--- title: "Quick Start Guide" url: https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/getting-started/quick-start-guide/ description: "The Quick Start Guide teaches you the basics of developing an application or a microservice in Catalyst and familiarizes you with setting up your work environment in under ten minutes" last_updated: 2024-09-12T12:46:13Z service: All Services type: general --- # Quick Start Guide This quick start guide will familiarize you with setting up the Catalyst work environment in under ten minutes. With this guide, you can quickly learn the basic steps involved in developing a Catalyst application in a generic way, with the most popular services. **You can access detailed step-by-step tutorials on building applications and microservices involving different Catalyst services and components from [the Tutorials section](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/tutorials/).** **[Access all Catalyst resources](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/)** and check out the various help resources available. > **Note:** Refer to the links provided in this guide for detailed help on various topics.
### Prerequisites 1. [Node.js and NPM](https://nodejs.org/en/download/) for your platform to install Catalyst CLI and to develop Node.js functions 2. [Java SE Development Kit](https://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/index.html) to develop Java functions 3. [Python](https://www.python.org/) for your platform to develop Python functions 4. Any IDE tool for coding the [client](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/cli/v1/project-directory-structure/client-directory/), [functions](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/cli/v1/project-directory-structure/functions-directory/), or [AppSail](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/serverless/help/appsail/introduction/). ### Step 1: Create a Catalyst project The first step in developing a Catalyst application is to [create a Catalyst project](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/getting-started/catalyst-projects/) for it. 1. Log in to the Catalyst console and click **Create a new Project**. 2. Enter the project's name in the pop-up window. 3. Click **Access Project** to open it. You can now set up and work with the Catalyst services and components from the console. Refer to each service's index page from the [help resources](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/) to learn about it and the components in detail. ### Step 2: Install Catalyst CLI [Install Catalyst CLI](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/getting-started/installing-catalyst-cli/) to develop, test, and deploy Catalyst applications from your local system. Execute this command in your terminal: ```sh npm install -g zcatalyst-cli ``` Execute this command to verify if the CLI is properly installed: ```sh catalyst --version ``` > **Note:** If you are unable to install Catalyst CLI, execute the install command using `sudo`. You will now be able to access the `catalyst` command from your terminal. Refer to the [**CLI help resources**](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/cli/v1/cli-command-reference/) for detailed help with the CLI commands and actions. ### Step 3: Log in from your CLI 1. Execute this command to [log in to your Zoho account](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/cli/v1/login/login-from-cli/) from the CLI: ```sh catalyst login ``` 2. Press **Y** to allow Catalyst to collect CLI error reports and press **Enter**. 3. Sign in using your credentials in the Zoho accounts login page. 4. Click **Accept** to provide data access permissions to the CLI. 5. Close the browser window and continue using the CLI in your terminal. ### Step 4: Initialize the project from the CLI 1. Create a folder for the project on your local machine and navigate to it from the terminal. 2. Execute this command from that directory to [initialize a Catalyst project](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/cli/v1/initialize-resources/introduction/) in it: ```sh catalyst init ``` > **Note:** The first Catalyst project can only be created from the web console, and not from the CLI. However, you can create subsequent projects directly from the CLI. 3. Select the components that you need to set up for your Catalyst application and press **Enter**. You can initialize Serverless [functions](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/serverless/help/functions/introduction/) and CloudScale client. > **Note:** You can also initialize Serverless [AppSail](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/serverless/help/appsail/introduction/) and deploy your app's build files onto the PaaS. 4. Associate the directory with a Catalyst project by selecting a project from the list and press **Enter**. 5. If you initialize a function, select a function type and the stack, and press **Enter**. * If you initialize a Java function, provide the reference name and the main class name, then install the Catalyst Java SDK package. * If you initialize a Node.js function, provide the values for the package name, the entry point file name, and the author's email address. Install the dependencies when prompted. * If you initialize a Python function, provide the values for the package name and the entry point file name. 6. If you initialize the client, provide a name for the client package. The components will be installed and the project directory will be set up with the necessary dependencies and configuration. Refer to the [standard project directory structure help page](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/cli/v1/project-directory-structure/introduction/) for details. ### Step 5: Develop the application You can now work with the components you initialized in your Catalyst project and use any IDE tool of your choice to code the functions or the client. Refer to the following help documentations for detailed help on working with the Catalyst SDK and API resources, and incorporating Catalyst components in your business logic: * [Java SDK help documentation](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/sdk/java/v1/overview/) * [Node.js SDK help documentation](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/sdk/nodejs/v2/overview/) * [Python SDK help documentation](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/sdk/python/v1/overview/) * [Web SDK help documentation](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/sdk/web/v4/overview/) * [Android SDK help documentation](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/sdk/android/v2/overview/) * [iOS SDK help documentation](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/sdk/ios/v2/overview/) * [Flutter SDK help documentation](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/sdk/flutter/v2/overview/) * [API help documentation](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/api/introduction/overview-and-prerequisites/#OverviewandPrerequisites) ### Step 6: Test the application locally After you develop the Catalyst application or microservice, you can [test it locally](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/cli/v1/serve-resources/introduction/) from the CLI before deploying it to the Catalyst web console. Execute this command from your project directory: ```sh catalyst serve ``` > **Note:** You can also [launch an exclusive Node shell from the CLI](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/cli/v1/working-with-functions/functions-shell/) to test the functions. You can access the functions, client, and AppSail from its local URL displayed in the CLI, and test them. ### Step 7: Deploy the project After you test the application, you can [deploy it to the remote console](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/cli/v1/deploy-resources/introduction/) by executing this command from your project directory: ```sh catalyst deploy ``` Your application can now be accessed from its web app URL in the [Development environment](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/deployment-and-billing/environments/introduction/). To access the application in the Production environment, you must set up [Catalyst payments](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/deployment-and-billing/billing/introduction/) and [deploy the project to production](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/deployment-and-billing/environments/initial-deployment/). > **Note:** You can also host web applications directly from the console through [web client hosting](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/cloud-scale/help/web-client-hosting/introduction/) or [upload function bundles](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/serverless/help/functions/implementation/) in the console. You can host and distribute a mobile application using [Mobile Device Management](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/cloud-scale/help/mobile-device-management/introduction/). [**Access Tutorials**](https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/tutorials/) to try out some sample applications.