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Quick Start Guide

This guide will get you up and running with IHP in just a few minutes. You’ll create a new project, start the development server, and see your first Haskell web application in action.
Before starting, make sure you’ve completed the installation guide.

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Create Your First Project

1

Create a New Project

Use the ihp-new command to create a new project:
ihp-new my-app
This creates a new directory called my-app with all the files and structure needed for an IHP application.
Windows Users: Make sure you’re in the Linux part of the filesystem (not on a path starting with /mnt/), otherwise PostgreSQL will have issues accessing the database.
2

Navigate to Your Project

cd my-app
3

Start the Development Server

devenv up
The development server will:
  • Start a PostgreSQL database
  • Launch the web application
  • Start a WebSocket server for live reloading
  • Open the built-in IDE
The very first time you start the server might take a while and may require a restart. If needed, press CTRL+C and run devenv up again.
4

Open Your Application

By default, your application is available at:
If ports 8000 and 8001 are already in use, IHP will automatically pick the next available ports (e.g., 8002 and 8003).

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Your First Code Change

Let’s experience IHP’s live reloading by making a simple change:
1

Open the Welcome View

Open Web/View/Static/Welcome.hs in your text editor.
2

Edit the HTML

Find the line with It's working! and replace it with:
Hello World from Haskell!
3

Watch the Magic

Save the file and watch your browser automatically refresh with the changes!
The auto-refresh uses a diff-based approach with morphdom, so it won’t reset your page state.

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Project Structure

Here’s what ihp-new created for you:
File/DirectoryPurpose
Application/Your domain logic lives here
Application/Schema.sqlDatabase schema and tables
Web/Controller/Web application controllers
Web/View/HTML template files
Web/Types.hsCentral place for web application types
Config/Framework and application configuration
static/Images, CSS, and JavaScript files
flake.nixDeclares app dependencies (like package.json for NPM)
.ghciConfig for the Haskell interpreter

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What’s Running?

The development server automatically manages:
  • PostgreSQL Database: No manual setup needed
  • Web Server: Serves your application
  • WebSocket Server: Powers live reloading
  • Development Tools: Code generators, schema designer, and logs
To stop the server, press CTRL+C

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Next Steps

Now that you have IHP running, you’re ready to build something real:

Build Your First Project

Follow the complete tutorial to build a blog application with posts and comments

Explore the Schema Designer

Design your database schema with a visual interface

Use Code Generators

Generate controllers, views, and actions automatically

View Application Logs

Monitor SQL queries and application logs in real-time

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Tips

  • Place your text editor and browser side-by-side to see live reloading in action
  • The development server shows helpful error messages when things go wrong
  • IHP is built by terminal hackers - everything can be done from the command line if you prefer
  • Changes to Haskell files are usually reflected in less than 50ms

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Getting Help

If you run into any issues:

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