# Encore — Type-Safe Backend Framework with Declarative Infrastructure

> An open-source backend framework for building distributed systems in Go or TypeScript with infrastructure defined in code. Encore generates cloud infrastructure automatically from your application code.

## Install

Save in your project root:

# Encore — Type-Safe Backend Framework with Declarative Infrastructure

## Quick Use
```bash
# Install Encore CLI
curl -L https://encore.dev/install.sh | bash
# Create a new app
encore app create my-app --example=hello-world
cd my-app
encore run
```

## Introduction
Encore is an open-source framework that lets developers build cloud backends by writing application code with type-safe APIs, and it automatically provisions the required infrastructure. It supports both Go and TypeScript, removing the gap between writing business logic and deploying to AWS or GCP.

## What Encore Does
- Defines APIs, databases, caches, cron jobs, and pub/sub topics as code-level declarations
- Generates infrastructure configuration from application source code automatically
- Provides a local development dashboard with API explorer, tracing, and architecture diagrams
- Supports deploying to your own AWS or GCP account with a single command
- Offers built-in service-to-service authentication and request validation

## Architecture Overview
Encore consists of a CLI, a language-specific runtime, and an optional cloud platform. The CLI parses your source code to build a model of your application's architecture — APIs, services, databases, and message topics. At compile time, it generates infrastructure-as-code and wiring between services. Locally, it runs everything in a single process with real databases for fast iteration. In production, each service can be deployed independently.

## Self-Hosting & Configuration
- Install the CLI on macOS or Linux via the official install script
- Use ``encore run`` for local development with automatic database provisioning
- Deploy to your own cloud with ``encore deploy`` or use the Encore Cloud platform
- Configure environment-specific settings using ``encore secret set``
- Infrastructure definitions live alongside application code — no separate Terraform or Pulumi files needed

## Key Features
- Zero boilerplate API definitions using Go structs or TypeScript types
- Automatic OpenAPI documentation generated from source code
- Built-in distributed tracing with no instrumentation required
- Preview environments created automatically for each pull request
- Architecture diagrams generated live from the codebase

## Comparison with Similar Tools
- **Terraform/Pulumi** — Infrastructure-as-code tools that require separate config; Encore derives infra from app code
- **Serverless Framework** — Function-oriented with manual wiring; Encore provides full service-to-service architecture
- **Railway/Render** — Hosting platforms without framework-level infrastructure modeling
- **AWS CDK** — Cloud-specific IaC; Encore is cloud-agnostic and framework-integrated

## FAQ
**Q: Can I deploy Encore apps without the Encore Cloud platform?**
A: Yes. You can self-host by using ``encore build`` to generate a Docker image and deploy it to any container runtime.

**Q: Does Encore support existing databases?**
A: Yes. You can connect to existing PostgreSQL databases by configuring connection strings in your environment settings.

**Q: Is Encore production-ready?**
A: Yes. Encore is used in production by companies running on AWS and GCP. The framework and runtime are open source under the Mozilla Public License.

**Q: Can I mix Go and TypeScript services?**
A: Currently each Encore application uses a single language runtime, either Go or TypeScript. Cross-language service calls are not supported within one app.

## Sources
- https://github.com/encoredev/encore
- https://encore.dev/docs

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Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/5d7bdbfc-3b41-11f1-9bc6-00163e2b0d79
Author: AI Open Source