Create Express Boiler

A powerful CLI tool to generate production-ready Express.js backend boilerplates with customizable options for JavaScript or TypeScript, authentication, database integration, and more.

Overview

create-express-boiler is a command-line tool designed to scaffold professional, production-ready Express.js backend projects. With a simple command (npx express-pro --name <project-name>), it prompts you to configure your project with options for:

• Language: JavaScript or TypeScript
• API Type: Authentication (with JWT-based login/register) or public APIs
• Database: None, MongoDB, PostgreSQL, or MySQL
• Package Manager: npm, yarn, or pnpm
• Development Tool: nodemon (JavaScript) or ts-node-dev (TypeScript)
• Port Number: Customizable (default: 3000)
• Dependency Installation: Install dependencies automatically or skip

The generated project includes a modular structure, security middleware, error handling, logging, and example APIs, making it ready for production or development.

Installation

To use create-express-boiler, you need Node.js (LTS version recommended, e.g., 18.x or 20.x) installed. Run the following command to generate a new project:

npx express-pro --name <project-name>

This will start the interactive CLI, prompting you to configure your project.

Usage

1. Run the CLI:

   npx express-pro --name my-app

   Follow the prompts to select your preferences:

   ? Select language: (JavaScript/TypeScript)
   ? API type: (Authentication/Public API)
   ? Database type: (None/MongoDB/PostgreSQL/MySQL)
   ? Package manager: (npm/yarn/pnpm)
   ? Development tool: (nodemon/ts-node-dev)
   ? Port number: (default: 3000)
   ? Install dependencies now? (Yes/No)

2. Navigate to the Project:

   cd my-app

3. Set Up Environment:

   • Copy .env.example to .env and update values (e.g., PORT, DB_URI, JWT_SECRET if applicable).

   cp .env.example .env

4. Run the Project:

   • Development mode:

     npm run dev

   • Production mode:

     npm run start

5. Test APIs: Use tools like Postman or curl to test the generated APIs:

   • GET /api/examples: Fetch example resources
   • POST /api/examples: Create an example resource
   • If authentication is enabled:
     • POST /api/auth/register: Register a user
     • POST /api/auth/login: Login and get a JWT
     • GET /api/auth/protected: Access a protected route (requires JWT)

Features

• Customizable Boilerplate: Choose between JavaScript or TypeScript, with or without authentication, and optional database integration.
• Production-Ready:
  • Security: Includes helmet, cors, and express-rate-limit.
  • Error Handling: Global error-handling middleware.
  • Logging: Configured with winston or morgan.
  • Environment Variables: Managed with dotenv.
• Authentication: Optional JWT-based authentication with login/register APIs and protected routes.
• Database Support:
  • MongoDB: Uses mongoose with sample schemas.
  • PostgreSQL/MySQL: Uses sequelize with sample models.
• Modular Structure: Organized with MVC pattern (src/controllers, src/routes, src/models, etc.).
• Developer Tools:
  • Linting and formatting with eslint and prettier.
  • Hot-reloading with nodemon (JavaScript) or ts-node-dev (TypeScript).
• Git-Ready: Initializes a Git repository with a .gitignore file.
• Comprehensive Documentation: Generated README.md with setup instructions and API details.

Generated Project Structure

my-app/
├── src/
│   ├── controllers/
│   │   └── exampleController.js (or .ts)
│   ├── routes/
│   │   └── exampleRoutes.js (or .ts)
│   ├── middleware/ (if authentication)
│   │   └── auth.js (or .ts)
│   ├── config/ (if database)
│   │   └── db.js (or .ts)
│   ├── utils/
│   │   └── logger.js (or .ts)
│   └── app.js (or app.ts)
├── .env
├── .env.example
├── .gitignore
├── package.json
├── README.md
├── nodemon.json
└── tsconfig.json (TypeScript only)

Example APIs

• Public APIs:

  • GET /api/examples: Returns a list of example resources.
  • POST /api/examples: Creates a new example resource.

• Authentication APIs (if enabled):

  • POST /api/auth/register: Register a user (e.g., { "username": "user", "password": "pass" }).
  • POST /api/auth/login: Login and receive a JWT.
  • GET /api/auth/protected: Access a protected route (include JWT in Authorization: Bearer <token>).

Prerequisites

• Node.js (LTS version, e.g., 18.x or 20.x)
• npm, yarn, or pnpm (based on your choice)
• MongoDB, PostgreSQL, or MySQL (if database integration is selected)

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please follow these steps:

1. Fork the repository: https://github.com/fshrabon151/create-express-app
2. Create a feature branch: git checkout -b feature/your-feature
3. Commit your changes: git commit -m "Add your feature"
4. Push to the branch: git push origin feature/your-feature
5. Open a pull request.

Issues

Found a bug or have a feature request? Open an issue at https://github.com/fshrabon151/create-express-app/issues.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

Author

Created by F Shrabon.