> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.bytesell.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Installation

> The compiler, the optional components, and editor tooling.

Only the `slurp` CLI is required. Everything else on this page is optional. The
[Choosing components](#choosing-components) table lists what each piece covers.

## The compiler

```bash theme={null}
cargo install slurp-compiler
```

The crate is `slurp-compiler` and the binary it installs is `slurp`. That one
binary does everything: `build`, `validate`, `dev` and `gitignore`.

<Note>
  Requires a Rust toolchain, **1.88 or newer**. Slurp is on edition 2024, and
  its dependency tree pushes the floor from 1.85 up to 1.88. An older toolchain
  fails with `feature "edition2024" is required` rather than a version message,
  so run `rustup update stable` if you see that.
</Note>

### Verify it

```bash theme={null}
slurp --version
```

```
slurp 0.1.0
```

A version number only proves the binary runs. Point it at a project to prove it
works:

```bash theme={null}
slurp validate --dir .
```

```
Validation ok: 4 file(s), 0 error(s), 0 warning(s).
```

`validate` exits 0 on success and 1 if anything failed, so it is safe to put in
a script or a pre-commit hook.

## Choosing components

| Piece                           | Install                                  | Use when                                              |
| ------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| `slurp` CLI                     | `cargo install slurp-compiler`           | Always. It builds and validates.                      |
| `slurp-dev`                     | `cargo install slurp-dev-server`         | Hot reload while editing.                             |
| `slurp-image`                   | `cargo install slurp-image`              | Templates use `<Image>`. Plain `<img>` needs nothing. |
| `@bytesell/slurp-runtime`       | `pnpm add @bytesell/slurp-runtime`       | Client navigation or Alpine on the page.              |
| `@bytesell/slurp-mcp`           | `pnpm add -D @bytesell/slurp-mcp`        | A coding agent writes Slurp.                          |
| `prettier-plugin-slurp`         | `pnpm add -D prettier-plugin-slurp`      | Formatting with Prettier.                             |
| VS Code extension               | [see below](#vs-code)                    | Editing `.slurp` files in VS Code.                    |
| `slurp-compiler` as a library   | a Cargo dependency                       | Rendering templates from a Rust server.               |
| `@bytesell/slurp-compiler-wasm` | `pnpm add @bytesell/slurp-compiler-wasm` | Rendering templates from JavaScript.                  |

## The dev server

```bash theme={null}
cargo install slurp-dev-server
```

The crate is `slurp-dev-server` and the binary is `slurp-dev`. It watches a
theme, rebuilds on change and pushes a reload over a WebSocket.

`slurp dev` is a **launcher**, not a second implementation: it looks for a
`slurp-dev` binary next to the `slurp` binary, falls back to `PATH`, and
forwards only `--port` and `--fixtures`. Without `slurp-dev-server` installed,
`slurp dev` has nothing to launch. Invoke `slurp-dev` directly for the flags the
launcher does not forward, such as `--theme-dir`, `--globals` or
`--backend-url`.

<Warning>
  The dev server binds `127.0.0.1` unconditionally and is not hardened for
  network exposure. It is a local tool.
</Warning>

See [Dev server](/slurp/tooling/dev-server).

## The image service

```bash theme={null}
cargo install slurp-image
slurp-image --port 3001
```

An HTTP service that resizes and transcodes images on demand. It is required
only when a template uses the `<Image>` component, which emits URLs pointing at
it. A plain `<img>` tag involves no service.

It binds loopback and sends no CORS headers by default, because it fetches URLs
an attacker may influence. See [Images](/slurp/guides/images) for running it and for
what it refuses.

## The browser runtime

```bash theme={null}
pnpm add @bytesell/slurp-runtime
```

`slurp build` produces plain HTML and injects no script tag, so a page that does
not need client navigation or `{fetch}` refetching ships no JavaScript from
Slurp. A theme that wants the runtime loads it explicitly:

```html theme={null}
<script type="module" src="/slurp.core.js"></script>
```

ESM only, and no CommonJS build.

<Warning>
  Read `runtime/README.md` before depending on any of it. Several runtime
  features are implemented and unit-tested but bind to markup the 0.1.0 compiler
  does not emit, so against the shipped compiler they attach to nothing and
  silently do no work. Those entry points are published under an
  `experimental/` prefix to say so.
</Warning>

## The MCP server

```bash theme={null}
pnpm add -D @bytesell/slurp-mcp
```

An MCP server that gives a coding agent tools to validate, render, lint and
inspect templates, plus the language reference.

It runs the real compiler in-process through `@bytesell/slurp-compiler-wasm`,
so it needs no `slurp` binary on `PATH`. Requires **Node 20 or newer**.

Most clients can fetch it on demand rather than installing it:

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash Claude Code theme={null}
  claude mcp add slurp -- npx -y @bytesell/slurp-mcp
  ```

  ```json .mcp.json theme={null}
  {
    "mcpServers": {
      "slurp": {
        "command": "npx",
        "args": ["-y", "@bytesell/slurp-mcp"]
      }
    }
  }
  ```
</CodeGroup>

See [Working with agents](/slurp/tooling/agents).

## Editor tooling

### Prettier

```bash theme={null}
pnpm add -D prettier-plugin-slurp
```

Formats `.slurp` files. Prettier 3 is a peer dependency.

```json .prettierrc theme={null}
{
  "plugins": ["prettier-plugin-slurp"]
}
```

### VS Code

The extension gives syntax highlighting, completions, hover docs, go to
definition and formatting. Build and install the `.vsix` from a clone:

```bash theme={null}
cd vscode-extension
pnpm install && pnpm run build && pnpm run package
code --install-extension slurp-vscode-0.1.0.vsix
```

Requires VS Code 1.85 or newer, and Node 20 or newer to build.

<Warning>
  **Diagnostics do not work in 0.1.0, and they fail silently.**
  `slurp.validateOnType` and `slurp.validateOnSave` default to `true`, so the
  feature looks live, but a file full of parse errors shows no squiggles and
  logs nothing. Highlighting, completions, hover and go to definition are fine.
  Until it is fixed, validate from the command line with
  `slurp validate --dir . --warnings`.
</Warning>

See [Editor setup](/slurp/tooling/editor-setup).

## Embedding the compiler

To render templates from your own program rather than from the CLI:

<CodeGroup>
  ```toml Cargo.toml theme={null}
  [dependencies]
  slurp-compiler = "0.1"
  ```

  ```json package.json theme={null}
  {
    "dependencies": {
      "@bytesell/slurp-compiler-wasm": "0.1"
    }
  }
  ```
</CodeGroup>

The Rust library does not minify; only the CLI does. See
[Embedding with Rust](/slurp/reference/rust-api) and the
[JavaScript API](/slurp/reference/javascript-api).

## Building from a clone

```bash theme={null}
git clone https://github.com/bytesell/slurp
cd slurp
cargo build --workspace --release
```

The three binaries land in `target/release/` as `slurp`, `slurp-dev` and
`slurp-image`. `slurp dev` prefers a `slurp-dev` sitting beside it, so a
workspace build yields a working `slurp dev` with nothing installed.

The JavaScript packages are a separate build, and they need Node 22 or newer,
pnpm 9 or newer, and `wasm-pack`:

```bash theme={null}
pnpm install
pnpm build
```

`pnpm build` is what produces `@bytesell/slurp-compiler-wasm`, which the MCP
server and the compiler integration tests both import, so run it before
`pnpm test` on a fresh clone. `CONTRIBUTING.md` has the full gate list.

## Next

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Quickstart" icon="rocket" href="/slurp/quickstart">
    Build and render a real page in about five minutes.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Project structure" icon="folder-tree" href="/slurp/project-structure">
    Special directories, output paths, and static assets.
  </Card>

  <Card title="CLI" icon="terminal" href="/slurp/tooling/cli">
    Every subcommand and flag.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Images" icon="image" href="/slurp/guides/images">
    The `<Image>` component and the image service.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>