Installation & Setup

This guide will walk you through installing @axrxvm/betterdiscordjs and setting up your development environment.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed:

• Node.js (v16.9.0 or higher) - Download here
• npm (comes with Node.js) or yarn package manager
• A Discord Application with a bot token

Creating a Discord Application

1. Go to the Discord Developer Portal
2. Click "New Application" and give it a name
3. Navigate to the "Bot" section in the sidebar
4. Click "Add Bot" and confirm
5. Copy the bot token (keep this secure!)
6. Under "Privileged Gateway Intents", enable:
7. Message Content Intent (for prefix commands)
8. Server Members Intent (for member events)

Installation Methods

Method 1: Clone the Repository (Recommended)

# Clone the @axrxvm/betterdiscordjs repository
git clone https://github.com/your-repo/@axrxvm/betterdiscordjs.git
cd @axrxvm/betterdiscordjs

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Copy the example bot
cp -r testbot my-bot
cd my-bot

# Install bot-specific dependencies
npm install

Method 2: NPM Package (Coming Soon)

# Create a new project
mkdir my-discord-bot
cd my-discord-bot
npm init -y

# Install @axrxvm/betterdiscordjs (when published)
npm install @axrxvm/betterdiscordjs

# Install peer dependencies
npm install discord.js dotenv

Method 3: Manual Setup

# Create project directory
mkdir my-discord-bot
cd my-discord-bot
npm init -y

# Install dependencies
npm install discord.js@14.22.1 dotenv chalk lowdb node-cron

# Create basic structure
mkdir commands events plugins utils

Environment Configuration

Create a .env file in your project root:

# Required
DISCORD_TOKEN=your_bot_token_here
CLIENT_ID=your_bot_client_id_here

# Optional but recommended
DEV_GUILD=your_development_guild_id
BOT_OWNER_ID=your_user_id_here
BOT_LOG_CHANNEL=log_channel_id_here

# Optional settings
PREFIX=!
MAINTENANCE_MODE=false

Getting Your IDs

To get Discord IDs, enable Developer Mode in Discord: 1. User Settings → Advanced → Developer Mode 2. Right-click on servers, channels, or users to copy their IDs

Project Structure

After installation, your project should look like this:

my-discord-bot/
├── commands/           # Command files
│   ├── general/
│   ├── fun/
│   └── utility/
├── events/            # Event handlers
├── plugins/           # Custom plugins
├── utils/             # Utility functions
├── data/              # Database files
├── .env               # Environment variables
├── .env.example       # Environment template
├── index.js           # Main bot file
├── package.json       # Project configuration
└── README.md          # Project documentation

Verification

Test your installation by creating a simple bot:

// index.js
const { Bot } = require('./path/to/@axrxvm/betterdiscordjs');
require('dotenv').config();

const bot = new Bot(process.env.DISCORD_TOKEN, {
  prefix: '!'
});

bot.command('test', async (ctx) => {
  await ctx.reply('@axrxvm/betterdiscordjs is working! 🎉');
});

bot.on('ready', (ctx) => {
  console.log(`✅ ${ctx.user.tag} is ready!`);
});

bot.start();

Run your bot:

node index.js

If you see the ready message and can use the !test command, you're all set!

Development Tools (Optional)

Nodemon for Auto-Restart

npm install -g nodemon
# or locally
npm install --save-dev nodemon

Add to your package.json:

{
  "scripts": {
    "start": "node index.js",
    "dev": "nodemon index.js"
  }
}

VS Code Extensions

Recommended extensions for VS Code: - Discord.js IntelliSense - Autocomplete for Discord.js - JavaScript (ES6) code snippets - Useful code snippets - Prettier - Code formatting - ESLint - Code linting

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"Cannot find module '@axrxvm/betterdiscordjs'" - Ensure you've installed dependencies: npm install - Check your require path is correct

"Invalid token" - Verify your bot token in the .env file - Ensure no extra spaces or characters

"Missing permissions" - Check your bot has necessary permissions in the Discord server - Verify the bot is added to your server

"Command not found" - Ensure your commands directory path is correct - Check file naming conventions (see Commands Guide)

Getting Help

If you encounter issues: 1. Check the FAQ 2. Review the troubleshooting guide 3. Join our Discord server 4. Create an issue on GitHub

Next Steps

Now that you have @axrxvm/betterdiscordjs installed:

1. 📖 Read the Quick Start Guide
2. 🔧 Learn about Configuration
3. 🤖 Build Your First Bot
4. 📚 Explore the Core Concepts

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Tip: Keep your bot token secure and never commit it to version control. Always use environment variables!