MVC Node.js Generator

A powerful command-line tool to generate a complete MVC (Model-View-Controller) structure for Node.js applications with essential boilerplate code, authentication, and best practices built-in.

Features

• 🏗️ Complete MVC architecture setup
• 🔐 Authentication system with JWT
• 🎨 Multiple view engine support (EJS, Pug, Handlebars)
• 🔒 Security features (Helmet, Rate Limiting, etc.)
• 📝 Input validation and sanitization
• 🗃️ MongoDB integration with Mongoose
• 🎯 RESTful API structure
• 📱 Responsive CSS boilerplate
• ⚡ Development ready with nodemon
• 🔍 Error handling middleware
• 📦 Modern ES6+ syntax

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v14 or higher)
• MongoDB (local or remote)
• npm or yarn

Installation

To install the package globally, run:

npm install -g mvc-nodejs-generator

Usage

You can create a new MVC project in two ways:

1. With a project name:

create-mvc-app my-project

2. Without a project name (you'll be prompted):

create-mvc-app

The CLI will guide you through the setup process, asking for:

Project Configuration

• Project name (default: my-mvc-app)
• View engine preference (EJS, Pug, or Handlebars)

Database Configuration

You have three options for MongoDB setup:

1. Local MongoDB

   • Host: localhost (default)
   • Port: 27017 (default)
   • Database name
   • Username (optional)
   • Password (optional)

2. MongoDB Atlas (Cloud)

   • Host (e.g., cluster0.xxxxx.mongodb.net)
   • Database name
   • Username
   • Password

3. Custom MongoDB URL

   • Full MongoDB connection URI
   • Example local: mongodb://localhost:27017/mydb
   • Example Atlas: mongodb+srv://username:[email protected]/mydb

MongoDB Connection Examples

1. Local MongoDB without authentication

Host: localhost
Port: 27017
Database: my-app
Result URI: mongodb://localhost:27017/my-app

2. Local MongoDB with authentication

Host: localhost
Port: 27017
Database: my-app
Username: myuser
Password: mypassword
Result URI: mongodb://myuser:mypassword@localhost:27017/my-app

3. MongoDB Atlas

Host: cluster0.xxxxx.mongodb.net
Database: my-app
Username: atlasuser
Password: atlaspassword
Result URI: mongodb+srv://atlasuser:[email protected]/my-app

Project Structure

my-project/
├── app.js                 # Application entry point
├── package.json          # Project dependencies and scripts
├── .env                  # Environment variables
├── .gitignore           # Git ignore rules
├── controllers/         # Route controllers
│   ├── homeController.js
│   └── userController.js
├── models/              # Database models
│   └── User.js
├── views/               # View templates
│   ├── layouts/
│   │   └── main.ejs
│   ├── partials/
│   │   ├── header.ejs
│   │   └── footer.ejs
│   └── index.ejs
├── routes/              # Route definitions
│   ├── index.js
│   └── users.js
├── config/             # Configuration files
│   └── database.js
├── middlewares/        # Custom middleware
│   ├── auth.js
│   └── validators.js
├── public/             # Static files
│   ├── css/
│   │   └── style.css
│   ├── js/
│   └── images/
├── utils/              # Utility functions
└── services/          # Business logic services

Features in Detail

Authentication

• JWT-based authentication system
• User registration and login endpoints
• Protected routes middleware
• Password hashing with bcrypt

Security

• Helmet.js for security headers
• Rate limiting for API endpoints
• CORS configuration
• Input validation and sanitization
• Secure password handling

Database

• MongoDB connection with Mongoose
• User model with schema validation
• Connection error handling
• Graceful shutdown

API Structure

• RESTful endpoints
• Structured route handling
• Controller-based logic
• Error handling middleware

Frontend

• Responsive CSS boilerplate
• Modular view structure
• Partial views support
• Multiple view engine support

Getting Started

After creating your project:

1. Navigate to your project directory:

cd my-project

2. Install dependencies:

npm install

3. Configure your environment: The .env file is created automatically with your database configuration, but you should:

• Update the JWT_SECRET with a secure key
• Modify other variables as needed:

  PORT=3000
  MONGODB_URI=your_generated_mongodb_uri
  JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret_key
  NODE_ENV=development

4. Start the development server:

npm run dev

Available Scripts

• npm start: Start the production server
• npm run dev: Start the development server with nodemon

API Endpoints

Public Routes

• POST /api/users/register: Register a new user
• POST /api/users/login: Login user
• GET /: Home page

Protected Routes

• GET /api/users/profile: Get user profile (requires authentication)

Customization

Adding New Models

1. Create a new file in the models directory
2. Define your Mongoose schema
3. Add validation rules
4. Export the model

Adding New Routes

1. Create a route file in routes directory
2. Define your endpoints
3. Create corresponding controllers
4. Add to app.js

Middleware

• Add custom middleware in middlewares directory
• Register in app.js or specific routes

Best Practices

1. Security

   • Always validate user input
   • Use environment variables for sensitive data
   • Implement rate limiting for APIs
   • Keep dependencies updated

2. Code Organization

   • Follow MVC pattern
   • Use async/await for asynchronous operations
   • Implement error handling
   • Use middleware for common operations

3. Database

   • Use Mongoose middleware for hooks
   • Implement proper indexing
   • Handle connection errors
   • Use appropriate MongoDB connection options

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

License

MIT