@amalkrishnakp/mern_launcher

A CLI tool for instant MERN stack project setup. Get from zero to fully configured development environment in minutes.

Quick Start

npx @amalkrishnakp/mern_launcher

Features

• Complete MERN Stack - MongoDB, Express, React, Node.js with modern tooling
• Development Optimized - Hot reload for both frontend (Vite) and backend (Nodemon)
• Production Ready - Best practices and security configurations included
• Pre-configured Tools - Tailwind CSS, shadcn/ui, Axios, CORS, environment variables
• Smart CLI - Interactive prompts, flexible project location, cross-platform support

Usage

1. Run the CLI:

   npx @amalkrishnakp/mern_launcher

2. Answer the prompts:

   • Choose to use current folder or create new project
   • Enter project name (if creating new)
   • Provide MongoDB connection string

3. Start development:

   # Terminal 1 - Backend
   cd backend
   npm run dev
      
   # Terminal 2 - Frontend
   cd frontend
   npm run dev

4. Access your app:

   • Frontend: http://localhost:5173
   • Backend API: http://localhost:5000

What Gets Installed

Backend

• express - Web framework
• mongoose - MongoDB ODM
• cors - Cross-origin requests
• dotenv - Environment management
• nodemon - Hot reload

Frontend

• react - UI library
• vite - Build tool & dev server
• tailwindcss - CSS framework
• shadcn/ui - UI components
• axios - HTTP client

Configuration

Environment (.env)

NODE_ENV=development
MONGO_URL=your_mongodb_connection

API Client

import { axiosInstance } from '@/lib/axios'
// Pre-configured for http://localhost:5000

Development Commands

# Backend
npm run dev    # Development with hot reload
npm start      # Production

# Frontend
npm run dev    # Development server
npm run build  # Production build
npm run preview # Preview build

Perfect For

• Rapid Prototyping - Test ideas quickly
• Learning MERN - Complete setup for students
• Hackathons - Start coding immediately
• Side Projects - Focus on building, not configuring
• Proof of Concepts - Validate ideas fast

Troubleshooting

Port conflicts: Check if ports 5173 or 5000 are in use MongoDB connection: Verify your connection string Permission errors: Check project directory permissions

Links

• GitHub Repository
• Report Issues

Save hours of setup time. Start coding your MERN application immediately.