> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://kit.near.tools/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# The Mental Model
> Three concepts to understand 90% of near-kit
To use `near-kit` effectively, there are only three concepts you need to internalize. If you understand these, you can guess 90% of the API.
The `Near` class is your single entry point. You initialize it once with your configuration (network and credentials), and reuse that instance everywhere.
```typescript theme={null}
const near = new Near({ ...config });
// All operations start here:
near.view(...)
near.transaction(...)
near.getBalance(...)
```
Blockchain development is plagued by unit conversion errors. `near-kit` solves this by using **Human-Readable Strings**.
* **Amounts:** Never count 24 zeros. Use `"1.5 NEAR"` or `"1 yocto"`.
* **Gas:** Never calculate gas units. Use `"30 Tgas"`.
The library parses these strings automatically. If you try to pass a raw number where a unit is expected, `near-kit` will throw an error to protect you from mistakes.
```typescript theme={null}
// ✅ Good
near.transfer("bob.near", "5 NEAR")
// ❌ Bad (Throws Error)
near.transfer("bob.near", 5) // Did you mean 5 NEAR or 5 yocto?
```
NEAR transactions can contain multiple actions (e.g., "Create Account" AND "Transfer Money"). `near-kit` models this as a fluent chain.
1. **Start:** `.transaction(signer)` identifies *who is paying*.
2. **Chain:** Add as many actions as you want (`.transfer`, `.functionCall`).
3. **Send:** Call `.send()` to sign and broadcast.
```typescript theme={null}
await near
.transaction("alice.near") // 1. Start
.createAccount("bob.alice.near") // 2. Chain
.transfer("bob.alice.near", "1 NEAR") // 2. Chain
.send() // 3. Send
```
## Quick Reference
Query balances, state, and call view methods
Build and send transactions