Introduction

NOVA is a high-performance, filesystem-based web framework built specifically for the Lune runtime.

In a traditional web server, you manually map every URL to a function. Nova changes this by using your folder structure as the source of truth for your API. This approach reduces boilerplate, keeps projects organized, and makes it clear exactly where a specific piece of logic lives.

Core Principles

1. Zero-Config Routing

Nova eliminates the need for a central router configuration. By placing a route.luau file inside any folder within your app directory, Nova automatically registers that path as a reachable endpoint.

2. Functional Pipelines

Middlewares in Nova are pure functions. By using a functional chaining pattern, you can wrap your handlers with logic for authentication, validation, and logging without nesting your code.

3. Native Type Safety

Nova is built with Luau's type system at its core. Whether you are accessing req.params or defining a NovaInstance, the framework provides strict typing to ensure your code is robust before it even runs.

4. Performance First

By leveraging Lune's native net and serde modules, Nova provides a high-level developer experience with minimal overhead, making it suitable for both microservices and full-scale web applications.

Documentation Roadmap

To get the most out of Nova, we recommend exploring the documentation in the following order:

1. Getting Started: Installation and your first "Hello World" server.
2. Routing: Understanding static paths and dynamic [id] patterns.
3. Middleware: Master global and route-specific logic chaining.
4. Requests & Responses: Deep dive into the data flow and HTML rendering.