docs/user-manual/modules/ROOT/pages/getting-started.adoc

= Getting Started

You can get started with Apache Camel in a variety of ways, such as:

- Using online Project generators
- Using the Camel CLI (command line)
- Using Camel Karavan (visual UI Camel designer)

And some more alternative methods:

- Adding Camel to an existing project
- Using IDE tooling wizards
- Using Maven Archetypes
- Cloning an existing example to modify


== Using online Project generators

You can use https://kameleon.dev/#/standalone[Camel Kameleon] which is Camel's own
online project generator. This generator is Camel focused only, which is recommended
for most Camel users.

You can also use https://start.spring.io/[Spring Boot Initializer] which is the Spring Boot
generator that also has Camel support. However, this generator does not allow users to have fine-grained control over which components, data formats, kamelets etc. they can use.

And there is https://code.quarkus.io/[Code with Quarkus], the Quarkus
generator, which has great support with Camel.


== Getting Started from command line (CLI)

Camel uses https://www.jbang.dev/[JBang] for the Camel CLI.
You can easily get up and running in a few steps.

*Step 1*

Open your favorite terminal and use JBang to install the Camel CLI.
You do not need to have Java installed first.

For Linux, macOS, and Windows (using WSL or bash compatible shell like Cygwin or MinGW)

[source,bash]
----
curl -Ls https://sh.jbang.dev | bash -s - trust add https://github.com/apache/
curl -Ls https://sh.jbang.dev | bash -s - app install --fresh --force camel@apache/camel
----

For Windows using Powershell

[source,shell script]
----
iex "& { $(iwr https://ps.jbang.dev) } trust add https://github.com/apache/"
iex "& { $(iwr https://ps.jbang.dev) } app install --fresh --force camel@apache/camel"
----

If it's your first time to install, you'll need to restart your shell.

*Step 2*

Create your first Camel integration

[source,bash]
----
camel init hello.java
----

*Step 3*

Run the Camel integration

[source,bash]
----
camel run hello.java
----

Bang the Camel integration is now running.
You can use `ctrl` + `c` to stop the integration.

*Step 4*

Camel makes it easy to change your code on the fly.
You can run in live coding mode, as shown:

[source,bash]
----
camel run hello.java --dev
----

While in live coding mode, whenever you save changes to `hello.java`, Camel will automatically load the updated version.

*Step 5*

Make sure to check out the xref:camel-jbang.adoc[Camel JBang] documentation, for more details on the powers
of the Camel CLI. You will also find information how you can _export_ what you have built
with the Camel CLI into a vanilla Camel Spring Boot or Camel Quarkus project.

== Getting started with Camel using Karavan

The https://github.com/apache/camel-karavan[Camel Karavan] is a toolkit for visually
designing Camel integrations, it is fully integrated with xref:camel-jbang.adoc[Camel JBang]
which allows users to easily try Camel while using the designer.

== Alternative ways of getting started with Camel

=== Adding Camel to an existing project

You can add Camel to any Java project, such as adding the necessary Camel dependencies
to the project build files (Maven or Gradle).

=== Using IDE tooling wizards

Some IDEs have wizards for creating new projects, of which, some have support for
Apache Camel via Spring Boot Initializer or Code with Quarkus.

=== Using Maven Archetypes

Apache Camel comes with a set of xref:camel-maven-archetypes.adoc[Camel Maven Archetypes],
you can use to create a new Camel project.

=== Cloning an existing example to modify

There are tons of Camel examples hosted on Github that you can clone and modify,
such as https://github.com/apache/camel-spring-boot-examples[Camel Spring Boot examples].