create-mern-cli

Create MERN CLI 🚀

A powerful CLI tool to scaffold full-stack MERN (MongoDB, Express, React, Node.js) applications with robust error handling and automatic cleanup.

Features ✨

• Interactive Setup: Guided CLI prompts for project configuration
• Automatic Error Recovery: Comprehensive cleanup on setup failures
• Modern Frontend: Choose between Vite or Webpack
• Backend Options: Mongoose (MongoDB) or Sequelize (SQL) support
• Testing Ready: Optional Jest/Mocha testing setup
• Production-Ready: Includes essential middleware and security best practices

Installation 📦

npx create-mern-cli@latest

For global installation:

npm install -g create-mern-cli
create-mern-cli

What's New in v2.0 🆕

• Automatic Cleanup: If setup fails, all created files are removed
• Enhanced Error Handling: Detailed error messages with recovery suggestions
• Optimized Dependencies: Faster installation with only essential packages
• Windows Support: Improved compatibility for Windows systems

Usage 🛠️

Run the CLI and follow the interactive prompts:

npx create-mern-cli

You'll be asked to configure:

• Project name
• Frontend bundler (Vite/Webpack)
• CSS framework (Tailwind/Bootstrap/None)
• Backend ORM (Mongoose/Sequelize/None)
• Testing setup (Jest/Mocha)

Project Structure 📂

Your new project will include:

project-name/
├── client/            # React frontend
│   ├── public/        # Static assets
│   ├── src/           # Application code
│   └── package.json   # Frontend dependencies
│
└── server/           # Node.js server
    ├── controllers/   # Business logic
    ├── routes/        # API endpoints  
    ├── models/        # Database models
    ├── .env           # Environment variables
    ├── index.js       # Server entry point
    └── package.json   # Backend dependencies

Error Recovery System ⚠️

The CLI features robust error handling:

• Automatic Rollback: If any step fails, all created files are deleted
• Detailed Logging: Clear error messages with cleanup status
• Safe Retry: Clean state allows restarting the setup

Example error scenario:

Error: Failed to install dependencies
🧹 Cleaning up created files and directories...
  - Deleted file: /projects/test-mern/backend/package.json
  - Deleted directory: /projects/test-mern/backend
⚠️ Setup failed. All created files have been removed.

Getting Started 🏁

• Start development servers:

cd your-project-name
cd client && npm run dev  # Frontend
cd server && npm run dev # Backend

• Access your app at http://localhost:3000

Configuration ⚙️

Essential Environment Variables

Backend .env template:

PORT=5000
NODE_ENV=development

# MongoDB (if using Mongoose)
MONGO_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/yourdb

# SQL (if using Sequelize)
DB_NAME=yourdb
DB_USER=root
DB_PASSWORD=
DB_HOST=localhost

Customizing the Backend

The generated backend includes:

• Express server with CORS and JSON middleware
• Example CRUD routes/controllers
• Error handling middleware
• Nodemon for development

Deployment 🚀

Frontend

cd client
npm run build  # Outputs to /dist

Backend

cd server
npm start     # Production mode

Recommended hosting:

• Frontend: Vercel, Netlify, AWS S3
• Backend: Railway, Heroku, AWS EC2

FAQ ❓

Q: What if installation gets interrupted?
A: The cleanup system will remove all partial files automatically.

Q: How do I add more backend routes?
A: Create new files in:

• backend/routes/ for endpoints
• backend/controllers/ for business logic

Q: Can I use TypeScript?
A: Yes! Select TypeScript when prompted during Vite setup.

Support 🛟

For issues, please:

• Check error messages carefully
• Clear node_modules and try again
• Open a GitHub issue with:
  • Node.js version (node -v)
  • Exact error message
  • Steps to reproduce

Contributing 🤝

We welcome contributions! Please:

• Fork the repository
• Create a feature branch
• Submit a pull request

License 📄

MIT © Prashant Sharma and Vikas Tiwari

Thank You