Mode

Modes define profiles for your Robo.js session. Each mode can have its own configuration files, environment variables, and code paths. You can also run multiple modes simultaneously.

Running a Mode

Use the --mode flag to activate a custom mode:

robo dev --mode <mode>

This makes Robo.js prioritize mode-specific files like .env.<mode> and robo.<mode>.js over the defaults.

Use Cases

A/B Testing

Test different configurations by running separate modes:

robo dev --mode expensive

A .env.expensive file could contain values like ECONOMY_MULTIPLIER="2" or ECONOMY_TAX="0.1".

AI Personalities

Run multiple chatbot personalities simultaneously:

robo dev --mode catgirl tsundere weirdo

Each mode uses a different .env.<mode> file with its own bot token and a custom ai.<mode>.mjs config file.

Beta Testing

Isolate beta features with a dedicated mode:

robo dev --mode beta

A .env.beta file can point to different tokens or feature flags.

Experimental Features

Run experimental code in a separate mode:

robo dev --mode gpt4

A .env.gpt4 file provides different tokens or API keys. A smart.gpt4 module folder can contain commands specific to this mode.

Secure Tokens

Enable additional security features only in production using mode-specific modules:

robo start

A security.production module folder can contain middleware for rate limiting or other production-only security features.

Staging Environments

Use a staging mode to test against different databases or services before deploying:

robo start --mode staging

A .env.staging file points to staging databases and services.

File Conventions

The following Robo.js features support modes:

• Environment variable files (.env.<mode>)
• Robo config files (robo.<mode>.js)
• Plugin config files (pluginname.<mode>.js)
• Module folders (module.<mode>)

When a mode is active, Robo.js prioritizes mode-specific files over defaults:

If a mode-specific file does not exist, the default file is used.

Mode-Specific Modules

Create modules that only load when a specific mode is active by adding a .<mode> suffix to the module folder name:

The rate-limiting.ts middleware loads only when the production mode is active. During robo dev, it is skipped entirely.

This pattern also works for slash commands and other features, allowing entire feature sets to be gated behind a mode.

Default Modes

A mode is always active. The dev command uses development mode, and the start command uses production mode. If a NODE_ENV environment variable is set, that value is used instead.

# Mode: development
robo dev

# Mode: production
robo start

# Mode: beta
NODE_ENV=beta robo dev

Since a mode is always set, you can use files like .env.development for development-specific values by default.

Multiple Modes

Run multiple modes simultaneously by listing them after the --mode flag:

robo dev --mode <mode1> <mode2> <mode3>

Each mode runs in a separate process. Logs are prefixed with the mode name for identification.

JavaScript API

The Mode object provides runtime access to the current mode:

import { logger, Mode } from 'robo.js'

export default () => {
	if (Mode.is('development')) {
		logger.info('This mode is being', Mode.color('tested'))
	}

	return `Running in ${Mode.get()} mode!`
}

import { logger, Mode } from 'robo.js'

export default () => {
	if (Mode.is('development')) {
		logger.info('This mode is being', Mode.color('tested'))
	}

	return `Running in ${Mode.get()} mode!`
}

Next Steps