Principle:Openai Openai node Client Initialization
| Knowledge Sources | |
|---|---|
| Domains | SDK_Architecture, Authentication |
| Last Updated | 2026-02-15 00:00 GMT |
Overview
A design principle governing the initialization and configuration of an API client instance with authentication credentials, connection parameters, and retry behavior.
Description
Client Initialization is the foundational step in any API interaction. It involves constructing a configured client object that encapsulates authentication (API keys), connection settings (base URL, timeouts), and resilience parameters (retry counts, backoff strategies). The client acts as the single entry point for all subsequent API calls, managing shared state like headers, organization context, and request defaults.
In the OpenAI SDK context, the client reads credentials from environment variables by default (OPENAI_API_KEY, OPENAI_ORG_ID, OPENAI_PROJECT_ID) but also accepts explicit configuration. This dual-source pattern balances security (no hardcoded keys) with flexibility (override for testing or multi-tenant scenarios).
Usage
Use this principle when building any application that communicates with the OpenAI API. Client initialization must occur before any API call. It is required once per application (or once per distinct configuration context in multi-tenant setups).
Theoretical Basis
Client initialization follows the Factory Pattern combined with the Configuration Object Pattern:
- Collect all configuration from environment and explicit parameters
- Validate required fields (API key must be present)
- Apply defaults for optional fields (timeout, retries, base URL)
- Construct the client instance with resource accessors
- Guard against browser usage (unless explicitly allowed)
Pseudo-code:
function createClient(options):
apiKey = options.apiKey OR env.OPENAI_API_KEY
if apiKey is undefined:
throw MissingCredentialsError
if running_in_browser AND NOT options.dangerouslyAllowBrowser:
throw BrowserUsageError
client = new APIClient(
apiKey = apiKey,
baseURL = options.baseURL OR env.OPENAI_BASE_URL OR "https://api.openai.com/v1",
timeout = options.timeout OR 600000,
maxRetries = options.maxRetries OR 2,
)
return client