# Can't get started with Haxe, have to give up
**URL:** https://community.haxe.org/t/cant-get-started-with-haxe-have-to-give-up/4855
**Category:** Haxe
**Tags:** haxe-js
**Created:** [August 1, 2026, 5:03pm UTC](https://community.haxe.org/t/cant-get-started-with-haxe-have-to-give-up/4855 "2026-08-01T17:03:31Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@keiashford](https://community.haxe.org/u/keiashford)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2026, 5:03pm UTC](https://community.haxe.org/t/cant-get-started-with-haxe-have-to-give-up/4855/1 "2026-08-01T17:03:31Z")
Haxe Develop has that fatal bug of saying the string has length zero every time you compile. SO I was like fair enough maybe Moonshine is better, if i compile a html5 project it starts the first time, but then trying to compile anything else gives an error because node.js is already running. so its impossible to develop anything as you cant compile more than once.
---
### Author:  [@PXshadow](https://community.haxe.org/u/PXshadow)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2026, 5:54pm UTC](https://community.haxe.org/t/cant-get-started-with-haxe-have-to-give-up/4855/2 "2026-08-01T17:54:13Z")
Hello! Sorry you ran into issues. I’d recommend trying to get the basics first and then layering on more tools as you see fit once you have the foundation intact. Here’s a little write up to go from a hello world to a hello world with nodejs!
Create a hello world program and see if you can compile it, you can create an hxml for it (build.hxml):
```hxml
-main Main
--js test.js
--cmd node test.js
```
Run it with:
```sh
haxe build.hxml
```
Now you can add nodejs as a library, first install it with haxelib:
```sh
haxelib git hxnodejs https://github.com/haxeFoundation/hxnodejs
```
Then add it to your hxml:
```haxe
-lib hxnodejs
```
Run it again and you should be able to make edits and have it recompile and run each time.
Hope it helps!
---
### Author:  [@keiashford](https://community.haxe.org/u/keiashford)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2026, 9:10pm UTC](https://community.haxe.org/t/cant-get-started-with-haxe-have-to-give-up/4855/3 "2026-08-01T21:10:02Z")
ok that works thanks, but then I tried to compile openfl sample code for android, i tried two different one and got the same error:
Creating C:/HaxeToolkit/haxe/lib/openfl-samples/8,7,0/features/display3D/Stage3DCamera/Export/android/obj/obj/android-v7/\_\_pch/haxe/hxcpp.h.gch…
C:/HaxeToolkit/haxe/lib/hxcpp/4,3,2/include/hxcpp.h:27:13: fatal error: ‘typeinfo’ file not found
27 | #include
Theres no way I can debug that and get the android target working. THe Haxe foundation is asking for money for something that doesnt work…on all fronts. Except maybe html5 but i can use javascript if im only targetting html5. Or if I use cordova i can target android
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### Author:  [@tobil4sk](https://community.haxe.org/u/tobil4sk)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2026, 10:28pm UTC](https://community.haxe.org/t/cant-get-started-with-haxe-have-to-give-up/4855/4 "2026-08-01T22:28:37Z")
hxcpp 4.3.2 is missing some fixes for newer android ndks. hxcpp git has a lot of fixes that allow them to work properly, so it’s best to install the git version:
```sh
haxelib git hxcpp https://github.com/HaxeFoundation/hxcpp.git
```
---
### Author:  [@785597448](https://community.haxe.org/u/785597448)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2026, 4:11am UTC](https://community.haxe.org/t/cant-get-started-with-haxe-have-to-give-up/4855/5 "2026-08-02T04:11:28Z")
Seeing that you are using ‘Haxe Develop’, I guess you were previously a ‘flash’ developer,
However, it should be noted that “Haxe Development” is no longer updated, so it is recommended to use “vs code”, which is everyone’s current choice
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### Author:  [@keiashford](https://community.haxe.org/u/keiashford)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2026, 6:53am UTC](https://community.haxe.org/t/cant-get-started-with-haxe-have-to-give-up/4855/6 "2026-08-02T06:53:32Z")
ok thanks, ill try those suggestions.
I used to use a language which compiled to html5 and started the server as a seperate thread so the compiler didnt have to shut down and restart the server every time. In haxe you compile on the command line and you have to manualy shut it down with CRTL-C
how would someone just get it to compile and use the same server instance for the new code?
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### Author:  [@keiashford](https://community.haxe.org/u/keiashford)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2026, 6:54am UTC](https://community.haxe.org/t/cant-get-started-with-haxe-have-to-give-up/4855/7 "2026-08-02T06:54:59Z")
im assuming hundreds if not thousands of people have gone through using haxedevelop,Flashdevelop,moonshine, tried compiling OpenFL for android and just given up
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### Author:  [@keiashford](https://community.haxe.org/u/keiashford)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2026, 12:13pm UTC](https://community.haxe.org/t/cant-get-started-with-haxe-have-to-give-up/4855/8 "2026-08-02T12:13:47Z")
ok it worlks great now.
i told the A.I. on VS Code to setup a dropdown menu with the different targets, it worked after i argued with it saying it didnt work at first.
THe haxe installer worked very well, with installing the github version.
It’s great when you get past the barriers , but they are too fearsome for mere mortals
---
### Author:  [@joshtynjala](https://community.haxe.org/u/joshtynjala)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2026, 4:24pm UTC](https://community.haxe.org/t/cant-get-started-with-haxe-have-to-give-up/4855/9 "2026-08-03T16:24:30Z")
> [@keiashford](#):
>
> tried compiling OpenFL for android and just given up
Yeah, it’s unfortunate that hxcpp has supported newer Android NDKs for quite some time (and I recall a number of other critical issues have been fixed too), and they haven’t released an update to hxcpp in over three years. Such an important part of the ecosystem should have more frequent releases, in my opinion.
It really creates a barrier for new users who will have no idea that it’s even possible to get the fixes without asking the community why things seem so broken. I’m sure that many have given up without asking.
---
### Author:  [@PXshadow](https://community.haxe.org/u/PXshadow)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2026, 6:59pm UTC](https://community.haxe.org/t/cant-get-started-with-haxe-have-to-give-up/4855/10 "2026-08-03T18:59:15Z")
Yeah good point, I would recommend any new users, to always default to using `haxelib git` to fetch libraries, many packages still worked on such as hxcpp have neglected updating on haxelib for a long while.