-prime; this command installs it under the shorter alias athena, so your code can write import { Client } from 'athena'. Copy the command exactly as written.
  • typescript - lets you write TypeScript, a friendlier version of JavaScript that catches mistakes as you type.
  • tsx - runs TypeScript files directly so you do not have to compile first while learning.
  • @types/node - type information for Node's built-in features.

The --save-dev flag means "these are only needed while developing, not when the bot finally runs."

5. Create a TypeScript config

Run:

npx tsc --init --target ES2022 --module CommonJS --strict

This creates tsconfig.json, which tells TypeScript how to understand your code. The defaults from that command are good for a bot.

6. You are ready

Your folder now has package.json, tsconfig.json, and a node_modules folder (the installed libraries). Next:

A note on the bot token and Discord setup

You also need a Discord application and a bot token before the bot can log in. That part is covered in Your first bot, step 1.