quick-ejs

quick-ejs is an interactive CLI tool for quickly setting up modern Express.js projects with your choice of EJS templates, static HTML, or a backend-only no-view-engine mode. It provides a comprehensive boilerplate with optional MySQL (XAMPP) or MongoDB integration, JWT authentication, and MVC architecture.

Quick Start

Use npx to create a new project without installing the package globally:

npx quick-ejs my-project

Or install globally:

npm install -g quick-ejs
quick-ejs my-project

Features

• Interactive CLI with modern prompts
• Choice between EJS templating, static HTML, or backend-only (no view engine)
• Optional MVC architecture with routes and controllers
• MySQL (XAMPP) integration with ready-to-use user model and DB config
• MongoDB integration with user models
• JWT-based authentication system
• Beautiful default styling with Lucide icons
• Responsive design out of the box
• Support for npm, yarn, and pnpm
• ES6 modules throughout
• Environment variable configuration
• Error handling and 404 pages

Generated Project Structure

my-project/
├── public/
│ ├── css/style.css # Modern responsive styles
│ ├── js/app.js # Client-side JavaScript
│ └── assets/ # Images, fonts, etc.
├── views/ (if EJS)
│ ├── index.ejs # Main template
│ └── partials/ # Reusable components
├── routes/ (if enabled)
│ ├── index.js # Route definitions
│ └── auth.js # Auth routes
├── controllers/ (if enabled)
│ ├── homeController.js # Request handlers
│ └── authController.js # Auth logic
├── models/ (if MySQL or MongoDB)
│ └── User.js # User model
├── config/ (if MySQL or MongoDB)
│ └── db.js # Database connection
├── middleware/ (if auth)
│ └── auth.js # JWT middleware
├── .env.example # Environment template
├── .gitignore
├── package.json # ES6 module configuration
└── server.js # Application entry point

CLI Options

The interactive CLI will ask you to choose:

1. Project name - Your application name
2. Template type - None (backend only), EJS (dynamic), or HTML (static)
3. Routes - Separate route files for organization
4. Controllers - MVC pattern with controller layer
5. Database - None, MySQL (XAMPP), or MongoDB
6. Authentication - JWT-based auth system
7. Package Manager - npm, yarn, or pnpm

Example Usage

Basic EJS Project

npx quick-ejs my-blog

Follow the prompts:

• Template: EJS
• Routes: Yes
• Controllers: Yes
• MongoDB: No
• Package Manager: npm

Full-Stack with Authentication

npx quick-ejs my-auth-app

Follow the prompts:

• Template: EJS
• Routes: Yes
• Controllers: Yes
• Database: MongoDB
• Authentication: Yes
• Package Manager: npm

MySQL (XAMPP) + Authentication

npx quick-ejs my-mysql-app

Follow the prompts:

• Template: EJS
• Routes: Yes
• Controllers: Yes
• Database: MySQL (XAMPP)
• Authentication: Yes
• Package Manager: npm

Static HTML Project

npx quick-ejs my-website

Follow the prompts:

• Template: HTML
• Routes: No
• Controllers: No
• MongoDB: No
• Package Manager: npm

Backend-Only API Project

npx quick-ejs my-api

Follow the prompts:

• Template: None (Backend only API)
• Routes: Yes
• Controllers: Yes
• Database: None/MySQL/MongoDB
• Package Manager: npm

What's New in v3.x

• ES6 module support - Modern JavaScript syntax throughout
• Interactive CLI - User-friendly prompts similar to create-next-app
• Modern styling - Beautiful default CSS with Lucide icons
• MongoDB integration - Optional database setup with Mongoose
• MySQL (XAMPP) integration - Optional MySQL setup with mysql2 and generated user model
• JWT authentication - Secure auth system with bcrypt and JWT
• MVC architecture - Optional routes and controllers pattern
• Multiple package managers - Support for npm, yarn, and pnpm
• Clean output - Professional terminal interface with ora spinners
• Comprehensive error handling - Built-in 404 and error pages

Project Features

Beautiful Default Styling

Every generated project comes with:

• Modern gradient backgrounds
• Responsive grid layouts
• Smooth animations and transitions
• Lucide icon integration
• Mobile-first design
• CSS custom properties for easy theming

Environment Configuration

Projects include .env.example with:

• PORT configuration
• NODE_ENV settings
• MySQL variables: DB_HOST, DB_USER, DB_PASSWORD, DB_NAME (if selected)
• MongoDB URI (if selected)
• JWT secrets (if auth selected)

Ready-to-Use Scripts

Generated package.json includes:

• npm start - Production server
• npm run dev - Development with nodemon

Requirements

• Node.js: 18.0.0 or later
• npm: 6.0.0 or later (or equivalent yarn/pnpm)

v1.0.2 (Previous)

• Basic Express + EJS setup
• Simple file structure generation
• Font file copying

Links

• GitHub: https://github.com/MakPr016/quick-ejs
• npm: https://www.npmjs.com/package/quick-ejs
• Issues: https://github.com/MakPr016/quick-ejs/issues

License

MIT © Mayank K.S

Acknowledgments

• Inspired by create-next-app and create-react-app
• Icons by Lucide
• Built with Inquirer.js
• Styled with Chalk
• Loading spinners by Ora

Made with ❤️ by Mayank K.S

Happy coding!