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Lutor Ayangaor
Lutor Ayangaor

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Step by step guide for Creating a NodeJS Application for Novice

Here are the simple step by step guide to create a NodeJS application.

  1. Install Node.js: First, you need to download and install Node.js on your computer. You can download the latest version of Node.js from their official website https://nodejs.org/en/.

  2. Create a new folder: Create a new folder where you want to store your Node.js application files.

  3. Initialize a new Node.js project: Open the command prompt or terminal, navigate to the folder you just created, and run the following command:
    npm init
    This command will prompt you to enter some basic information about your project, such as the name, version, description, entry point, and so on. You can either accept the default values or enter your own.

  4. Install necessary packages: Depending on your project's requirements, you may need to install additional packages or libraries. For example, if you are building a web application, you may need to install the Express.js framework. You can install packages using the following command:
    npm install express

  5. Create a JavaScript file: Create a new file in your project folder and name it index.js. This will be the entry point of your application.

  6. Write your Node.js application code: Open the index.js file in your code editor and start writing your Node.js application code. Here is a simple example:

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

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

app.listen(3000, () => {
  console.log('Server started on port 3000');
});
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This code creates a new Express.js application, sets up a basic route that sends a "Hello World!" message to the client when the root URL is requested, and starts the server on port 3000.

Run your Node.js application: Open the command prompt or terminal, navigate to your project folder, and run the following command:
node index.js
This will start your Node.js application and you should see the "Server started on port 3000" message in the console.

That's it! You have now created a basic Node.js application. Of course, this is just the beginning. There is a lot more you can do with Node.js, so keep learning and experimenting!

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