Vite

When to use

• User asks how to set up or run a Vite project.
• User needs Vite configuration guidance (vite.config.*).
• User needs plugin authoring, HMR, or JS API usage.
• User needs environment variables or modes behavior.

Quick navigation

• Getting started: references/getting-started.md
• Philosophy and rationale: references/philosophy.md, references/why-vite.md
• Features: references/features.md
• CLI: references/cli.md
• Plugins (usage): references/using-plugins.md
• Plugin API: references/api-plugin.md
• HMR API: references/api-hmr.md
• JavaScript API: references/api-javascript.md
• Config reference: references/config.md
• Dependency optimization: references/dep-pre-bundling.md
• Assets: references/assets.md
• Build: references/build.md
• Static deploy: references/static-deploy.md
• Env & modes: references/env-and-mode.md
• SSR: references/ssr.md
• Backend integration: references/backend-integration.md
• Troubleshooting: references/troubleshooting.md
• Performance: references/performance.md
• Rolldown: references/rolldown.md
• Migration: references/migration.md
• Breaking changes: references/breaking-changes.md
• Environment API: references/api-environment.md
• Environment instances: references/api-environment-instances.md
• Env plugins: references/api-environment-plugins.md
• Env frameworks: references/api-environment-frameworks.md
• Env runtimes: references/api-environment-runtimes.md

Core rules

• Prefer minimal configuration; extend only as needed.
• Keep index.html as a first-class entry point when using Vite defaults.
• Treat dev server settings and build settings separately.
• Document mode-dependent behavior for env variables and define.
• Use future config to opt-in to deprecation warnings before migration.

Recipes

• Scaffold a project with npm create vite@latest.
• Configure aliases, server options, and build outputs in vite.config.*.
• Load .env values into config with loadEnv when config needs them.
• Add plugins with plugins: [] and define apply or enforce when needed.
• Use HMR APIs for fine-grained updates when plugin or framework needs it.
• Use optimizeDeps.include/exclude when deps aren’t discovered on startup.
• Use build.rollupOptions.input for multi-page apps.
• Enable deprecation warnings: future: { removeSsrLoadModule: 'warn' }.
• Use hotUpdate hook instead of handleHotUpdate for environment-aware HMR.
• Use this.environment instead of options.ssr in plugin hooks.

Prohibitions

• Do not copy large verbatim chunks from vendor docs.
• Do not assume framework-specific behavior without verifying.

Links

• https://vite.dev/guide/
• https://vite.dev/config/
• https://vite.dev/guide/api-plugin
• https://vite.dev/guide/api-hmr
• https://vite.dev/guide/api-javascript
• https://vite.dev/guide/api-environment