Your First Bot¶

This guide will walk you through creating your first Discord bot using @axrxvm/betterdiscordjs.

Prerequisites¶

Before you begin, make sure you have: - Node.js (v16.9.0 or higher) installed - A Discord application and bot token - Basic knowledge of JavaScript

Creating Your Bot¶

1. Set Up Your Project¶

Create a new directory for your bot and initialize it:

mkdir my-discord-bot
cd my-discord-bot
npm init -y
npm install @axrxvm/betterdiscordjs

2. Create Your Bot File¶

Create an index.js file:

const { Bot } = require('@axrxvm/betterdiscordjs');

// Create a new bot instance
const bot = new Bot(process.env.DISCORD_TOKEN, {
  prefix: '!',
  devGuild: 'YOUR_DEV_GUILD_ID', // Optional: for testing slash commands
  clientId: 'YOUR_CLIENT_ID'
});

// Add a simple ping command
bot.command('ping', async (ctx) => {
  await ctx.reply('🏓 Pong!');
}, 'Check if the bot is responsive');

// Add a slash command
bot.command('hello', async (ctx) => {
  await ctx.reply(`Hello, ${ctx.user.username}!`);
}, {
  description: 'Say hello to the user',
  slash: true
});

// Add an event listener
bot.on('ready', (ctx) => {
  console.log(`Bot is ready! Logged in as ${ctx.client.user.tag}`);
});

// Start the bot
bot.start();

3. Environment Variables¶

Create a .env file in your project root:

DISCORD_TOKEN=your_bot_token_here
CLIENT_ID=your_bot_client_id_here

4. Run Your Bot¶

node index.js

Understanding the Code¶

Bot Instance¶

const bot = new Bot(token, options);

Creates a new bot instance with your token and configuration options.

Commands¶

bot.command('name', handler, description);

Registers a new command that responds to both prefix and slash commands.

Events¶

bot.on('eventName', handler);

Listens for Discord events and executes your handler function.

Context Object¶

The ctx parameter in your handlers contains useful methods and properties: - ctx.reply() - Reply to the command - ctx.user - The user who triggered the command - ctx.guild - The guild where the command was used - ctx.channel - The channel where the command was used

Next Steps¶

Now that you have a basic bot running, you can: - Add more commands and events - Explore the plugin system - Learn about advanced features like embeds and components - Set up proper error handling and logging

Check out the Commands and Events documentation to learn more about building powerful bot functionality.