tsexpress

TypeScript-first web framework design inspired by Express.

Why This Exists

Express got something important right: web servers should be easy to read, easy to compose, and close to Node's native HTTP model. tsexpress exists to keep that feel while taking TypeScript seriously from the beginning.

This project is not trying to build a giant meta-framework. The goal is a small, understandable framework that feels like Express, but treats types and contracts as first-class parts of the design.

Project Vision

tsexpress should feel familiar to anyone who has used Express:

• app and router based composition
• req, res, and next
• middleware chains and error middleware
• simple route registration on top of Node http

The difference is that tsexpress should champion TypeScript-first development:

• route contracts are part of route declarations
• TypeScript should infer as much as possible from those contracts
• runtime behavior and type behavior should stay aligned

Agent-friendly introspection matters, but it is downstream of the framework itself. First it must be a strong web framework. Then it can expose metadata that makes applications and deployments easier for agents to inspect.

Design Principles

• Feel like Express from the first read.
• Stay close to Node's http runtime model.
• Keep abstractions small and obvious.
• Treat contracts and types as part of the framework, not optional garnish.
• Require tests for meaningful behavior changes.
• Build agent-friendly introspection without warping the API around it.

Why Contribute Early

This project is starting from zero. Early contributors have a real chance to shape the framework, influence its conventions, and leave visible fingerprints on its foundation.

That applies to both human contributors and AI-assisted contributors. Strong early work will be easy to attribute because the project is still defining its defaults, style, and architecture.

Initial Focus

The first wave of work is about building a serious foundation:

• clear project docs and contribution guidance
• repository scaffolding for a small TypeScript library
• framework primitives like app creation, routers, middleware, and response helpers
• contract-driven typing
• internal introspection for future agent-friendly tooling

Contributing

See CONTRIBUTING.md for contribution standards and workflow expectations.