Getting Started

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Getting Started#

Getting Started with Node.js. Here’s a step-by-step guide to getting started with Node.js.

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Step 1: Prerequisites

  • Node.js: Node.js is a JavaScript runtime built on Chrome’s V8 JavaScript engine.

  • npm: npm (Node Package Manager) is included with Node.js and is used to manage packages for your Node.js applications.

Step 2: Install Node.js and npm

Download and install Node.js from the official website. This installation will include npm. Follow the instructions specific to your operating system.

You can verify the installation by running the following commands in your terminal or command prompt:

node -v
npm -v

These commands should output the versions of Node.js and npm installed on your system.

Step 3: Initialize a New Node.js Project

Create a new directory for your project and navigate into it:

mkdir my-node-app
cd my-node-app

Initialize a new Node.js project by running:

npm init -y

This command will create a package.json` file with default settings. The package.json file manages the dependencies and scripts for your Node.js project.

Step 4: Install Express

Express is a minimal and flexible Node.js web application framework that provides a robust set of features for web and mobile applications.

Install Express using npm:

npm install express --save

Step 5: Create a Basic Server

Create a new file named app.js in your project directory and add the following code to set up a basic Express server:

const express = require('express');
const app = express();
const port = 3000;

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

app.listen(port, () => {
console.log(`Example app listening at http://localhost:${port}`);
});

This code creates a basic web server that listens on port 3000 and responds with Hello, World! when the root URL (“/”) is accessed.

Step 6: Run the Server

Start your server by running the following command in your terminal:

node app.js

You should see the message Example app listening at http://localhost:3000 in your terminal.

Step 7: Access Your Application

Open your web browser and navigate to http://localhost:3000. You should see Hello, World! displayed on the page.

Step 8: Add More Routes

To add more routes, open the app.js file and add additional route handlers. For example:

app.get('/about', (req, res) => {
res.send('About Page');
});

app.get('/contact', (req, res) => {
res.send('Contact Page');
});

Now, when you navigate to http://localhost:3000/about and http://localhost:3000/contact, you will see “About Page” and “Contact Page” respectively.

At this point, you should be familiar with the basic concepts regarding Node.JS

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