Factorial Code — JavaScript

Guidelines for writing JavaScript that runs on Factorial Code. Runtime is Node.js v22. For the platform model (processes, modules, datastore) see fcode-core-concepts.

Gotchas

• Always export main: module.exports = { main }. Without it the process

won't run.

• Never call main() yourself — Factorial Code invokes it.
• fcode.import() names must be hardcoded string literals, never variables:

fcode.import("shopify-client") ✅, fcode.import(name) ❌.

• Never alias fcode.i18n — call it literally (fcode.i18n("key") ✅,

const t = fcode.i18n ❌): an aliased call throws "i18n is disabled" at runtime. See fcode-i18n.

• Datastore stores only strings/numbers — JSON.stringify objects before

set, parse after get.

• Use async/await for all async work; wrap the main flow in try/catch, log

the caught error with context via fcode-logs (see Logging), and throw actionable errors. Use const/let, never var.

• Never hardcode or log secrets — read them from process.env.

Process template

async function main() {
  const { parameters } = fcode.context;

  // Your code here

  return { message: "Success!" };
}

module.exports = { main };

Helpers

// Execution / process / schedule metadata
const { id, comment } = fcode.execution;
const { id: processId, name: processName } = fcode.execution.process;
const { id: scheduleId } = fcode.execution.schedule; // when run from a schedule
const timezone = fcode.execution.timezone;

// Workspace (team) metadata
const teamSlug = fcode.team.slug;

// Environment variables (secrets/config)
const apiKey = process.env.API_KEY; // or fcode.env.API_KEY

// Import a Factorial Code module (hardcoded name only)
const { myFunc } = fcode.import("module-name");
const { myFunc: v1 } = fcode.import("module-name", "v1.0.0"); // pinned version tag or alias

// Run another process
await fcode.processes.run("process-identifier", options);

// Translations (workspace locales — see fcode-i18n)
const greeting = fcode.i18n("greetings.hello", { name: "Ada" }); // %{name} filled in
fcode.i18n("greetings.hello", { name: "Ada" }, { locale: "es" }); // another locale, this lookup only (value may be dynamic)
const locale = fcode.i18n.locale; // the execution's locale

Logging

Log through the shared fcode-logs module — level-gated logging inherited by every workspace. It reads the LOG_LEVEL team variable (debug | info | warn | error, default info) and forwards to the matching console.*, so call sites read like bare console calls:

const log = fcode.import("fcode-logs");

log.info("sync started", { processSlug }); // console.log  when LOG_LEVEL ≤ info
log.debug({ requestPayload });              // console.debug only when LOG_LEVEL=debug
log.warn("token missing — skipping");       // console.warn  when LOG_LEVEL ≤ warn
log.error("sync failed", err.message);       // console.error — always emitted

Be verbose — the logging policy (start/end, external calls and decisions at info; payloads at debug; always log inside catch with context before re-throwing) is in fcode-core-concepts §General rules. Set LOG_LEVEL=debug in a local or dev workspace to trace a full run; production stays at info. Never log secrets.

Dependencies

External npm packages install automatically — just require them. When the import name differs from the package name, declare it with @add-package:

// @add-package axios
const axios = require("axios");

Packages a parent workspace provides are already installed here — don't redeclare them (see fcode-core-concepts).

Datastore & storage

// Datastore (strings/numbers only)
await fcode.datastore.set("key", "value");
await fcode.datastore.set("key", JSON.stringify({ name: "John", age: 30 }));
const value = await fcode.datastore.get("key");
await fcode.datastore.del("key");

// Storage (files)
const fs = require("node:fs");
const path = require("node:path");
const localPath = path.join(process.env.TMP_DATA_DIR, "localfile.txt");

await fcode.storage.upload("path/myfile.txt", fs.createReadStream(localPath));
const files = await fcode.storage.list();
const stream = await fcode.storage.download("path/myfile.txt");
stream.pipe(fs.createWriteStream(localPath));
// Form file params arrive as "fcode.storage://…" references — strip the
// prefix before download; see fcode-forms.
// Signed download URL — { url, expiresAt }. A real HTTPS link in the cloud,
// a file:// URL locally (same shape, no special-casing).
const signed = await fcode.storage.createSignedUrl("path/myfile.txt");
await fcode.storage.delete("path/myfile.txt");

Local disk: write temp files under process.env.TMPDATADIR.

Variables & schedules

Read/write team variables and manage process schedules at runtime — scoped to your own team, no API token needed (like datastore/storage):

// Team variables (config/secrets)
// Default is SENSITIVE: fcode.variables.set(key, value) creates a sensitive
// (masked, immutable-sensitivity) variable. Pass { sensitive: false } for
// plain config values.
await fcode.variables.set("API_KEY", "secret"); // sensitive by default
await fcode.variables.set("BASE_URL", "https://api.acme.com", {
  sensitive: false, // required for non-secret config
});
const v = await fcode.variables.get("API_KEY"); // { key, value, resolvingTeamSlug, ... } or undefined
const all = await fcode.variables.list();       // includes variables inherited from parents
await fcode.variables.delete("API_KEY");        // no-op on an inherited variable

// Schedules (cron or one-off dateTime) for a process
const schedule = await fcode.schedule.create("my-process", {
  cron: "0 0 6 * * SUN", // or: dateTime: "2026-04-24T12:30:00.000"
  input: { parameters: { foo: "bar" } },
  allowConcurrentExecutions: false, // optional
});
const schedules = await fcode.schedule.list({
  processId: fcode.execution.process.id,
});
const current = await fcode.schedule.get(schedule.id);
await fcode.schedule.update(schedule.id, { cron: "0 0 7 * * SUN" });
await fcode.schedule.pause(schedule.id);
await fcode.schedule.resume(schedule.id);
await fcode.schedule.delete(schedule.id);
// delete every schedule for a process (pass the process UUID)
await fcode.schedule.deleteForProcess(fcode.execution.process.id);

fcode.variables.set/delete only persist server-side; they are not reflected in fcode.env within the same run (fcode.env is a snapshot taken at start).

Inherited variables

list()/get() include variables inherited from parent workspaces (model in fcode-core-concepts); an inherited one carries resolvingTeamSlug naming its owner. set() on an inherited key creates an override in this workspace — the only way to change the value from here — and delete() on one is a silent no-op, so an uninstall process never removes a parent's credential (check resolvingTeamSlug if it must report what it actually removed). fcode.env.setEnvVar / delEnvVar behave the same way.

Sending email

Send email with the built-in fcode.sendMail — no SMTP setup required (model in fcode-core-concepts):

const info = await fcode.sendMail({
  to: "[email protected]", // string or string[]
  subject: "Report ready",
  text: "Plain-text body", // provide text, html, or both
  html: "<b>HTML body</b>",
});
// info => { messageId, accepted, rejected }

• The From address is fixed by the platform; a from you pass is ignored.
• Each execution can send up to 3 emails by default; once the limit is reached, further calls throw.
• Locally (fcode run) there is no manager, so the email is logged, not sent.

Return values

// Standard
return { message: "Success!" };

// Custom HTTP status (webhooks)
return { status: 404, body: { message: "Not found" }, headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" } };

// Transient (not persisted in execution results)
return { transient: true, data: sensitiveData };

// Synchronous UI trigger button inside Factorial (see fcode-ui-triggers)
return { data: { synced: 42 } };
return { errors: [{ code: "missing_mapping", message: "Map the Bonus concept first." }] };