Part 6: Introduction to Express.js – Simplifying Web Server Development in Node.js

#node #javascript #typescript

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After learning how to build a basic web server using the native http module in Node.js, let's enhance our development process by introducing Express.js. Express is a popular web application framework for Node.js that simplifies routing, middleware, and many other web server features. In this part of the series, we'll explore how to set up an Express application and use its powerful features to handle web requests more efficiently.

What is Express.js?

Express.js is a minimalistic and flexible Node.js web application framework that provides a robust set of features to develop web and mobile applications. It facilitates the rapid development of Node.js based web applications and is known for its performance and minimal footprint.

Setting Up an Express Application

First, you need to install Express in your Node.js project. Assuming you have a Node.js project setup (if not, refer to Part 2 of this series), run the following command in your project directory:

npm install express

Next, create a simple Express server:

app.js

const express = require('express');
const app = express();

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

const PORT = 3000;
app.listen(PORT, () => {
  console.log(`Server running at http://localhost:${PORT}/`);
});

This code sets up a basic web server that listens on port 3000 and responds with "Hello World with Express!" when you access the root URL.

Basic Routing with Express

Routing refers to determining how an application responds to a client's request to a particular endpoint, which is a URI (or path) and a specific HTTP request method (GET, POST, etc.).

// Respond to GET request on the root route (/), the application’s home page
app.get('/', (req, res) => {
  res.send('Welcome to the Home Page!');
});

// Respond to a POST request to the /submit route
app.post('/submit', (req, res) => {
  res.send('Form Submitted');
});

// Respond to a GET request to the /about page
app.get('/about', (req, res) => {
  res.send('About Us');
});

Using Middleware

Middleware functions are functions that have access to the request object (req), the response object (res), and the next middleware function in the application’s request-response cycle. These functions can execute any code, modify the request and response objects, end the request-response cycle, and call the next middleware function.

app.use((req, res, next) => {
  console.log('Time:', Date.now());
  next();
});

app.get('/', (req, res) => {
  res.send('Middleware example');
});

This middleware will log the current time for every request to the server.

Conclusion

Express.js simplifies the process of building server applications with Node.js. It not only makes handling requests easier with less boilerplate than the native http module but also provides powerful features like middleware handling, which can be used for executing any code, making changes to the request and response objects, ending the request-response cycle, and much more.

In the next part, we’ll delve into more advanced features of Express, including setting up routes for a sample application and integrating with databases.

Stay tuned as we continue to build on our foundational Express.js knowledge!

Series Index

Part	Title	Link
1	Ditch Passwords: Add Facial Recognition to Your Website with FACEIO	Read
2	The Ultimate Git Command Cheatsheet	Read
3	Top 12 JavaScript Resources for Learning and Mastery	Read
4	Angular vs. React: A Comprehensive Comparison	Read
5	Top 10 JavaScript Best Practices for Writing Clean Code	Read
6	Top 20 JavaScript Tricks and Tips for Every Developer 🚀	Read
7	8 Exciting New JavaScript Concepts You Need to Know	Read
8	Top 7 Tips for Managing State in JavaScript Applications	Read
9	🔒 Essential Node.js Security Best Practices	Read
10	10 Best Practices for Optimizing Angular Performance	Read
11	Top 10 React Performance Optimization Techniques	Read
12	Top 15 JavaScript Projects to Boost Your Portfolio	Read
13	6 Repositories To Master Node.js	Read
14	Best 6 Repositories To Master Next.js	Read
15	Top 5 JavaScript Libraries for Building Interactive UI	Read
16	Top 3 JavaScript Concepts Every Developer Should Know	Read
17	20 Ways to Improve Node.js Performance at Scale	Read
18	Boost Your Node.js App Performance with Compression Middleware	Read
19	Understanding Dijkstra's Algorithm: A Step-by-Step Guide	Read
20	Understanding NPM and NVM: Essential Tools for Node.js Development	Read

Top comments (9)

Anuj Rishu TIwari • May 6

Thanks for sharing

Dipak Ahirav • Jun 10

Thank you so much for your kind words and feedback! 🙏 I'm thrilled to hear that you found the post helpful. Your support means a lot to me. If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel devDive with Dipak for more content. Don’t forget to share it with your friends and help spread the word. Your support helps me to continue creating valuable content. Thanks again! 😊

Dipak Ahirav • May 6

👍

Sahil Thakur • May 11

Hello dipak, nice learning post, one thing i would like to add this after every part can u please add links of previous parts as it helps to navigate around such nice post.