Configuration

@axrxvm/betterdiscordjs offers extensive configuration options to customize your bot's behavior. This guide covers all available configuration options and best practices.

Bot Constructor Options

The Bot constructor accepts various options to configure your bot:

const bot = new Bot(token, {
  // Command system
  commandsDir: './commands',
  eventsDir: './events',
  prefix: '!',

  // Slash commands
  slashMode: 'dev', // 'dev', 'global', or 'disabled'
  autoRegisterSlash: true,
  devGuild: 'your_dev_guild_id',
  clientId: 'your_client_id',

  // Bot presence
  presence: {
    activities: [{ name: 'with @axrxvm/betterdiscordjs', type: 0 }],
    status: 'online'
  }
});

Configuration Options Reference

Core Options

Option	Type	Default	Description
commandsDir	string	null	Directory containing command files
eventsDir	string	null	Directory containing event files
prefix	string	"!"	Default command prefix

Slash Command Options

Option	Type	Default	Description
slashMode	string	'global'	Slash command registration mode
autoRegisterSlash	boolean	true	Automatically register slash commands
devGuild	string	null	Guild ID for development slash commands
clientId	string	null	Bot's client ID for slash commands

Presence Options

Option	Type	Default	Description
presence	object	null	Initial bot presence configuration

Environment Variables

@axrxvm/betterdiscordjs supports configuration through environment variables:

Required Variables

# Bot authentication
DISCORD_TOKEN=your_bot_token_here
CLIENT_ID=your_bot_client_id_here

Optional Variables

# Development
DEV_GUILD=your_development_guild_id
BOT_OWNER_ID=your_user_id_here

# Logging
BOT_LOG_CHANNEL=log_channel_id_here

# Bot settings
PREFIX=!
MAINTENANCE_MODE=false

# Database (if using external database)
DATABASE_URL=your_database_url

Environment File Example

Create a .env.example file for your project:

# Discord Bot Configuration
DISCORD_TOKEN=your_bot_token_here
CLIENT_ID=your_bot_client_id_here

# Development Settings
DEV_GUILD=your_development_guild_id
BOT_OWNER_ID=your_user_id_here

# Optional Settings
PREFIX=!
BOT_LOG_CHANNEL=log_channel_id_here
MAINTENANCE_MODE=false

# Database (optional)
DATABASE_URL=sqlite://./data/bot.db

Slash Command Configuration

Development Mode

Use development mode for testing slash commands:

const bot = new Bot(token, {
  slashMode: 'dev',
  devGuild: process.env.DEV_GUILD,
  clientId: process.env.CLIENT_ID
});

Benefits: - Instant command updates - No global rate limits - Isolated testing environment

Global Mode

Use global mode for production:

const bot = new Bot(token, {
  slashMode: 'global',
  clientId: process.env.CLIENT_ID
});

Note: Global commands can take up to 1 hour to update across all servers.

Disabling Slash Commands

const bot = new Bot(token, {
  slashMode: 'disabled',
  autoRegisterSlash: false
});

Presence Configuration

Static Presence

const bot = new Bot(token, {
  presence: {
    activities: [{ 
      name: 'with Discord.js', 
      type: 0 // PLAYING
    }],
    status: 'online'
  }
});

Dynamic Presence

bot.on('ready', (ctx) => {
  // Update presence after bot is ready
  bot.setPresence({
    activities: [{ 
      name: `${ctx.client.guilds.cache.size} servers`, 
      type: 3 // WATCHING
    }],
    status: 'online'
  });
});

// Update presence periodically
bot.every('5m', () => {
  bot.setPresence({
    activities: [{ 
      name: `${bot.client.guilds.cache.size} servers`, 
      type: 3
    }],
    status: 'online'
  });
});

Activity Types

Type	Number	Description
PLAYING	0	Playing {name}
STREAMING	1	Streaming {name}
LISTENING	2	Listening to {name}
WATCHING	3	Watching {name}
COMPETING	5	Competing in {name}

Status Types

• 'online' - Online (green)
• 'idle' - Away (yellow)
• 'dnd' - Do Not Disturb (red)
• 'invisible' - Invisible (appears offline)

Directory Structure Configuration

Default Structure

your-bot/
├── commands/
│   ├── general/
│   ├── fun/
│   └── utility/
├── events/
├── plugins/
└── index.js

Custom Structure

const bot = new Bot(token, {
  commandsDir: './src/commands',
  eventsDir: './src/events'
});

Database Configuration

@axrxvm/betterdiscordjs uses LowDB by default, but you can configure it:

Default Configuration

Data is stored in ./data/botdata.json

Custom Database Path

// In your bot initialization
const path = require('path');
const customDbPath = path.resolve(__dirname, 'custom-data', 'bot.json');

// You would need to modify the db.js utility for custom paths

External Database

For production bots, consider using external databases:

// Example with MongoDB (requires additional setup)
const mongoose = require('mongoose');

// Connect to MongoDB
mongoose.connect(process.env.DATABASE_URL);

// Use custom database functions instead of built-in db utility

Advanced Configuration

Command Inhibitors

Add global command restrictions:

bot.addInhibitor((cmd, ctx) => {
  // Maintenance mode
  if (process.env.MAINTENANCE_MODE === 'true' && ctx.user.id !== process.env.BOT_OWNER_ID) {
    return '🚧 Bot is in maintenance mode.';
  }

  // Blacklisted users
  const blacklist = ['user_id_1', 'user_id_2'];
  if (blacklist.includes(ctx.user.id)) {
    return '❌ You are blacklisted from using this bot.';
  }

  // Allow command to proceed
  return true;
});

Error Handling Configuration

// Global error handler
bot.onError((error, cmd, ctx) => {
  console.error('Global error:', error);

  // Send to error logging channel
  const logChannel = bot.client.channels.cache.get(process.env.BOT_LOG_CHANNEL);
  if (logChannel) {
    logChannel.send(`Error in ${cmd?.name || 'unknown'}: ${error.message}`);
  }
});

// Command-specific error handling
bot.onCommandError(async (error, cmd, ctx) => {
  console.error(`Command error in ${cmd.name}:`, error);

  if (!ctx.replied) {
    await ctx.error('An error occurred while executing this command.');
  }
});

Rate Limiting Configuration

// Custom rate limiting
const rateLimit = require('./utils/rateLimit');

bot.addInhibitor((cmd, ctx) => {
  // Custom rate limit for specific commands
  if (cmd.name === 'spam-prone-command') {
    if (!rateLimit.check(ctx.user.id, cmd.name, 1, 10000)) { // 1 use per 10 seconds
      return '⏳ You are using this command too frequently.';
    }
  }

  return true;
});

Configuration Best Practices

1. Use Environment Variables

Never hardcode sensitive information:

// ❌ Bad
const bot = new Bot('your_token_here');

// ✅ Good
const bot = new Bot(process.env.DISCORD_TOKEN);

2. Separate Development and Production

const isDev = process.env.NODE_ENV === 'development';

const bot = new Bot(process.env.DISCORD_TOKEN, {
  slashMode: isDev ? 'dev' : 'global',
  devGuild: isDev ? process.env.DEV_GUILD : null,
  prefix: isDev ? '!!' : '!'
});

3. Validate Configuration

function validateConfig() {
  const required = ['DISCORD_TOKEN', 'CLIENT_ID'];
  const missing = required.filter(key => !process.env[key]);

  if (missing.length > 0) {
    console.error('Missing required environment variables:', missing);
    process.exit(1);
  }
}

validateConfig();

4. Configuration File

For complex configurations, use a config file:

// config.js
module.exports = {
  bot: {
    token: process.env.DISCORD_TOKEN,
    prefix: process.env.PREFIX || '!',
    owners: process.env.BOT_OWNERS?.split(',') || [],
  },

  features: {
    slashCommands: process.env.ENABLE_SLASH !== 'false',
    autoMod: process.env.ENABLE_AUTOMOD === 'true',
    economy: process.env.ENABLE_ECONOMY === 'true'
  },

  channels: {
    logs: process.env.BOT_LOG_CHANNEL,
    errors: process.env.ERROR_LOG_CHANNEL
  }
};

// index.js
const config = require('./config');
const bot = new Bot(config.bot.token, {
  prefix: config.bot.prefix,
  // ... other options
});

Configuration Validation

Create a configuration validator:

// utils/configValidator.js
class ConfigValidator {
  static validate() {
    const errors = [];

    // Required environment variables
    const required = ['DISCORD_TOKEN', 'CLIENT_ID'];
    required.forEach(key => {
      if (!process.env[key]) {
        errors.push(`Missing required environment variable: ${key}`);
      }
    });

    // Validate token format
    if (process.env.DISCORD_TOKEN && !process.env.DISCORD_TOKEN.match(/^[A-Za-z0-9._-]+$/)) {
      errors.push('Invalid Discord token format');
    }

    // Validate client ID format
    if (process.env.CLIENT_ID && !process.env.CLIENT_ID.match(/^\d{17,19}$/)) {
      errors.push('Invalid client ID format');
    }

    if (errors.length > 0) {
      console.error('Configuration errors:');
      errors.forEach(error => console.error(`  - ${error}`));
      process.exit(1);
    }

    console.log('✅ Configuration validated successfully');
  }
}

module.exports = ConfigValidator;

Use the validator:

// index.js
const ConfigValidator = require('./utils/configValidator');

// Validate configuration before starting
ConfigValidator.validate();

const bot = new Bot(process.env.DISCORD_TOKEN, {
  // ... your configuration
});

Next Steps

Now that you understand configuration:

1. 🏗️ Learn about the Bot Class
2. 📝 Create Your First Bot
3. 🎯 Explore Commands
4. 📦 Try the Plugin System

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Remember: Keep your configuration secure and never commit sensitive information to version control!