Cookbooks
Elixir
Chapter 1. Getting Started
Starting a new project

Elixir:
Starting a new project

How to:

To create a new project, use the mix new command:

$ mix new my_app

You’ll see something like this:

* creating README.md
* creating .formatter.exs
* creating .gitignore
* creating mix.exs
* creating lib
* creating lib/my_app.ex
* creating test
* creating test/test_helper.exs
* creating test/my_app_test.exs

Head into your new project directory:

$ cd my_app

Now, you can run your project or its tests:

Run your project:

$ iex -S mix

Test it:

$ mix test

Deep Dive

Elixir’s build tool, Mix, came from a desire to provide a reliable and unified way to create, configure, and manage projects. It’s influenced by tools from other ecosystems, like Ruby’s Bundler and Rake. Mix brings dependency management and task automation into Elixir’s toolbelt. Its alternatives in other languages might be npm for Node.js or Maven for Java. However, Mix is tailored to the Elixir runtime and integrated with its idiomatic patterns. The mix new command scaffolds a conventional structure with predefined directories and files, such as configuration files, module definitions, and test suites. Following conventions is key in Elixir; it encourages code consistency and readability across Elixir projects.

See Also