configure-express-app

Express App Generator

Welcome to the Express App Generator! This tool helps you quickly set up an Express application with pre-configured middleware and optional database connections.

npx configure-express-app@latest

Features

• Auto-detect Node.js version: Automatically adjusts settings based on the installed Node.js version.

• Example:

  • In node version 20 don't need this env import, Node js supports .env default. Automatically added (Node.js <= 18)

    require('dotenv').config();
    

  • Auto detect node.js version and automatically added (Node.js >= 20)

    node --env-file=.env server.js
    

• Pre-configured Environment Setup:

  • Includes a .env file for environment variables.

• Pre-installed Modules and Middleware:

  • Express: Web framework for Node.js.
  • Rate Limiter: Middleware to limit repeated requests to public APIs and/or endpoints.
  • Nodemon: Automatically restarts the server for development.
  • Winston: Logging library for application logs.
  • UUID: Generates unique request IDs.
  • Compression: Gzip compression for improved performance.
  • Helmet: Security middleware for HTTP headers.
  • CORS: Middleware to enable Cross-Origin Resource Sharing.
  • Body-Parser: Middleware to parse incoming request bodies.
  • Error Handling: Standardized error responses.
  • HPP: Prevent HTTP Parameter Pollution.
  • Express-Mongo-Sanitize: Prevent NoSQL injection attacks.
  • Request Logging: Logs request body, params, query, and headers.
  • Prettier: Code formatter for consistent code style.
  • .gitignore: Pre-configured to exclude sensitive files and directories.

• Database Configuration:

  • Choose from PostgreSQL, MongoDB, or None during setup.
  • Sample database connection is created in the database directory.

Prerequisites

Ensure you have the following software installed on your system:

• Node.js (version 14 or later recommended)
• npm

Installation

To create a new Express app, follow these steps:

1. Run the Generator:

   npx configure-express-app@latest
   

2. Navigate to Your Project Directory:

   cd your-project-name
   

3. Pre Installed Dependencies Automatically

4. Configure Environment Variables:

   Create a .env file in the root of your project and set your environment variables. A sample .env.example file is provided.

   cp .env.example .env
   

   Edit the .env file as needed.

5. Run the Application In Production:

   npm start
   

6. Development Mode:

   For development mode with live-reloading:

   npm run dev
   

Project Structure

Your Express app will have the following structure:

Usage

• Adding Routes: Define your routes in the routes directory. Create new files for different route groups and import them in routes/index.js.

• Creating Controllers: Implement your business logic in controllers, located in the controllers directory.

• Using Middleware: Add custom middleware in the middlewares directory.

• Database Models: Define your database models in the models directory. Ensure your database connection is configured in database/db.js.

• Environment Variables: Manage configuration settings through the .env file.

Scripts

The following scripts are available:

• npm start: Start the application.
• npm run dev: Start the application in development mode with Nodemon.
• npm run prettify: prettify your code using Prettier.

Security

• Helmet: Protects against known vulnerabilities by setting HTTP headers appropriately.
• HPP: Prevents HTTP Parameter Pollution.
• Express-Mongo-Sanitize: Prevents NoSQL injection attacks.

Contributing

If you'd like to contribute, please fork the repository and use a feature branch. Pull requests are welcome.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.