> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.kiln.land/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Guides

> Short guides for everyday work with Kiln: start a project, bring a Node.js project across, ship an app.

These guides cover what ships in the v1.0.0 binary.

## Start a project

```bash theme={null}
kiln install
kiln dev
```

`kiln install` fills the dependency tree from `package.json`. `kiln dev` serves the project and reloads a change in 8 ms, keeping component state across saves. Browser logs stream to the terminal.

## Bring a Node.js project across

Kiln reads the files you already have: `package.json`, `tsconfig.json`, `node_modules` and your npm, yarn or pnpm lockfile. Keep them in place and swap `npm run dev` for `kiln dev`.

There is no migration step and no config file to write first.

## Ship an app

`kiln build` bundles TS, JSX, CSS, HTML and WASM to browser or server targets. For a self-contained artifact, emit a single-file executable.

`kiln desktop` builds a windowed app from the same source tree, with tray, menus, signing and auto-update.

<Card title="kiln install" icon="cube" href="/install-command">
  Lockfile, frozen installs and the cache.
</Card>

<Card title="kiln dev" icon="terminal" href="/dev">
  Hot reload, kept state and log streaming.
</Card>

<Card title="kiln desktop" icon="desktop" href="/desktop">
  Window, tray, menus, signing and auto-update.
</Card>

<Card title="Reference" icon="book" href="/reference">
  Platforms, runtimes, files and channels.
</Card>


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