Getting Started with Express.js and Node.js: A Beginner's Guide
Tags: node, javascript, programming, beginners
Published: 2024-06-28 15:13:23

Introduce what Node.js and Express.js are, their key features, and why they are popular choices for developers.


Great! Creating a beginner-friendly post on Express.js and Node.js can help new developers understand how to build server-side applications with JavaScript. Here’s a structured outline for your post with examples and additional elements to enhance its clarity and usefulness.

Title: "Getting Started with Express.js and Node.js: A Beginner's Guide"
Introduction
Introduce what Node.js and Express.js are, their key features, and why they are popular choices for developers.

## 1. What is Node.js?

Definition: Explain Node.js as a JavaScript runtime built on Chrome's V8 engine.

Key Features: Highlight features like non-blocking I/O, event-driven architecture, and the ability to use JavaScript on the server-side.
Use Cases: Mention common use cases such as web servers, APIs, and real-time applications.

## 2. What is Express.js?

Definition: Explain Express.js as a minimal and flexible Node.js web application framework.

Key Features: Highlight features like robust routing, middleware support, and simplicity in building web applications and APIs.

Use Cases: Mention common use cases such as RESTful APIs, web applications, and single-page applications (SPAs).

> Leave the boring & start coding;

I always recommend you to refer [node JS](https://nodejs.org/
)
after my blog guys 😁😁😁;

## 3. Creating the project;

#npm install express in terminal

`mkdir my-express-app
cd my-express-app
npm init -y
`

## 4. Creating a Simple Express Server
Basic Server: Provide a code example for creating a simple Express server

```
const express = require('express');
const app = express();
const port = 3000;

app.get('/', (req, res) => {
  res.send('Hello, World!');
});

app.listen(port, () => {
  console.log(`Server is running at http://localhost:${port}`);
});

```

## 5. Handling Routes
GET Request: Show how to handle GET requests

```
app.get('/about', (req, res) => {
  res.send('About Page');
});

```
POST Request: Show how to handle POST requests.

```
app.post('/submit', (req, res) => {
  res.send('Form Submitted');
});

```

8. Handling Form Data
Body Parsing: Show how to parse incoming form data
need to install before using bodyParser
`npm i body-parser`

```
const bodyParser = require('body-parser');
app.use(bodyParser.urlencoded({ extended: false }));
app.use(bodyParser.json());

app.post('/submit', (req, res) => {
  res.send(`Form Data: ${JSON.stringify(req.body)}`);
});

```

## 9. Connecting to a Database
MongoDB Example: Show how to connect to MongoDB using Mongoose

```
const mongoose = require('mongoose');

mongoose.connect('mongodb://localhost:27017/mydatabase', {
  useNewUrlParser: true,
  useUnifiedTopology: true,
});

const db = mongoose.connection;
db.on('error', console.error.bind(console, 'connection error:'));
db.once('open', () => {
  console.log('Connected to MongoDB');
});

```
Guys you can setup all this codes inside an Index.js file or any single file;

I always advice you to learn from documentations;