CarsXE Developer

Node.js Quickstart Guide

Get started with CarsXE's Node.js SDK to integrate comprehensive vehicle data into your JavaScript and TypeScript applications.

The CarsXE Node.js SDK provides a simple and powerful way to integrate vehicle data into your JavaScript and TypeScript applications. This guide will help you get started quickly.

For more information, see the package on npm.

Installation

Install the CarsXE Node.js package using npm or yarn:

npm install carsxe-api

or

yarn add carsxe-api

Setup

First, import the CarsXE client and initialize it with your API key:

decode.js

const { CarsXE } = require("carsxe-api");
// Initialize the client
const carsxe = new CarsXE("YOUR_API_KEY_HERE");

For TypeScript:

decode.ts

import { CarsXE } from "carsxe-api";
const carsxe = new CarsXE("YOUR_API_KEY_HERE");

Basic Usage

VIN Specifications

decode.js

const vin = 'WBAFR7C57CC811956';
carsxe
  .specs({ vin })
  .then((vehicle) => console.log(vehicle.input.vin))
  .catch((error) => console.error(error));

Or using async/await:

decode.js

async function decodeVIN() {
  try {
    const vehicle = await carsxe.specs({
      vin: 'WBAFR7C57CC811956'
    });
    console.log(vehicle.input.vin);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error("Error:", error);
  }
}
decodeVIN();

International VIN Decoder

decode.js

async function decodeInternationalVIN() {
  try {
    const intVin = await carsxe.internationalVinDecoder({
      vin: 'WF0MXXGBWM8R43240'
    });
    console.log(intVin);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error("Error:", error);
  }
}

Market Value

decode.js

async function getMarketValue() {
  try {
    const value = await carsxe.marketvalue({
      vin: 'WBAFR7C57CC811956'
    });
    console.log(value);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error("Error:", error);
  }
}

Vehicle History

decode.js

async function getVehicleHistory() {
  try {
    const history = await carsxe.history({
      vin: 'WBAFR7C57CC811956'
    });
    console.log(history);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error("Error:", error);
  }
}

License Plate Decoder

decode.js

async function decodePlate() {
  try {
    const plate = await carsxe.platedecoder({
      plate: '7XER187',
      state: 'CA',
      country: 'US'
    });
    console.log(plate);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error("Error:", error);
  }
}

Vehicle Images

decode.js

async function getVehicleImages() {
  try {
    const imgs = await carsxe.images({
      make: 'BMW',
      model: 'X5',
      year: '2019'
    });
    console.log(imgs);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error("Error:", error);
  }
}

Vehicle Recalls

decode.js

async function checkRecalls() {
  try {
    const recalls = await carsxe.recalls({
      vin: '1C4JJXR64PW696340'
    });
    console.log(recalls);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error("Error:", error);
  }
}

Plate Image Recognition

decode.js

async function recognizePlateFromImage() {
  try {
    const plateImg = await carsxe.plateImageRecognition({
      imageUrl: 'https://api.carsxe.com/img/apis/plate_recognition.JPG'
    });
    console.log(plateImg);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error("Error:", error);
  }
}

VIN OCR from Image

decode.js

async function extractVINFromImage() {
  try {
    const vinOcr = await carsxe.vinOcr({
      imageUrl: 'https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/5663423/30922082-64edb4fa-a3a8-11e7-873e-3fbcdce8ea3a.png'
    });
    console.log(vinOcr);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error("Error:", error);
  }
}

Year-Make-Model Search

decode.js

async function searchByYearMakeModel() {
  try {
    const ymm = await carsxe.yearMakeModel({
      year: '2023',
      make: 'Toyota',
      model: 'Camry'
    });
    console.log(ymm);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error("Error:", error);
  }
}

OBD Code Decoder

decode.js

async function decodeOBDCode() {
  try {
    const obd = await carsxe.obdcodesdecoder({
      code: 'P0115'
    });
    console.log(obd);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error("Error:", error);
  }
}

Error Handling

The SDK provides comprehensive error handling:

error-handling.js

async function handleErrors() {
  try {
    const result = await carsxe.specs({
      vin: "INVALID_VIN"
    });
  } catch (error) {
    if (error.status === 400) {
      console.log("Invalid VIN format");
    } else if (error.status === 401) {
      console.log("Invalid API key");
    } else if (error.status === 429) {
      console.log("Rate limit exceeded");
    } else {
      console.log("Unexpected error:", error.message);
    }
  }
}

Environment Variables

Store your API key securely using environment variables:

.env

# .env file
CARSXE_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

app.js

require("dotenv").config();
const carsxe = new CarsXE(process.env.CARSXE_API_KEY);

Available Endpoints

MethodDescription
carsxe.specs({ vin })Decode VIN & get full vehicle specifications
carsxe.internationalVinDecoder({ vin })Decode VIN with worldwide support
carsxe.platedecoder({ plate, state, country })Decode license plate info
carsxe.marketvalue({ vin })Estimate vehicle market value based on VIN
carsxe.history({ vin })Retrieve vehicle history (ownership, accidents, etc.)
carsxe.images({ make, model, year })Fetch images by make, model, year, trim
carsxe.recalls({ vin })Get safety recall data for a VIN
carsxe.plateImageRecognition({ imageUrl })Read & decode plates from images
carsxe.vinOcr({ imageUrl })Extract VINs from images using OCR
carsxe.yearMakeModel({ year, make, model })Query vehicle by year, make, model and trim
carsxe.obdcodesdecoder({ code })Decode OBD error/diagnostic codes

Start building powerful automotive applications with CarsXE's Node.js SDK!

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