Node.js Project Setup from Scratch | npm init, install & run dev | Beginner Tutorial

Node.js Project Setup from Scratch | npm init, install & run dev

Setting up a Node.js project is straightforward with npm, the Node Package Manager. This guide walks you through initializing a new project, installing Express as a dependency, creating a basic server, and running it in development mode using npm scripts.

Code

// Step 1: Initialize a new Node.js project with default settings
// Run in terminal:
// npm init -y

// Step 2: Install Express framework
// Run in terminal:
// npm install express

// Step 3: Create index.js with a simple Express server
const express = require('express');
const app = express();
const port = 3000;

// Define a route handler for the root URL
app.get('/', (req, res) => {
  res.send('Hello, Node.js project setup!');
});

// Start the server and listen on port 3000
app.listen(port, () => {
  console.log(`Server running at http://localhost:${port}`);
});

// Step 4: Add a "dev" script to package.json for running the server with nodemon
// In package.json, add under "scripts":
// "dev": "nodemon index.js"

// Then run the development server with:
// npm run dev

Key Points

• npm init -y quickly creates a package.json file with default project settings.
• npm install express adds the Express framework and saves it as a project dependency.
• A simple Express server listens on port 3000 and responds with a greeting message.
• Adding a dev script in package.json allows easy starting of the server with npm run dev.
• Using tools like nodemon in the dev script enables automatic server restarts during development.