create-bend

Official initializer for Bend - Create production-ready backend projects with enterprise security and logging in seconds.

Quick Start

Using npm (Recommended)

npm create bend@latest

With Project Name

npm create bend@latest my-backend

Other Package Managers

# pnpm
pnpm create bend

# yarn
yarn create bend

# bun
bunx create-bend

What You Get

Every project includes:

Security (Production-Ready)

• ✅ helmet() - Security HTTP headers
• ✅ cors() - Cross-origin resource sharing
• ✅ rateLimit() - DDoS protection (100 req/15min)
• ✅ hpp() - HTTP parameter pollution prevention
• ✅ compression() - Response compression
• ✅ Body limits - Memory exhaustion prevention

Logging & Monitoring

• ✅ Winston - Enterprise-grade logging
• ✅ Daily rotation - 30-day retention, 20MB max size
• ✅ Structured logs - JSON format (error, combined, exceptions)
• ✅ HTTP logging - Morgan middleware integration
• ✅ Production-ready - Compatible with DataDog, Splunk, ELK

Error Handling

• ✅ Async error handling - No try/catch needed
• ✅ Centralized errors - Single error middleware
• ✅ Graceful shutdown - Proper cleanup on exit
• ✅ Unhandled rejections - No silent crashes

Stack Options

Choose Your Stack

• Runtimes: Node.js or Bun (auto-detected)
• Languages: TypeScript or JavaScript
• Frameworks: Express or Fastify
• ORMs: Mongoose (MongoDB) or Prisma (SQL)

Total: 8 template combinations - All fully tested and production-ready.

How It Works

create-bend is a lightweight initializer that:

1. Detects your runtime (Node.js or Bun)
2. Detects your package manager (npm, pnpm, yarn, or bun)
3. Downloads bend-core
4. Runs the interactive setup
5. Generates your project

No installation required - Everything works via npm create.

Interactive Setup

Running npm create bend starts an interactive CLI:

? Project name: my-backend
? Select a language: TypeScript
? Select a framework: Express
? Select an ORM: Mongoose
? Install dependencies? Yes

✓ Project created at ./my-backend
✓ Dependencies installed
✓ Ready to start!

cd my-backend
npm run dev

Generated Project

my-backend/
├── src/
│   ├── config/
│   │   ├── database.ts      # DB connection
│   │   └── logger.ts        # Winston config
│   ├── controllers/         # Route controllers
│   ├── models/              # Database models
│   │   └── User.model.ts    # Example model
│   ├── routes/              # API routes
│   │   └── health.routes.ts
│   ├── services/            # Business logic
│   ├── middlewares/         # Custom middlewares
│   ├── utils/               # Utilities
│   ├── app.ts               # App + security
│   └── server.ts            # Entry point
├── logs/                    # Auto-generated
├── .env                     # Environment vars
├── .gitignore
├── package.json
├── tsconfig.json            # (if TypeScript)
└── README.md

Example: What Your API Includes

// app.ts - Already configured for you!

import helmet from 'helmet';
import cors from 'cors';
import rateLimit from 'express-rate-limit';
import hpp from 'hpp';

const app = express();

// Security
app.use(helmet());
app.use(cors());
app.use(hpp());

// Rate limiting
const limiter = rateLimit({
  windowMs: 15 * 60 * 1000,
  max: 100,
});
app.use('/api/', limiter);

// ... and more!

Environment Variables

Configure via .env:

# Server
PORT=3000
NODE_ENV=development

# Database (MongoDB)
MONGODB_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/myapp

# Database (Prisma - PostgreSQL)
DATABASE_URL="postgresql://user:password@localhost:5432/mydb"

# Security
CORS_ORIGIN=https://yourdomain.com

# Logging
LOG_LEVEL=info

Commands

Run these in your generated project:

# Development
npm run dev        # Start with auto-reload
npm start          # Production mode

# Build (TypeScript)
npm run build      # Compile to dist/

# Linting
npm run lint       # Check code quality
npm run lint:fix   # Auto-fix issues

# Formatting
npm run format     # Format code

Package Comparison

Bend offers three packages for different use cases:

create-bend (This Package)

Best for: End users creating new projects

npm create bend@latest

What it does: Lightweight initializer that downloads and runs bend-core

bend-core

Best for: Direct usage or programmatic access

npx bend-core

What it does: Core library with all templates and scaffolding logic

bendjs

Best for: Users who prefer global installation

npm install -g bendjs
bend

What it does: Global CLI wrapper around bend-core

Why create-bend?

• Zero installation: Works via npm create
• Always latest: Downloads current version of bend-core
• Standard pattern: Follows npm init/create conventions
• Package manager friendly: Works with npm, pnpm, yarn, bun

FAQ

Do I need to install create-bend?

No! Use npm create bend to run it directly without installation.

What's the difference between create-bend and bend-core?

create-bend is a thin wrapper that downloads and runs bend-core. Use create-bend via npm create bend.

Can I use with Bun?

Yes! Bend fully supports Bun runtime. Use bunx create-bend.

Can I customize the templates?

Yes, after generation. All code is yours to modify. No vendor lock-in.

Is this production-ready?

Absolutely! All templates include:

• Security middlewares (helmet, cors, rate-limit, hpp)
• Enterprise logging (Winston with daily rotation)
• Error handling (async errors, centralized middleware)
• Best practices (TypeScript strict mode, ESLint, Prettier)

Links

• Main Project: https://github.com/bendhq/bend
• npm (create-bend): https://www.npmjs.com/package/create-bend
• npm (bend-core): https://www.npmjs.com/package/bend-core
• npm (bendjs): https://www.npmjs.com/package/bendjs
• Website: https://bendhq.org
• Documentation: https://bendhq.org/docs
• Issues: https://github.com/bendhq/bend/issues

License

MIT © Bend

Part of Bend - Production-ready backends in seconds.