By Vishal Basumatary in javascript — Mar 24, 2023

setup node js express basic setup

Setting up a Basic Node.js and Express Setup

If you want to build a web application using Node.js and Express, you'll need to set up a basic environment first. Here's how you can do it.

Step 1: Install Node.js

First things first, you need to install Node.js. You can download the latest version from the official website nodejs.org. Once you have downloaded the installer, follow the installation instructions to complete the setup.

Step 2: Create a new project directory

Next, create a new directory for your project. Open your terminal or command prompt and type:

mkdir myproject
cd myproject

Step 3: Initialize npm

Next, initialize npm by typing the following command in your terminal:

npm init

This command will create a package.json file in your project directory. This file contains information about your project and its dependencies.

Step 4: Install Express

To install Express, type the following command in your terminal:

npm install express

This will download and install the latest version of Express in your project directory.

Step 5: Create an app.js file

Now, create a new file called app.js in your project directory. This file will contain the code for your Express app.

// Require the Express module
const express = require('express');

// Create a new Express application
const app = express();

// Define a route handler for the default home page
app.get('/', (req, res) => {
  res.send('Hello World!');
});

// Start the Express server
app.listen(3000, () => {
  console.log('Server started on port 3000');
});

This code sets up a basic Express app with a route handler for the default home page (/) that returns the text 'Hello World!'. It also starts the app on port 3000.

Step 6: Start the server

To start the server, type the following command in your terminal:

node app.js

This will start the server on port 3000. You can access your app by opening a web browser and navigating to http://localhost:3000.

Alternate Method: Using Express Generator

If you want to set up a more complex Express application, you may want to use Express Generator. Express Generator is a command line tool that generates a basic Express app structure for you.

Step 1: Install Express Generator

To install Express Generator, type the following command in your terminal:

npm install -g express-generator

This will install Express Generator globally on your system.

Step 2: Generate a new app

To generate a new Express app using Express Generator, type the following command in your terminal:

express myapp
cd myapp
npm install

This will generate a new Express app in a directory called 'myapp'. It will also install all the necessary dependencies.

Step 3: Start the server