Express CLI Starter: User Guide

This guide will help you use the Express CLI Starter tool to scaffold a new Express.js project with a well-structured setup.

Installation

1. Install Node.js
   Ensure Node.js is installed on your machine. Download it from the official website.

2. Install the CLI Tool
   Run the following command to install the CLI globally:

   npm install -g express-cli-starter

How to Use

Step 1: Run the CLI Command

To create a new Express.js project, open your terminal and run:

npx express-cli-starter

Step 2: Follow the Prompt

The CLI will prompt you to enter a project name. Provide a valid name and press Enter:

? Enter the name of your Express project: my-express-app

Step 3: Project Creation

The CLI will:

1. Create a folder with the project name.
2. Scaffold a complete Express.js project with the following structure:
   • Predefined folders for routes, models, controllers, etc.
   • Essential configuration files like .env and .gitignore.
3. Initialize the project with npm.
4. Install necessary dependencies (express) and dev dependencies (nodemon).

Project Structure

After the CLI runs, your project folder will look like this:

my-express-app/
├── public/
│   ├── css/
│   ├── js/
│   └── images/
├── src/
│   ├── config/
│   │   ├── database.js
│   │   └── dotenv.js
│   ├── controllers/
│   │   ├── userController.js
│   │   └── authController.js
│   ├── middlewares/
│   │   └── authMiddleware.js
│   ├── models/
│   │   └── User.js
│   ├── routes/
│   │   ├── userRoutes.js
│   │   ├── authRoutes.js
│   │   └── index.js
│   ├── utils/
│   │   └── helpers.js
│   ├── views/
│   ├── app.js
│   └── server.js
├── .env
├── .gitignore
├── README.md
├── package.json

Starting Your Project

1. Navigate to your project directory:

   cd my-express-app

2. Start the development server:

   npm run dev

3. Open your browser and visit:

   http://localhost:3000

You'll see the default "Hello World" message.

Available npm Scripts

The generated project includes these scripts:

• npm start: Starts the server in production mode.
• npm run dev: Starts the server in development mode with nodemon.

Customizing Your Project

You can modify the scaffolded project as needed:

• Define your routes in the src/routes/ folder.
• Add middleware in the src/middlewares/ folder.
• Create models in the src/models/ folder.
• Update the database configuration in src/config/database.js.

Troubleshooting

1. Permission Issues If you encounter permission errors, run the installation with elevated privileges:

   sudo npm install -g express-cli-starter

2. Directory Already Exists If a folder with the given name already exists, you'll receive an error. Choose a different name or delete the existing folder.

Uninstallation

To remove the CLI tool globally, use:

npm uninstall -g express-cli-starter

Now you're ready to streamline your Express.js project setup with Express CLI Starter! 🚀