Getting Started with Hatcher
Welcome, Pioneer.
You've arrived at the foundational stage of a new era in software development. Hatcher is being forged in the open by a community of artisans, and this is your invitation to grab a hammer.
This guide is for developers who want to join us on Day Zero and help shape the future of the Constitutional IDE.
Project Status & Roadmap
Our vision is a single platform with two distinct configurations. Here’s where we are today:
Hatcher Generative (In Active Development)
This is the current focus of our core team. The Generative node is the command cockpit for rapid, creative development, where the developer guides the AI with high-level instructions. This is the part of the codebase where new contributors can have the most immediate impact.
Hatcher EGGs (On the Roadmap)
The EGGs (Enforced Governance Guardrails) node is our ultimate goal for mission-critical systems. It represents the "aerospace cleanroom" where every action is 100% deterministic and auditable. This functionality is not yet implemented and represents an exciting architectural challenge for the future. We welcome community discussion and ideas on its implementation.
Why Contribute to Hatcher?
By joining us in this early Alpha phase, you have a unique opportunity to:
Shape a Foundational Tool: Influence the core architecture and direction of a tool that will be used by thousands of developers.
Work with a World-Class Stack: Dive deep into a codebase built with Rust, TypeScript, WebAssembly, and cutting-edge AI principles.
Build Your Reputation: Become a recognized founding contributor in the Hatcher Guild, a community that values craftsmanship and expertise.
Solve Interesting Problems: From building a custom Git engine to designing a visual UI-to-code bridge, the challenges we're tackling are anything but trivial.
How to Contribute
Ready to become a contributor? The only way to run Hatcher right now is to build it from the source.
Prerequisites
Make sure your development environment has:
- Node.js 22.0.0 or higher
- pnpm 10.6.0 or higher
- Git
Build from Source
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/HatcherDX/dx-engine.git
cd dx-engine
# Install dependencies
pnpm install
# Start development mode
pnpm devThis will launch the Hatcher IDE on your local machine, running the latest development build.
Understand Our Vision
To contribute effectively, it's essential to understand our core philosophy. All you need to read is one page:
Find Your First Contribution
The best way to start is by tackling an existing issue.
Browse our Issues: Head over to our GitHub Issues. Look for issues tagged good first issue or help wanted.
Join the Conversation: Before you start coding, leave a comment on the issue and join our Discord Community. Discussing your approach with the core team is the best way to ensure your contribution aligns with the project's direction.
Read our Guidelines: Check out our CONTRIBUTING.md file in the repository for details on our coding standards and pull request process.
Join the Community
Collaboration happens in the open. If you have questions, ideas, or just want to follow along, here's where to find us:
Discord: The main hub for real-time chat with the team and other contributors.
GitHub: For all code, issues, and pull requests.
Follow @HatcherDX for major news and project updates.
Welcome to the future of development!
Ready to Join the Revolution?
Start contributing to the future of AI-assisted development today