elasticsearch-js/docs/introduction.asciidoc

[[introduction]]
== Introduction

The official Node.js client for Elasticsearch.

=== Features
* One-to-one mapping with REST API.
* Generalized, pluggable architecture.
* Configurable, automatic discovery of cluster nodes.
* Persistent, Keep-Alive connections.
* Load balancing across all available nodes.
* Child client support.
* TypeScript support out of the box.

=== Install
[source,sh]
----
npm install @elastic/elasticsearch
----

=== Compatibility

The minimum supported version of Node.js is `v8`.

The library is compatible with all Elasticsearch versions since 5.x, and you should use the same major version of the Elasticsearch instance that you are using.

[%header,cols=2*] 
|===
|Elasticsearch Version
|Client Version

|`master`
|`master`

|`7.x`
|`7.x`

|`6.x`
|`6.x`

|`5.x`
|`5.x`
|===

To install a specific major of the client, run the following command:
----
npm install @elastic/elasticsearch@<major>
----

==== Browser

WARNING: There is no official support for the browser environment. It exposes your Elasticsearch instance to everyone, which could lead to security issues.
We recommend that you write a lightweight proxy that uses this client instead.

=== Quick start

First of all, require the client and initialize it:
[source,js]
----
const { Client } = require('@elastic/elasticsearch')
const client = new Client({ node: 'http://localhost:9200' })
----

You can use both the callback-style API and the promise-style API, both behave the same way.
[source,js]
----
// promise API
const result = await client.search({
  index: 'my-index',
  body: { foo: 'bar' }
})

// callback API
client.search({
  index: 'my-index',
  body: { foo: 'bar' }
}, (err, result) => {
  if (err) console.log(err)
})
----
The returned value of **every** API call is formed as follows:
[source,ts]
----
{
  body: object | boolean
  statusCode: number
  headers: object
  warnings: [string]
  meta: object
}
----

Let's see a complete example!
[source,js]
----
'use strict'

const { Client } = require('@elastic/elasticsearch')
const client = new Client({ node: 'http://localhost:9200' })

async function run () {
  // Let's start by indexing some data
  await client.index({
    index: 'game-of-thrones',
    // type: '_doc', // uncomment this line if you are using Elasticsearch ≤ 6
    body: {
      character: 'Ned Stark',
      quote: 'Winter is coming.'
    }
  })

  await client.index({
    index: 'game-of-thrones',
    // type: '_doc', // uncomment this line if you are using Elasticsearch ≤ 6
    body: {
      character: 'Daenerys Targaryen',
      quote: 'I am the blood of the dragon.'
    }
  })

  await client.index({
    index: 'game-of-thrones',
    // type: '_doc', // uncomment this line if you are using Elasticsearch ≤ 6
    body: {
      character: 'Tyrion Lannister',
      quote: 'A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone.'
    }
  })

  // here we are forcing an index refresh, otherwise we will not
  // get any result in the consequent search
  await client.indices.refresh({ index: 'game-of-thrones' })

  // Let's search!
  const { body } = await client.search({
    index: 'game-of-thrones',
    // type: '_doc', // uncomment this line if you are using Elasticsearch ≤ 6
    body: {
      query: {
        match: { quote: 'winter' }
      }
    }
  })

  console.log(body.hits.hits)
}

run().catch(console.log)
----

==== Install multiple versions
If you are using multiple versions of Elasticsearch, you need to use multiple versions of the client. +
In the past, install multiple versions of the same package was not possible, but with `npm v6.9`, you can do that via aliasing.

The command you must run to install different version of the client is:

[source,sh]
----
npm install <alias>@npm:@elastic/elasticsearch@<version>
----

So for example if you need to install `7.x` and `6.x`, you will run
[source,sh]
----
npm install es6@npm:@elastic/elasticsearch@6
npm install es7@npm:@elastic/elasticsearch@7
----

And your `package.json` will look like the following:
[source,json]
----
"dependencies": {
  "es6": "npm:@elastic/elasticsearch@^6.7.0",
  "es7": "npm:@elastic/elasticsearch@^7.0.0"
}
----

You will require the packages from your code by using the alias you have defined.

[source,js]
----
const { Client: Client6 } = require('es6')
const { Client: Client7 } = require('es7')

const client6 = new Client6({ node: 'http://localhost:9200' })
const client7 = new Client7({ node: 'http://localhost:9201' })

client6.info(console.log)
client7.info(console.log)
----

Finally, if you want to install the client for the next version of Elasticsearch (the one that lives in Elasticsearch's master branch), you can use the following command:
[source,sh]
----
npm install esmaster@github:elastic/elasticsearch-js
----
WARNING: This command will install the master branch of the client, which is not considered stable.