Package Exports
- @faiss-node/native
- @faiss-node/native/src/js/index.js
This package does not declare an exports field, so the exports above have been automatically detected and optimized by JSPM instead. If any package subpath is missing, it is recommended to post an issue to the original package (@faiss-node/native) to support the "exports" field. If that is not possible, create a JSPM override to customize the exports field for this package.
Readme
@faiss-node/native
High-performance Node.js native bindings for Facebook FAISS - the industry-standard vector similarity search library. Built for semantic search, RAG applications, and vector databases.
Features
- 🚀 Async Operations - Non-blocking Promise-based API that never blocks the event loop
- 🔒 Thread-Safe - Mutex-protected concurrent operations for production workloads
- 📦 Multiple Index Types - FLAT_L2, FLAT_IP, IVF_FLAT, HNSW, PQ, IVF_PQ, IVF_SQ, plus raw FAISS factory strings for advanced pipelines
- 💾 Persistence - Save/load indexes to disk or serialize to buffers
- ⚡ High Performance - Direct C++ bindings with zero-copy data transfer
- 📚 TypeScript Support - Full type definitions included
Installation
Quick Install
npm install @faiss-node/nativePrerequisites
macOS:
brew install cmake libomp openblas faissLinux (Ubuntu/Debian):
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y cmake libopenblas-dev libomp-dev
# Build FAISS from source (see below)Windows: Windows native builds require FAISS to be installed, which can be complex. We recommend using one of these approaches:
WSL2 (Recommended): Use Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 - see WINDOWS.md
- After installing WSL2, follow the Linux instructions above
- Works seamlessly from Windows Terminal and VS Code
VS Code Dev Container: Use the included
.devcontainerconfiguration - see WINDOWS.md- Best for teams and consistent development environments
- No manual setup required - just "Reopen in Container"
Docker Desktop: Run the project in a container - see WINDOWS.md
- Full control over the container environment
- Works with any IDE or editor
Note for npm users: The npm package (@faiss-node/native) works on Windows when installed in WSL2, Dev Containers, or Docker. For Windows native development, see WINDOWS.md for detailed setup instructions.
Building FAISS from Source (Linux/WSL2):
git clone https://github.com/facebookresearch/faiss.git
cd faiss
cmake -B build -DFAISS_ENABLE_GPU=OFF -DFAISS_ENABLE_PYTHON=OFF
cmake --build build -j$(nproc)
sudo cmake --install buildBuild Native Module
After installing prerequisites:
npm run buildQuick Start
const { FaissIndex } = require('@faiss-node/native');
// Create an index
const index = new FaissIndex({ type: 'FLAT_L2', dims: 128 });
// Add vectors (single or batch)
const vectors = new Float32Array([
1.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, // Vector 1
0.0, 1.0, 0.0, 0.0, // Vector 2
0.0, 0.0, 1.0, 0.0 // Vector 3
]);
await index.add(vectors);
// Search for nearest neighbors
const query = new Float32Array([1.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0]);
const results = await index.search(query, 2);
console.log('Labels:', results.labels); // Int32Array: [0, 1]
console.log('Distances:', results.distances); // Float32Array: [0, 2]
// Cleanup
index.dispose();API Reference
Constructor
Create a new FAISS index with the specified configuration.
const index = new FaissIndex(config);Parameters:
config.type(string, optional): Index type -'FLAT_L2','FLAT_IP','IVF_FLAT','HNSW','PQ','IVF_PQ', or'IVF_SQ'(default:'FLAT_L2')config.factory(string, optional): Raw FAISS factory string for advanced pipelines such as OPQ, PCA, or PCARconfig.dims(number, required): Vector dimensions (must be positive integer)config.metric(string, optional): Distance metric -'l2'or'ip'for compatible index types and raw factory indexesconfig.nlist(number, optional): Number of clusters for IVF_FLAT, IVF_PQ, or IVF_SQ (default: 100)config.nprobe(number, optional): Clusters to search for IVF_FLAT, IVF_PQ, or IVF_SQ (default: 10)config.M(number, optional): Connections per node for HNSW (default: 16)config.efConstruction(number, optional): HNSW construction parameter (default: 200)config.efSearch(number, optional): HNSW search parameter (default: 50)config.pqSegments(number, optional): Number of PQ subquantizers for PQ and IVF_PQconfig.pqBits(number, optional): Bits per PQ code for PQ and IVF_PQ (default: 8)config.sqType(string, optional): Scalar quantizer type for IVF_SQ (default:'SQ8')
Use nlist and nprobe only with IVF_FLAT, IVF_PQ, or IVF_SQ. Use pqSegments and pqBits only with PQ or IVF_PQ. Use M, efConstruction, and efSearch only with HNSW. Use factory by itself for advanced FAISS pipelines, because the topology is encoded directly in the factory string.
Examples:
// FLAT_L2 - Exact search (best for small datasets < 10k vectors)
const flatIndex = new FaissIndex({ type: 'FLAT_L2', dims: 128 });
// FLAT_IP - Inner Product (for cosine similarity with normalized vectors)
const flatIPIndex = new FaissIndex({ type: 'FLAT_IP', dims: 1536 });
// Note: Vectors must be L2-normalized for cosine similarity
// For normalized vectors: cosine_similarity(a, b) = dot_product(a, b) = inner_product(a, b)
// IVF_FLAT - Fast approximate search (best for 10k - 1M vectors)
const ivfIndex = new FaissIndex({
type: 'IVF_FLAT',
dims: 768,
nlist: 100, // Number of clusters
nprobe: 10 // Clusters to search (higher = more accurate, slower)
});
await ivfIndex.train(trainingVectors); // Must train before adding vectors!
// PQ - Memory efficient quantization without IVF
const pqIndex = new FaissIndex({
type: 'PQ',
dims: 768,
pqSegments: 48,
pqBits: 8
});
await pqIndex.train(trainingVectors);
// IVF_PQ - IVF coarse quantization plus PQ compression
const ivfPqIndex = new FaissIndex({
type: 'IVF_PQ',
dims: 768,
nlist: 100,
nprobe: 10,
pqSegments: 48,
pqBits: 8
});
await ivfPqIndex.train(trainingVectors);
// IVF_SQ - IVF with scalar quantization
const ivfSqIndex = new FaissIndex({
type: 'IVF_SQ',
dims: 768,
nlist: 100,
nprobe: 10,
sqType: 'SQ8'
});
await ivfSqIndex.train(trainingVectors);
// HNSW - State-of-the-art approximate search (best for large datasets)
const hnswIndex = new FaissIndex({
type: 'HNSW',
dims: 1536,
M: 16, // Connections per node (higher = more accurate, slower)
efConstruction: 200, // Construction parameter
efSearch: 50 // Search parameter (higher = more accurate, slower)
});
// Advanced factory string - unlock FAISS preprocessing pipelines
const customIndex = new FaissIndex({
dims: 768,
factory: 'PCA256,Flat',
metric: 'l2'
});
await customIndex.train(trainingVectors);
// You can also pass OPQ / PCAR pipelines directly:
// 'OPQ48_192,IVF100,PQ48'
// 'PCAR256,IVF100,PQ48'Methods
add(vectors: Float32Array): Promise<void>
Add vectors to the index. Can add a single vector or a batch of vectors.
// Single vector
await index.add(new Float32Array([1, 2, 3, 4]));
// Batch of vectors (4 vectors of 4 dimensions each)
await index.add(new Float32Array([
1, 0, 0, 0, // Vector 1
0, 1, 0, 0, // Vector 2
0, 0, 1, 0, // Vector 3
0, 0, 0, 1 // Vector 4
]));Note: For IVF_FLAT indexes, you must call train() before adding vectors.
search(query: Float32Array, k: number): Promise<SearchResults>
Search for k nearest neighbors.
const query = new Float32Array([1, 0, 0, 0]);
const results = await index.search(query, 5);
// results.distances: Float32Array of L2 distances
// results.labels: Int32Array of vector indicesReturns:
distances(Float32Array): L2 distances to nearest neighborslabels(Int32Array): Indices of nearest neighbors
searchBatch(queries: Float32Array, k: number): Promise<SearchResults>
Batch search for k nearest neighbors (multiple queries).
// Multiple queries
const queries = new Float32Array([
1, 0, 0, 0, // Query 1
0, 1, 0, 0 // Query 2
]);
const results = await index.searchBatch(queries, 5);
// results.distances: Float32Array of shape [nq * k]
// results.labels: Int32Array of shape [nq * k]
// results.nq: number of queries
// results.k: number of neighbors per queryrangeSearch(query: Float32Array, radius: number): Promise<RangeSearchResults>
Find all vectors within a distance threshold (range search). Useful for filtering by distance or clustering.
const query = new Float32Array([1, 0, 0, 0]);
const radius = 2.0; // Maximum distance threshold
const results = await index.rangeSearch(query, radius);
// results.distances: Float32Array of distances
// results.labels: Int32Array of vector indices
// results.nq: number of queries (always 1 for single query)
// results.lims: Uint32Array [0, n] where n is total number of results
// Results are sorted by distance (closest first)
// Example: Extract results for a single query
const nResults = results.lims[1];
for (let i = 0; i < nResults; i++) {
const label = results.labels[i];
const distance = results.distances[i];
console.log(`Vector ${label} at distance ${distance}`);
}Note: Range search returns a variable number of results (all vectors within radius), unlike search() which always returns exactly k results.
Perform batch search for multiple queries efficiently.
// 3 queries of 4 dimensions each
const queries = new Float32Array([
1, 0, 0, 0, // Query 1
0, 1, 0, 0, // Query 2
0, 0, 1, 0 // Query 3
]);
const results = await index.searchBatch(queries, 5);
// results.distances: Float32Array of shape [3 * 5]
// results.labels: Int32Array of shape [3 * 5]train(vectors: Float32Array): Promise<void>
Train an IVF_FLAT index. Required before adding vectors.
// Training vectors (typically 10k-100k vectors)
const trainingVectors = new Float32Array(/* ... */);
await ivfIndex.train(trainingVectors);
await ivfIndex.add(dataVectors); // Now you can add vectorssetNprobe(nprobe: number): void
Set the number of clusters to search for IVF_FLAT indexes. Calling this on other index types has no effect.
ivfIndex.setNprobe(20); // Search more clusters (more accurate, slower)getStats(): IndexStats
Get index statistics.
const stats = index.getStats();
// {
// ntotal: number, // Total vectors in index
// dims: number, // Vector dimensions
// isTrained: boolean, // Whether index is trained (IVF only)
// type: string // Index type
// }save(filename: string): Promise<void>
Save index to disk.
await index.save('./my-index.faiss');static load(filename: string): Promise<FaissIndex>
Load index from disk.
const index = await FaissIndex.load('./my-index.faiss');toBuffer(): Promise<Buffer>
Serialize index to a Node.js Buffer (useful for databases, network transfer, etc.).
const buffer = await index.toBuffer();
// Store in database, send over network, etc.static fromBuffer(buffer: Buffer): Promise<FaissIndex>
Deserialize index from Buffer.
const index = await FaissIndex.fromBuffer(buffer);mergeFrom(otherIndex: FaissIndex): Promise<void>
Transfer vectors from another index into this index.
const index1 = new FaissIndex({ type: 'FLAT_L2', dims: 128 });
const index2 = new FaissIndex({ type: 'FLAT_L2', dims: 128 });
await index1.add(vectors1);
await index2.add(vectors2);
await index1.mergeFrom(index2); // index1 now contains vectors from both
// Note: index2 is now empty after the transfer (FAISS behavior)dispose(): void
Explicitly dispose of the index and free resources. Optional - automatic on garbage collection.
index.dispose();
// Index is now unusable - all operations will throw errorsChoosing the Right Index Type
FLAT_L2 (IndexFlatL2)
- Best for: Small datasets (< 10k vectors), exact search required
- Speed: O(n) per query - linear scan
- Accuracy: 100% recall (exact results)
- Memory: 4 × dims × n bytes
- Use case: Prototyping, small production datasets, when accuracy is critical
IVF_FLAT (IndexIVFFlat)
- Best for: Medium datasets (10k - 1M vectors), can tolerate ~90-95% recall
- Speed: O(nprobe × n/nlist) per query - much faster than FLAT
- Accuracy: ~90-95% recall (configurable via nprobe)
- Memory: Similar to FLAT + cluster overhead
- Requires: Training on sample data before use
- Use case: Production systems with medium-sized datasets
HNSW (IndexHNSW)
- Best for: Large datasets (> 100k vectors), best speed/accuracy tradeoff
- Speed: O(log n) per query - logarithmic search
- Accuracy: ~95-99% recall (configurable via efSearch)
- Memory: ~1.5-2× more than FLAT
- No training required
- Use case: Large-scale production systems, best overall performance
FLAT_IP (IndexFlatIP) - Inner Product for Cosine Similarity
- Best for: Cosine similarity with L2-normalized vectors (e.g., OpenAI embeddings)
- Speed: O(n) per query - same as FLAT_L2
- Accuracy: 100% recall (exact results)
- Memory: Same as FLAT_L2
- Requires: Vectors must be L2-normalized before adding
- Use case: When you need cosine similarity (with normalized vectors, inner product = cosine similarity)
- Note: For cosine similarity, normalize vectors first:
cosine_similarity(a, b) = dot_product(normalize(a), normalize(b))
When to use FLAT_IP vs Database Cosine Functions:
FLAT_IP is optimized for large-scale, high-dimensional vector searches. Database cosine functions (PostgreSQL pgvector, MongoDB, etc.) are simpler for SQL integration but may be slower at scale.
Choose FLAT_IP when:
- Large datasets (100k+ vectors)
- High-dimensional vectors (512+ dimensions)
- Frequent searches (better performance)
- Need batch operations or complex indexes (IVF/HNSW with IP)
Choose Database Cosine when:
- Small datasets (< 10k vectors)
- Need SQL integration
- Data already in database
- Need ACID transactions or complex SQL filtering
Examples
Basic Semantic Search
const { FaissIndex } = require('@faiss-node/native');
// Create index for 768-dimensional embeddings (e.g., OpenAI)
const index = new FaissIndex({ type: 'HNSW', dims: 768 });
// Add document embeddings
const documents = [
{ id: 0, text: "JavaScript is a programming language" },
{ id: 1, text: "Python is great for data science" },
{ id: 2, text: "Node.js runs JavaScript on the server" }
];
const embeddings = new Float32Array(/* ... your embeddings ... */);
await index.add(embeddings);
// Search for similar documents
const queryEmbedding = new Float32Array(/* ... query embedding ... */);
const results = await index.search(queryEmbedding, 3);
console.log('Most similar documents:', results.labels);RAG Pipeline
const { FaissIndex } = require('@faiss-node/native');
class RAGSystem {
constructor() {
this.index = new FaissIndex({ type: 'HNSW', dims: 1536 });
this.documents = [];
}
async addDocuments(docs, embeddings) {
this.documents.push(...docs);
await this.index.add(embeddings);
}
async search(queryEmbedding, k = 5) {
const results = await this.index.search(queryEmbedding, k);
return results.labels.map(idx => this.documents[idx]);
}
async save(path) {
await this.index.save(path);
// Also save documents mapping
}
}Persistence
const { FaissIndex } = require('@faiss-node/native');
// Save to disk
const index = new FaissIndex({ type: 'HNSW', dims: 128 });
await index.add(vectors);
await index.save('./index.faiss');
// Load from disk
const loadedIndex = await FaissIndex.load('./index.faiss');
// Or serialize to buffer (for databases)
const buffer = await index.toBuffer();
// Store in MongoDB, Redis, etc.
const restoredIndex = await FaissIndex.fromBuffer(buffer);Migration Guide
From Python FAISS
If you're familiar with Python FAISS, migrating to @faiss-node/native is straightforward. Here are common patterns translated from Python to Node.js:
Basic Index Creation and Search
Python FAISS:
import faiss
import numpy as np
# Create index
d = 128 # dimensions
index = faiss.IndexFlatL2(d)
# Add vectors (numpy array)
vectors = np.random.random((1000, d)).astype('float32')
index.add(vectors)
# Search
query = np.random.random((1, d)).astype('float32')
k = 10
distances, labels = index.search(query, k)
print(distances) # [[0.1, 0.2, ...]]
print(labels) # [[0, 1, ...]]Node.js (@faiss-node/native):
const { FaissIndex } = require('@faiss-node/native');
// Create index
const d = 128; // dimensions
const index = new FaissIndex({ type: 'FLAT_L2', dims: d });
// Add vectors (Float32Array)
const vectors = new Float32Array(1000 * d);
for (let i = 0; i < vectors.length; i++) {
vectors[i] = Math.random();
}
await index.add(vectors);
// Search
const query = new Float32Array(d);
for (let i = 0; i < d; i++) {
query[i] = Math.random();
}
const k = 10;
const results = await index.search(query, k);
console.log(results.distances); // Float32Array: [0.1, 0.2, ...]
console.log(results.labels); // Int32Array: [0, 1, ...]IVF_FLAT Index (with Training)
Python FAISS:
import faiss
d = 768
nlist = 100
index = faiss.IndexIVFFlat(faiss.IndexFlatL2(d), d, nlist)
# Train on sample data
training_vectors = np.random.random((10000, d)).astype('float32')
index.train(training_vectors)
# Add vectors
vectors = np.random.random((100000, d)).astype('float32')
index.add(vectors)
# Set nprobe for search
index.nprobe = 10
distances, labels = index.search(query, k)Node.js (@faiss-node/native):
const { FaissIndex } = require('@faiss-node/native');
const d = 768;
const nlist = 100;
const index = new FaissIndex({
type: 'IVF_FLAT',
dims: d,
nlist: nlist
});
// Train on sample data
const trainingVectors = new Float32Array(10000 * d);
for (let i = 0; i < trainingVectors.length; i++) {
trainingVectors[i] = Math.random();
}
await index.train(trainingVectors);
// Add vectors
const vectors = new Float32Array(100000 * d);
for (let i = 0; i < vectors.length; i++) {
vectors[i] = Math.random();
}
await index.add(vectors);
// Set nprobe for search
index.setNprobe(10);
const results = await index.search(query, k);HNSW Index
Python FAISS:
import faiss
d = 1536
M = 16
index = faiss.IndexHNSWFlat(d, M)
# Add vectors (no training needed)
vectors = np.random.random((1000000, d)).astype('float32')
index.add(vectors)
# Search with ef parameter
index.hnsw.efSearch = 50
distances, labels = index.search(query, k)Node.js (@faiss-node/native):
const { FaissIndex } = require('@faiss-node/native');
const d = 1536;
const index = new FaissIndex({
type: 'HNSW',
dims: d,
M: 16, // Connections per node
efSearch: 50 // Search parameter (equivalent to index.hnsw.efSearch)
});
// Add vectors (no training needed)
const vectors = new Float32Array(1000000 * d);
for (let i = 0; i < vectors.length; i++) {
vectors[i] = Math.random();
}
await index.add(vectors);
// Search (efSearch already set in constructor)
const results = await index.search(query, k);Save and Load Index
Python FAISS:
# Save to disk
faiss.write_index(index, "index.faiss")
# Load from disk
loaded_index = faiss.read_index("index.faiss")Node.js (@faiss-node/native):
// Save to disk (async)
await index.save("index.faiss");
// Load from disk (static method, async)
const loadedIndex = await FaissIndex.load("index.faiss");Batch Search (Multiple Queries)
Python FAISS:
# Multiple queries (nq queries)
queries = np.random.random((100, d)).astype('float32')
distances, labels = index.search(queries, k)
# distances shape: (100, k)
# labels shape: (100, k)Node.js (@faiss-node/native):
// Multiple queries (nq queries)
const queries = new Float32Array(100 * d);
for (let i = 0; i < queries.length; i++) {
queries[i] = Math.random();
}
const results = await index.searchBatch(queries, k);
// results.distances: Float32Array of shape [100 * k]
// results.labels: Int32Array of shape [100 * k]
// results.nq: 100
// results.k: kKey Differences
| Feature | Python FAISS | Node.js (@faiss-node/native) |
|---|---|---|
| Index Creation | faiss.IndexFlatL2(d) |
new FaissIndex({ type: 'FLAT_L2', dims: d }) |
| Add Vectors | index.add(vectors) (synchronous) |
await index.add(vectors) (async) |
| Search | index.search(queries, k) (synchronous) |
await index.search(query, k) (async) |
| Batch Search | index.search(queries, k) (same method) |
await index.searchBatch(queries, k) (separate method) |
| Training | index.train(vectors) (synchronous) |
await index.train(vectors) (async) |
| Save/Load | faiss.write_index() / faiss.read_index() (synchronous) |
await index.save() / await FaissIndex.load() (async) |
| nprobe (IVF) | index.nprobe = 10 |
index.setNprobe(10) |
| efSearch (HNSW) | index.hnsw.efSearch = 50 |
Set in constructor or use efSearch config |
| Vector Format | numpy.ndarray (float32) |
Float32Array |
| Results Format | Tuple (distances, labels) as numpy arrays |
Object { distances: Float32Array, labels: Int32Array } |
Common Patterns
Pattern 1: Converting numpy arrays to Float32Array
If you have Python code that generates embeddings and want to use them in Node.js:
# Python: Save embeddings
import numpy as np
embeddings = model.encode(texts) # numpy array, shape (n, d)
np.save('embeddings.npy', embeddings)// Node.js: Load embeddings
const fs = require('fs');
// Assuming you converted .npy to binary format
const embeddingsBuffer = fs.readFileSync('embeddings.bin');
const embeddings = new Float32Array(embeddingsBuffer.buffer);
await index.add(embeddings);Pattern 2: Chunked Add Operations
Python FAISS:
batch_size = 10000
for i in range(0, len(vectors), batch_size):
batch = vectors[i:i+batch_size]
index.add(batch)Node.js (@faiss-node/native):
const batchSize = 10000;
for (let i = 0; i < vectors.length; i += batchSize * dims) {
const batch = vectors.slice(i, i + batchSize * dims);
await index.add(batch);
}Pattern 3: Memory Management
Python FAISS:
# Index is automatically garbage collected
# But you can delete explicitly:
del indexNode.js (@faiss-node/native):
// Explicitly dispose to free native memory
index.dispose();
// Or let garbage collector handle it
// (but explicit dispose is recommended for large indexes)Migration Checklist
- Replace
import faisswithrequire('@faiss-node/native') - Convert
numpy.ndarraytoFloat32Array - Add
awaitto all async operations (add, search, train, save, load) - Replace
index.search(queries, k)for batch withindex.searchBatch(queries, k) - Use constructor config object instead of direct index instantiation
- Replace
index.nprobe = Xwithindex.setNprobe(X)for IVF - Set
efSearchin constructor config for HNSW instead ofindex.hnsw.efSearch - Handle results as
{ distances, labels }object instead of tuple - Add
index.dispose()when done with large indexes (optional but recommended)
Performance Tips
- Use HNSW for large datasets - Best overall performance
- Batch operations - Use
searchBatch()for multiple queries - Train IVF properly - Use 10k-100k training vectors
- Tune parameters - Increase
nprobe(IVF) orefSearch(HNSW) for accuracy - Reuse indexes - Save/load instead of recreating
For detailed benchmarks and performance comparisons, see examples/benchmark.js.
Thread Safety
All operations are thread-safe and can be called concurrently:
// Safe to call from multiple async operations
await Promise.all([
index.add(vectors1),
index.add(vectors2),
index.search(query1),
index.search(query2)
]);The implementation uses mutex locks to ensure FAISS operations are serialized safely.
Error Handling
All methods throw JavaScript errors (not C++ exceptions):
try {
await index.add(vectors);
} catch (error) {
if (error.message.includes('disposed')) {
console.error('Index was disposed');
} else if (error.message.includes('dimensions')) {
console.error('Vector dimensions mismatch');
}
}TypeScript Support
Full TypeScript definitions are included:
import { FaissIndex, FaissIndexConfig, SearchResults } from '@faiss-node/native';
const config: FaissIndexConfig = {
type: 'HNSW',
dims: 768
};
const index = new FaissIndex(config);
const results: SearchResults = await index.search(query, 10);Updating
To update to the latest version:
npm update @faiss-node/nativeOr install a specific version:
npm install @faiss-node/native@0.1.2Development
Building from Source
macOS/Linux:
# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/anupammaurya6767/faiss-node-native.git
cd faiss-node-native
# Install dependencies
npm install
# Build native module
npm run build
# Run tests
npm testWindows: Windows users should use WSL2 or VS Code Dev Container. See WINDOWS.md for detailed setup instructions.
VS Code Dev Container (All Platforms):
# Open in VS Code and select "Reopen in Container"
# Or from command palette: "Dev Containers: Reopen in Container"
# First build will take 5-10 minutes (compiles FAISS)Running Tests
npm test # All tests
npm run test:unit # Unit tests only
npm run test:integration # Integration tests only
npm run test:ci # CI tests (faster, no manual tests)Generating Documentation
npm run docs # Generate Doxygen documentation
npm run docs:serve # Serve docs locally at http://localhost:8000Documentation
- API Documentation: GitHub Pages
- Examples: See
examples/directory - Contributing: See CONTRIBUTING.md
Troubleshooting
Build Errors
macOS: "library not found"
# Ensure FAISS is installed
brew install faiss
# Check installation
ls /usr/local/lib/libfaiss*Linux: "faiss/Index.h: No such file or directory"
# Build and install FAISS from source (see Prerequisites)
# Ensure CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr/local
# Run ldconfig after installation
sudo ldconfigWindows: Build errors or missing dependencies
- Use WSL2 instead of native Windows - see WINDOWS.md
- Or use VS Code Dev Container - see WINDOWS.md
- Ensure Docker Desktop uses WSL2 backend if using containers
Runtime Errors
"Index has been disposed"
- You called
dispose()or the index was garbage collected - Create a new index or don't dispose until done
"Vector dimensions don't match"
- Check that your vectors are the correct size
- For batch operations:
vectors.length % dims === 0
Contributing
Contributions are welcome! Please see CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.
License
MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.
Author
Anupam Maurya
- GitHub: @anupammaurya6767
- Email: anupammaurya6767@gmail.com
Acknowledgments
- Built on Facebook FAISS - the amazing vector similarity search library
- Inspired by the need for high-performance vector search in Node.js
- Thanks to the open-source community for feedback and contributions
Made with ❤️ for the Node.js community