Quick Start Guide
Graftcode Quick Start Guide
Hands-on tutorials that take you from zero to working Graftcode integration - each one self-contained, each completable in minutes.
What is Graftcode?
Graftcode lets you connect frontends, backends, and services without writing APIs, generating SDKs, or maintaining client layers.
Instead, you:
- Write public methods in your language of choice.
- Run them on Graftcode Gateway - it discovers and exposes your methods automatically.
- Install a strongly-typed client (called a Graft) in any other app using a regular package manager command.
- Call remote methods as if they were local code.
Behind the scenes, communication is handled through Graftcode's Hypertube protocol - native runtime integration with binary messaging. No REST, no gRPC, no generated wrappers. In benchmarks, it processes calls up to 70% faster than traditional web services and uses a fraction of the CPU compared to REST or gRPC.
On top of that, Graftcode also:
- Exposes MCP automatically - every hosted service gets a Model Context Protocol endpoint out of the box, so AI agents can call your methods directly. If your project already has a REST API, it stays intact - Graftcode adds this new layer alongside it.
- Lets you use modules from any language - install a module from Python, Java, .NET, or JavaScript into any project through your package manager and call it like a native import.
- Switches between monolith and microservices - run a module in-process or as a remote service, and move between the two by changing one configuration value. No rewrite, no new clients, no new endpoints.
Note
Watch the short intro video to see Graftcode in action:
Tutorials
Each tutorial is self-contained - pick the scenario that interests you and follow it from start to finish. No previous tutorial is required. Every tutorial is available in multiple languages - choose the one that matches your stack.
| # | Tutorial | What you'll do | Languages |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connect Frontend to Backend | Call a live backend service from a React app using a Graft - no REST client, no DTOs. | React |
| 2 | Expose a Backend Service | Turn a class or module into a remotely callable service with Graftcode Gateway and Docker. | JavaScript · .NET · Python · Java |
| 3 | Connect Microservices | Connect one backend service to another by installing a Graft and calling remote methods like local code. | JavaScript · .NET · Python · Java |
| 4 | Use Modules from Any Technology | Use a module from another language directly in your service - no REST wrapper, no rewrite. | JavaScript · .NET · Python · Java |
| 5 | Expose MCP for AI | Make your service callable by AI agents through the Model Context Protocol. | JavaScript · .NET · Python · Java |
| 6 | Switch Between Monolith and Microservices | Run a module in-process, then extract it as a separate microservice - by changing one config value. | JavaScript · .NET · Python · Java |
Prerequisites
All tutorials require:
- Docker installed and running
- No Graftcode account needed - everything works locally out of the box
Depending on the language you choose, you'll also need one of:
- Node.js - for JavaScript / React tutorials
- .NET SDK - for .NET tutorials
- Python - for Python tutorials
- JDK 21 and Maven - for Java tutorials
Learn More
- graftcode.com - product overview, features, and how-it-works walkthrough
- Graftcode Academy - full documentation covering core concepts, integration patterns, security, and performance
Note
Ready? Pick a tutorial above and start building.