Categories: softare development

How to Create Your First Node JS Application

Node.js is useful for building back-end services like APIs, Web Applications or Mobile Applications. It’s used in production by large companies such as Walmart, Uber, Netflix, Paypal, etc.

In this tutorial, we are going to see how we can create and run our first Node JS application.

Free Web And Mobile App Template Source Code

Download free web and mobile app template source code

Let’s get started!

1. Download Node JS

First you need to download Node JS. To confirm that it is installed run the command:

node -v

2. Create a folder and open it up in the terminal

Create a project folder and call it whatever you want to call it. Then open up that folder in your terminal / command prompt and run the following command:

npm init

The npm init command is used to create a Node.js project. The npm init command will create a package where the project files will be stored. All the modules you download will be stored in the package.json file

You will be prompted to add the following project information when creating a project:

  • Project name
  • Project initial version
  • Project description
  • The project’s entry point
  • The project’s test command
  • The project’s git repository
  • The project’s license

The default project entry point is usually index.js. Although that can differ from server to server as will look for app.js or main.js to run your application.

3. Add express server

Next, we will add our express server dependency. Express will give you an easier solution to middleware, routing, templating and even debugging.

Run the command:

npm i express

Your package.json file should look like this

package.json

4. Create the index.js file

Now, go to your directory and create a file called index.js, which will be the entry point to our application and add the following code:

const express = require('express');  
const app = express();               
const port = 5000;  //port number where your server will be listening

app.get('/', (req, res) => {  //get requests to the root ("/") 
    res.sendFile('index.html', {root: __dirname});                                                            
});

app.listen(port, () => { //server starts listening 
    console.log(`listening on port ${port}`);
});

5. Create the index.html file

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
    <head>
        <meta charset="UTF-8">
        <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">

        <title>Node JS Simple App</title>
    </head>
    <body>
        <div>Hello World!</div>
    </body>
</html>

6. Finally, Run your application

Run your app with the following command:

node index

Congratulations!

You have created your first node JS application.

See Also

Create a login form with Node JS and MySQL

Create a registration from with Node JS and MySQL

Recent Posts

What are WebSockets?

If you've played Fortnite, watched a live ESPN match, or used Slack or Microsoft Teams,…

11 hours ago

How to Use Custom Hooks in React

A custom hook in React is a JavaScript function that leverages React’s built-in hooks—like useState,…

3 days ago

South Korea bans downloads of DeepSeek AI until further notice

The South Korean government announced on Monday that it had temporarily halted new downloads of…

2 weeks ago

Which programming language is best for software development?

As a software developer, choosing the right programming language for software development can be a…

2 weeks ago

What is a server farm?

A server farm, also known as a server cluster or data center, is a collection…

2 weeks ago

Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service is awaiting authorization to begin operations in Pakistan.

Pakistan's mobile and broadband internet speeds rank in the bottom 10 percent globally, according to…

2 weeks ago