Hono Rpc

bobmatnyc/claude-mpm-skills/toolchains/javascript/frameworks/hono/hono-rpc

by bobmatnyc718070a7d622No license77 starsListed Oct 8, 2026Updated Oct 8, 2026Repository updated 2 months ago

Hono RPC - end-to-end type-safe API client generation with hc client and TypeScript inference

Instructions onlySoftware Development
AI-generated overview

Guides building end-to-end type-safe Hono API clients using the hc client and TypeScript type inference.

What it does
This skill explains how to share a Hono server's route types with a client so API calls are type-checked at compile time without code generation. It covers exporting the app type, chaining routes, and using the hc client for path params, query strings, JSON bodies, form data, and headers. It also documents response and request type utilities, status-code-aware inference, error handling, and client configuration options.
When to use it
Use it when building full-stack TypeScript applications with Hono where the client needs type-safe API access. It fits monorepos or projects that want compile-time validation of API calls without OpenAPI or code generation.
Requirements
Requires a TypeScript project with Hono 4.x, the hono/client module, and strict mode enabled; examples also use Zod and @hono/zod-validator. It ships no scripts and is instructions only.

Hono RPC - Type-Safe Client

Overview

Hono RPC enables sharing API specifications between server and client through TypeScript's type system. Export your server's type, and the client automatically knows all routes, request shapes, and response types - no code generation required.

Key Features:

  • Zero-codegen type-safe client
  • Automatic TypeScript inference
  • Works with Zod validators
  • Status code-aware response types
  • Supports path params, query, headers

When to Use This Skill

Use Hono RPC when:

  • Building full-stack TypeScript applications
  • Need type-safe API consumption without OpenAPI/codegen
  • Want compile-time validation of API calls
  • Sharing types between client and server in monorepos

Basic Setup

Server Side

typescript
// server/index.tsimport { Hono } from 'hono'import { zValidator } from '@hono/zod-validator'import { z } from 'zod'
const app = new Hono()
// Define routes with validationconst route = app  .get('/users', async (c) => {    const users = [{ id: '1', name: 'Alice' }]    return c.json({ users })  })  .post(    '/users',    zValidator('json', z.object({      name: z.string(),      email: z.string().email()    })),    async (c) => {      const data = c.req.valid('json')      return c.json({ id: '1', ...data }, 201)    }  )  .get('/users/:id', async (c) => {    const id = c.req.param('id')    return c.json({ id, name: 'Alice' })  })
// Export type for clientexport type AppType = typeof route
export default app

Client Side

typescript
// client/api.tsimport { hc } from 'hono/client'import type { AppType } from '../server'
// Create typed clientconst client = hc<AppType>('http://localhost:3000')
// All methods are type-safe!async function examples() {  // GET /users  const usersRes = await client.users.$get()  const { users } = await usersRes.json()  // users: { id: string; name: string }[]
  // POST /users - body is typed  const createRes = await client.users.$post({    json: {      name: 'Bob',      email: '[email protected]'    }  })  const created = await createRes.json()  // created: { id: string; name: string; email: string }
  // GET /users/:id - params are typed  const userRes = await client.users[':id'].$get({    param: { id: '123' }  })  const user = await userRes.json()  // user: { id: string; name: string }}

Route Chaining for Type Export

Important: Chain routes for proper type inference:

typescript
// CORRECT: Chain all routesconst route = app  .get('/a', handlerA)  .post('/b', handlerB)  .get('/c', handlerC)
export type AppType = typeof route
// WRONG: Separate statements lose type infoapp.get('/a', handlerA)app.post('/b', handlerB)  // Types lost!
export type AppType = typeof app  // Missing routes!

Request Patterns

Path Parameters

typescript
// Serverconst route = app.get('/posts/:postId/comments/:commentId', async (c) => {  const { postId, commentId } = c.req.param()  return c.json({ postId, commentId })})
// Clientconst res = await client.posts[':postId'].comments[':commentId'].$get({  param: {    postId: '1',    commentId: '42'  }})

Query Parameters

typescript
// Serverconst route = app.get(  '/search',  zValidator('query', z.object({    q: z.string(),    page: z.coerce.number().optional(),    limit: z.coerce.number().optional()  })),  async (c) => {    const { q, page, limit } = c.req.valid('query')    return c.json({ query: q, page, limit })  })
// Clientconst res = await client.search.$get({  query: {    q: 'typescript',    page: 1,    limit: 20  }})

JSON Body

typescript
// Serverconst route = app.post(  '/posts',  zValidator('json', z.object({    title: z.string(),    content: z.string(),    tags: z.array(z.string()).optional()  })),  async (c) => {    const data = c.req.valid('json')    return c.json({ id: '1', ...data }, 201)  })
// Clientconst res = await client.posts.$post({  json: {    title: 'Hello World',    content: 'My first post',    tags: ['typescript', 'hono']  }})

Form Data

typescript
// Serverconst route = app.post(  '/upload',  zValidator('form', z.object({    file: z.instanceof(File),    description: z.string().optional()  })),  async (c) => {    const { file, description } = c.req.valid('form')    return c.json({ filename: file.name })  })
// Clientconst formData = new FormData()formData.append('file', file)formData.append('description', 'My file')
const res = await client.upload.$post({  form: formData})

Headers

typescript
// Serverconst route = app.get(  '/protected',  zValidator('header', z.object({    authorization: z.string()  })),  async (c) => {    return c.json({ authenticated: true })  })
// Clientconst res = await client.protected.$get({  header: {    authorization: 'Bearer token123'  }})

Response Type Inference

Status Code-Aware Types

typescript
// Serverconst route = app.get('/user', async (c) => {  const user = await getUser()
  if (!user) {    return c.json({ error: 'Not found' }, 404)  }
  return c.json({ id: user.id, name: user.name }, 200)})
// Client - use InferResponseTypeimport { InferResponseType } from 'hono/client'
type SuccessResponse = InferResponseType<typeof client.user.$get, 200>// { id: string; name: string }
type ErrorResponse = InferResponseType<typeof client.user.$get, 404>// { error: string }
// Handle different status codesconst res = await client.user.$get()
if (res.status === 200) {  const data = await res.json()  // data: { id: string; name: string }} else if (res.status === 404) {  const error = await res.json()  // error: { error: string }}

Request Type Inference

typescript
import { InferRequestType } from 'hono/client'
type CreateUserRequest = InferRequestType<typeof client.users.$post>['json']// { name: string; email: string }
// Use for form validation, state management, etc.const [formData, setFormData] = useState<CreateUserRequest>({  name: '',  email: ''})

Multi-File Route Organization

Organize Routes

typescript
// server/routes/users.tsimport { Hono } from 'hono'
export const users = new Hono()  .get('/', async (c) => c.json({ users: [] }))  .post('/', async (c) => c.json({ created: true }, 201))  .get('/:id', async (c) => c.json({ id: c.req.param('id') }))
// server/routes/posts.tsexport const posts = new Hono()  .get('/', async (c) => c.json({ posts: [] }))  .post('/', async (c) => c.json({ created: true }, 201))
// server/index.tsimport { Hono } from 'hono'import { users } from './routes/users'import { posts } from './routes/posts'
const app = new Hono()
const route = app  .route('/users', users)  .route('/posts', posts)
export type AppType = typeof routeexport default app

Client Usage

typescript
import { hc } from 'hono/client'import type { AppType } from '../server'
const client = hc<AppType>('http://localhost:3000')
// Routes are nestedawait client.users.$get()         // GET /usersawait client.users[':id'].$get()  // GET /users/:idawait client.posts.$get()         // GET /posts

Error Handling

Handle Fetch Errors

typescript
async function fetchUser(id: string) {  try {    const res = await client.users[':id'].$get({      param: { id }    })
    if (!res.ok) {      const error = await res.json()      throw new Error(error.message || 'Failed to fetch user')    }
    return await res.json()  } catch (error) {    if (error instanceof TypeError) {      // Network error      throw new Error('Network error')    }    throw error  }}

Type-Safe Error Responses

typescript
// Serverconst route = app.get('/resource', async (c) => {  try {    const data = await fetchData()    return c.json({ success: true, data })  } catch (e) {    return c.json({ success: false, error: 'Failed' }, 500)  }})
// Clienttype ApiResponse<T> =  | { success: true; data: T }  | { success: false; error: string }
const res = await client.resource.$get()const result: ApiResponse<DataType> = await res.json()
if (result.success) {  console.log(result.data)  // Typed!} else {  console.error(result.error)}

Configuration Options

Custom Fetch

typescript
const client = hc<AppType>('http://localhost:3000', {  // Custom fetch (for testing, logging, etc.)  fetch: async (input, init) => {    console.log('Fetching:', input)    return fetch(input, init)  }})

Default Headers

typescript
const client = hc<AppType>('http://localhost:3000', {  headers: {    'Authorization': 'Bearer token',    'X-Custom-Header': 'value'  }})

Dynamic Headers

typescript
const getClient = (token: string) =>  hc<AppType>('http://localhost:3000', {    headers: () => ({      'Authorization': `Bearer ${token}`    })  })
// Or with a function that returns headersconst client = hc<AppType>('http://localhost:3000', {  headers: () => {    const token = getAuthToken()    return token ? { 'Authorization': `Bearer ${token}` } : {}  }})

Best Practices

1. Enable Strict Mode

json
// tsconfig.json{  "compilerOptions": {    "strict": true  // Required for proper type inference!  }}

2. Use Explicit Status Codes

typescript
// CORRECT: Explicit status enables type discriminationreturn c.json({ data }, 200)return c.json({ error: 'Not found' }, 404)
// AVOID: c.notFound() doesn't work well with RPCreturn c.notFound()  // Response type is not properly inferred

3. Split Large Apps

typescript
// For large apps, split routes to reduce IDE overheadconst v1 = new Hono()  .route('/users', usersRoute)  .route('/posts', postsRoute)
const v2 = new Hono()  .route('/users', usersV2Route)
// Export separate typesexport type V1Type = typeof v1export type V2Type = typeof v2

4. Consistent Response Shapes

typescript
// Define standard response wrappertype ApiSuccess<T> = { ok: true; data: T }type ApiError = { ok: false; error: string; code?: string }type ApiResponse<T> = ApiSuccess<T> | ApiError
// Use consistentlyconst route = app.get('/users/:id', async (c) => {  const user = await findUser(c.req.param('id'))
  if (!user) {    return c.json({ ok: false, error: 'User not found' } as ApiError, 404)  }
  return c.json({ ok: true, data: user } as ApiSuccess<User>, 200)})

Quick Reference

Client Methods

HTTP MethodClient Method
GETclient.path.$get()
POSTclient.path.$post()
PUTclient.path.$put()
DELETEclient.path.$delete()
PATCHclient.path.$patch()

Request Options

typescript
client.path.$method({  param: { id: '1' },           // Path parameters  query: { page: 1 },           // Query parameters  json: { name: 'Alice' },      // JSON body  form: formData,               // Form data  header: { 'X-Custom': 'v' }   // Headers})

Type Utilities

typescript
import { InferRequestType, InferResponseType } from 'hono/client'
// Extract request typetype ReqType = InferRequestType<typeof client.users.$post>
// Extract response type by statustype Res200 = InferResponseType<typeof client.users.$get, 200>type Res404 = InferResponseType<typeof client.users.$get, 404>

Related Skills

  • hono-core - Framework fundamentals
  • hono-validation - Request validation
  • typescript-core - TypeScript patterns

Version: Hono 4.x Last Updated: January 2025 License: MIT

Source and attribution

Source:bobmatnyc/claude-mpm-skillsintoolchains/javascript/frameworks/hono/hono-rpcat commit718070a

License: No license

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