Installation

Install WAX for Python or TypeScript and start building on Hive

WAX is available for both Python and TypeScript. Choose your preferred language and follow the installation steps below.

Python

Prerequisites

Before installing WAX for Python, ensure you have:

• Python 3.12 or higher (3.14+ recommended)
• pip or Poetry package manager

We recommend using Poetry for Python dependency management. Install it with:

curl -sSL https://install.python-poetry.org | python3 - --version 2.1.3

Install WAX

1. Create a virtual environment

   It’s recommended to use a virtual environment for your project:

   python3 -m venv venv
   source ./venv/bin/activate
   
2. Set registry environment variables

   Configure pip to use the WAX package registry:

   export FIRST_INDEX="https://gitlab.syncad.com/api/v4/projects/362/packages/pypi/simple"
   export SECOND_INDEX="https://gitlab.syncad.com/api/v4/projects/434/packages/pypi/simple"
   export THIRD_INDEX="https://gitlab.syncad.com/api/v4/projects/198/packages/pypi/simple"
   
3. Install the package

   Install WAX using pip:

   python3 -m pip install \
     --index-url $FIRST_INDEX \
     --extra-index-url $SECOND_INDEX \
     --extra-index-url $THIRD_INDEX \
     hiveio-wax
   

   Or with Poetry:

   poetry add hiveio-wax
   
4. Verify installation

   Test that WAX is installed correctly:

   from wax import create_wax_foundation
   
   wax = create_wax_foundation()
   print(wax.hive(5))  # Output: HIVE in NAI format
   

Installing Beekeeper (optional)

For transaction signing, you’ll need a wallet integration. The recommended option is Beekeeper:

pip install beekeepy

Beekeeper provides a secure in-memory wallet for managing private keys.

Dependencies

WAX for Python includes the following key dependencies:

• protobuf - Protocol buffer support
• httpx - Async HTTP client with HTTP/2
• loguru - Logging
• python-dateutil - Date utilities
• hiveio-api - Hive API definitions

These are installed automatically when you install WAX.

TypeScript

Prerequisites

Before installing WAX for TypeScript, ensure you have:

• Node.js 20.11 or higher (or Node.js 21.2+)
• npm or pnpm package manager

WAX works with various package managers, but we recommend pnpm for better performance and disk space efficiency.

Install WAX

1. Configure registry for development versions

   If you want to use development versions, configure npm to use the GitLab registry for @hiveio scope:

   echo @hiveio:registry=https://gitlab.syncad.com/api/v4/groups/136/-/packages/npm/ >> .npmrc
   

   Skip this step if you only need stable releases from npm.
2. Install the package

   Install WAX using your preferred package manager:

   npm

   npm install @hiveio/wax
   
3. Verify installation

   Create a test file to verify WAX is working:

   index.ts

   import { createWaxFoundation } from '@hiveio/wax';
   
   const wax = await createWaxFoundation();
   
   // Creates a representation of 5 HIVE coins in NAI format
   console.log(wax.hiveCoins(5));
   

   Run it with:

   node index.ts
   

Installing wallet signers (optional)

For transaction signing, you can install various wallet integrations:

Beekeeper

npm install @hiveio/beekeeper

Framework-specific setup

WAX works seamlessly with popular frameworks:

Next.js

No additional configuration needed. WAX automatically detects SSR environments.

import { createHiveChain } from '@hiveio/wax';

export default async function Home() {
  const chain = await createHiveChain();
  // Use chain in your component
}

React + Vite

WAX works out of the box with Vite:

import { createWaxFoundation } from '@hiveio/wax';

function App() {
  const [wax, setWax] = useState(null);

  useEffect(() => {
    createWaxFoundation().then(setWax);
  }, []);
}

Vue + Vite

Similar to React, no special configuration required:

import { createHiveChain } from '@hiveio/wax';

const chain = await createHiveChain();

Nuxt

WAX automatically handles Nuxt’s SSR environment:

import { createHiveChain } from '@hiveio/wax';

export default defineNuxtComponent({
  async setup() {
    const chain = await createHiveChain();
    return { chain };
  }
});

Webpack

WebAssembly is automatically handled by Webpack 5+. For older versions, you may need to configure WASM support.

Parcel

Parcel requires the Buffer polyfill:

npm install buffer

Environment detection

WAX automatically resolves to the correct version based on your environment:

• Web environments: Uses the web version with WASM
• Node.js: Uses the Node.js version with optimized imports
• SSR: Automatically handles server-side rendering scenarios

You don’t need to configure anything - it just works!

API definitions (optional)

WAX core is intentionally lightweight. Install API definitions as needed:

JSON-RPC API

npm install @hiveio/wax-api-jsonrpc

This modular approach keeps your bundle size small by only including the APIs you actually use.

Troubleshooting

Python: ModuleNotFoundError

If you get a ModuleNotFoundError, ensure:

1. Your virtual environment is activated
2. You’ve set the registry environment variables correctly
3. You’re using Python 3.12 or higher

TypeScript: Cannot find module

If imports fail, try:

1. Delete node_modules and reinstall: rm -rf node_modules && npm install
2. Ensure you’re using Node.js 20.11+ or 21.2+
3. Check that your bundler supports ESM modules

WASM loading errors

If you see WASM-related errors in the browser:

1. Check that your bundler is configured for WASM support
2. Ensure you’re serving the application over HTTP/HTTPS (not file://)
3. For Vite, make sure assets are being copied correctly

Next steps

Quick start guide

Learn how to create your first Hive transaction with WAX