Philosophy
The Name
Section titled “The Name”Kaelum is a modern take on the Latin word “Caelum,” meaning “sky” or “heavens.” It represents a vast and open horizon — a flexible foundation for your projects.
Design Principles
Section titled “Design Principles”Minimal API Surface
Section titled “Minimal API Surface”Kaelum exposes only what you need: setConfig, addRoute, apiRoute, start, and a few helpers. If you can learn 7 functions, you know Kaelum.
Convention Over Configuration
Section titled “Convention Over Configuration”Scaffolded projects follow an MVC-ish structure. Beginners get a working project; advanced users reorganize freely.
Nothing Hidden
Section titled “Nothing Hidden”Kaelum adds to Express — it never replaces it. The underlying Express app is always accessible. Mix Kaelum helpers with raw Express middleware.
Zero Runtime Overhead
Section titled “Zero Runtime Overhead”Kaelum is a configuration layer at startup. Once running, it’s pure Express — no proxy objects, no runtime cost.
Batteries Optional
Section titled “Batteries Optional”CORS, Helmet, Morgan — toggle them with a flag, but nothing is forced. Each feature is opt-in.
Express vs Kaelum
Section titled “Express vs Kaelum”| Without Kaelum | With Kaelum |
|---|---|
| 15+ lines of middleware setup | setConfig({ cors: true, helmet: true }) |
| Manual route registration per method | apiRoute("users", { ... }) tree syntax |
| No project scaffolding | npx kaelum create |
Manual .env loading | Automatic dotenv |
| DIY health checks | app.healthCheck() |