# Setup

A few steps are required before you can start using Kontrl.

## Install the plugin

```
npm install kontrl
```

## Create an app

1. **Log in** to kontrl at [https://kontrlpanel.com](https://kontrlpanel.com/)
2. If you haven't already **create an app**.
3. Grab your **"Development token"** from the app settings.

## Connect

To connect your application add the following code to your application.

```js
// Require the kontrl library
const kontrl = require("kontrl");

// settings go here

kontrl.connect("YOUR_DEVELOPMENT_TOKEN");
```

## Start your application

Once you've followed these steps you can **start** your application.
The Kontrl plugin will then print the url to which you can
connect **in the console**.

## Production mode

Once you're ready to deploy your application you can **swap out** your
development token for your **live token**.

When you use your live token, Kontrl will assume the application is **running in production** meaning you can see and manage the running instances on [https://kontrlpanel.com](https://kontrlpanel.com).

```js
kontrl.connect("YOUR_LIVE_TOKEN");
```

When you are in **live mode** you will not get a url to connect to in the console for obvious security reasons.

Instead you can view your app by **logging in** to [https://kontrlpanel.com](https://kontrlpanel.com) and choosing the right app.

## Staging mode

The **Start-up** and **Business** plans have access to a separate **staging environment**.
This is an environment with a **seperate url** from the production environment.

To start an app in staging mode, go to your **app settings** page and copy the **staging token**.

Then just use it with kontrl.connect()

```js
Kontrl.connect("YOUR_STAGING_TOKEN")
```

## Development mode

There is a special environment for development.
To start using the development environment, go to the **app settings** page and take a **development token**.

You can then use kontrl.connect()

```js
kontrl.connect("YOUR_DEV_TOKEN")
```

Once you start your app, a **URL** will get printed in the **console**.
You can use this **url to visit your app** in development, as well as **send it to other people** to look at.

This will **not change anything** about your **production or staging** environment.

## Security

We suggest adding your **development token** and your **live token** as an **environment variable**.

```js
kontrl.connect(process.env.KONTRL_TOKEN);
```

You can then use something like [dotenv](https://www.npmjs.com/package/dotenv) to store your development token.

## File structure

We suggest putting your kontrl setup in a **different file** from the rest of your application.

Here is a suggestion on how to get that done.

```js 
// admin.js

const kontrl = require("kontrl");

module.exports = () => {

  // Kontrl setup
  
  kontrl.connect("YOUR_TOKEN");
}
```

This file can then be imported somewhere else.

```js
// index.js

const admin = require("admin.js")
admin();
```