# Getting Started with Succinctly
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Welcome! This guide will get you up and running with succinctly.
## Why Succinctly?
Succinctly processes JSON, YAML, and CSV/TSV files using **18-46x less memory** than traditional parsers while being **1.2-6x faster** for most workloads. It achieves this through semi-indexing: building a lightweight structural index instead of a full DOM tree.
**Best for**:
- Querying large files where you only need a subset of data
- Memory-constrained environments
- High-throughput processing pipelines
- Drop-in replacement for `jq` and `yq` with better performance
See the [main README](../../README.md#performance) for detailed benchmarks.
---
## Prerequisites
- Rust 1.70 or later
- Cargo (comes with Rust)
## Quick Install
Add to your `Cargo.toml`:
```toml
[dependencies]
succinctly = "0.1"
```
Or use cargo:
```bash
cargo add succinctly
```
## CLI Tool
For command-line usage (jq/yq replacement):
```bash
# Build the CLI
cargo install succinctly --features cli
# Or build from source
cargo build --release --features cli
```
## Next Steps
- [Installation Details](installation.md) - Feature flags, platform-specific notes
- [Quickstart Tutorial](quickstart.md) - 5-minute hands-on introduction
- [Common Examples](examples.md) - Real-world usage patterns
## What's Next?
Once you're comfortable with the basics:
- [API Guide](../guides/api.md) - Full library reference
- [CLI Guide](../guides/cli.md) - Command-line tool reference
- [Architecture](../architecture/) - How it works under the hood