camel-lite

An Apache Camel-inspired integration framework for pure JavaScript — Enterprise Integration Patterns, component-based routing, and a Spring Boot-style auto-configuration starter, all in ES modules with no TypeScript and no build step required.

Why

Apache Camel is the gold standard for integration patterns in the Java ecosystem. If you want those same patterns in a pure JavaScript project — with no Java, no TypeScript, no build step, and no runtime dependencies beyond the Node.js standard library — camel-lite fills that gap.

It runs in Node.js 22+ as pure ESM. The boot starters bring it into the @alt-javascript/boot CDI ecosystem, giving you the same configuration-driven auto-wiring that Spring Boot provides for Camel in the Java world.

Quick Start

npm install @alt-javascript/camel-lite-core @alt-javascript/camel-lite-component-direct @alt-javascript/camel-lite-component-log

import { CamelContext, RouteBuilder } from '@alt-javascript/camel-lite-core';
import { DirectComponent } from '@alt-javascript/camel-lite-component-direct';
import { LogComponent } from '@alt-javascript/camel-lite-component-log';
import { ProducerTemplate } from '@alt-javascript/camel-lite-core';

const context = new CamelContext();
context.addComponent('direct', new DirectComponent());
context.addComponent('log', new LogComponent());

const builder = new RouteBuilder();
builder.from('direct:greet')
  .setBody(() => exchange => `Hello, ${exchange.in.body}!`)
  .to('log:greet');

context.addRoutes(builder);
await context.start();

const pt = new ProducerTemplate(context);
await pt.sendBody('direct:greet', 'world');  // logs: Hello, world!

await context.stop();

With boot starter

npm install @alt-javascript/boot-camel-lite-starter @alt-javascript/boot @alt-javascript/cdi @alt-javascript/config

import { camelLiteStarter } from '@alt-javascript/boot-camel-lite-starter';
import { EphemeralConfig } from '@alt-javascript/config';

const { applicationContext } = await camelLiteStarter({
  config: new EphemeralConfig({
    boot: {
      'camel-lite': {
        routes: [{
          definition: {
            route: {
              from: { uri: 'direct:hello', steps: [{ log: { simple: '${body}' } }] }
            }
          }
        }]
      }
    }
  })
});

const ctx = applicationContext.get('camelLiteContext');
await ctx.ready();

const pt = applicationContext.get('camelProducerTemplate');
await pt.sendBody('direct:hello', 'world');

CLI

npm install -g @alt-javascript/camel-lite-cli

camel-lite -r route.yaml -i '{"name":"world"}'        # inject a message
camel-lite -r route.yaml -i body --exchange-pattern InOut  # request-reply
camel-lite -r route.yaml -p direct:ep -i body         # send to specific URI
camel-lite -r route.yaml -c seda:results              # consume and print
camel-lite -l json -r route.yaml                      # JSON log output
camel-lite -r route.yaml -d                           # daemon mode
camel-lite --verbose -r route.yaml                    # show framework logs
camel-lite --debug   -r route.yaml                    # full debug logs

Packages

Package	Description
camel-lite-core	Core framework: CamelContext, RouteBuilder, Exchange, Pipeline, ProducerTemplate, ConsumerTemplate, RouteLoader
camel-lite-component-direct	Synchronous in-process endpoint — direct:name
camel-lite-component-seda	Async in-process queue endpoint — seda:name?size=100&concurrentConsumers=2
camel-lite-component-log	Structured logging endpoint — log:loggerName?level=info
camel-lite-component-file	File read/write endpoint — file:/path?fileName=out.txt
camel-lite-component-http	HTTP producer endpoint — http://host/path?method=POST
camel-lite-component-ftp	FTP producer/consumer endpoint — ftp://host/dir?username=u&password=p
camel-lite-component-timer	Periodic trigger — timer:name?period=1000&delay=0&repeatCount=0
camel-lite-component-cron	Cron-scheduled trigger — cron:name?schedule=0 * * * * *
camel-lite-component-amqp	AMQP 1.0 and 0-9-1 messaging — amqp:queue:name?protocol=amqp10
camel-lite-component-sql	SQL query/update endpoint — sql:SELECT * FROM users?url=jsdbc:sqlite::memory:
camel-lite-component-nosql	NoSQL collection endpoint — nosql:collection?url=jsnosqlc:memory:&operation=insert
camel-lite-component-master	Leader election — master:service?backend=file|zookeeper|consul
camel-lite-cli	Command-line runtime — camel-lite -r route.yaml [-i body] [-p uri] [-c uri] [--exchange-pattern InOnly|InOut] [-d] [--verbose|--debug]
boot-camel-lite-starter	@alt-javascript/boot auto-configuration: core + direct/seda/log/file/http/ftp/timer/cron
boot-camel-lite-extras-starter	Boot auto-configuration: amqp/sql/nosql/master

Configuration

All components accept configuration via URI parameters. The boot starters additionally support @alt-javascript/config properties under the boot.camel-lite.* prefix:

boot:
  camel-lite:
    direct:
      enabled: true       # default: true for all bundled schemes
    seda:
      enabled: true
    routes:
      - definition:
          route:
            from:
              uri: direct:hello
              steps:
                - log:
                    simple: "${body}"

CDI RouteBuilder beans are auto-discovered — any CDI bean with a configure(camelContext) method is treated as a route builder.

License

MIT — see LICENSE.

Apache Camel Attribution

The design of camel-lite is modelled on Apache Camel.

Specific concepts ported from Apache Camel:

Apache Camel concept	camel-lite equivalent
CamelContext	CamelContext — component registry, route lifecycle, consumer map
Component / Endpoint / Producer / Consumer factory chain	Same three-tier factory chain — createEndpoint → createProducer / createConsumer
Exchange / Message (in/out)	Exchange / Message — same in/out pattern, headers, properties, exception
RouteBuilder / RouteDefinition	RouteBuilder / RouteDefinition — fluent DSL, from(...).process(...).to(...)
ProducerTemplate / ConsumerTemplate	ProducerTemplate / ConsumerTemplate — high-level send/receive APIs
Pipeline	Pipeline — sequential processor chain with error handling and redelivery
URI-based endpoint addressing	Same scheme: direct:name, seda:name?size=100, timer:tick?period=1000
direct: component (synchronous in-process)	camel-lite-component-direct
seda: component (async in-process queue)	camel-lite-component-seda
timer: component (periodic trigger)	camel-lite-component-timer
file: / ftp: / http: components	camel-lite-component-file / ftp / http
log: component	camel-lite-component-log
sql: component	camel-lite-component-sql (Node.js built-in node:sqlite)
amqp: component	camel-lite-component-amqp (AMQP 1.0 + 0-9-1)
NoSQL component	camel-lite-component-nosql (jsnosqlc)
master: component (leader election)	camel-lite-component-master (file, ZooKeeper, Consul backends)
Cron-triggered routes	camel-lite-component-cron (node-cron)
EIP: Message Filter	RouteDefinition.filter(predicate)
EIP: Content-Based Router	RouteDefinition.choice().when(...).otherwise()
EIP: Message Translator	RouteDefinition.transform(expr) / setBody(expr)
EIP: Splitter	RouteDefinition.split(expr)
EIP: Aggregator	RouteDefinition.aggregate(expr, strategy)
EIP: Dead Letter Channel	RouteDefinition.deadLetterChannel(uri)
Simple expression language	simple('${body}'), simple('${header.X}')
YAML/JSON route definitions	RouteLoader.loadFile() / loadString() / loadStream() / loadObject()
Spring Boot auto-configuration	boot-camel-lite-starter / boot-camel-lite-extras-starter

Apache Camel is copyright The Apache Software Foundation. camel-lite is an independent JavaScript port and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or associated with the Apache Software Foundation or the Apache Camel project.