simple express server js code example

Example 1: express.js server

/* ====== create node.js server with express.js framework ====== */
// dependencies
const express = require("express");

const app = express();

app.get("/", (req, res) => {
   res.send("This is home page.");
});

app.post("/", (req, res) => {
   res.send("This is home page with post request.");
});

// PORT
const PORT = 3000;

app.listen(PORT, () => {
   console.log(`Server is running on PORT: ${PORT}`);
});


// ======== Instructions ========
// save this as index.js
// you have to download and install node.js on your machine
// open terminal or command prompt
// type node index.js
// find your server at http://localhost:3000

Example 2: how to create server in node js using express

You can run the application generator with the npx command (available in Node.js 8.2.0).
$ npx express-generator
For earlier Node versions, install the application generator as a global npm package and then launch it:
$ npm install -g express-generator
For example, the following creates an Express app named myapp. The app will be created in a folder named myapp in the current working directory and the view engine will be set to Pug:
$ express --view=pug myapp

   create : myapp
   create : myapp/package.json
   create : myapp/app.js
   create : myapp/public
   create : myapp/public/javascripts
   create : myapp/public/images
   create : myapp/routes
   create : myapp/routes/index.js
   create : myapp/routes/users.js
   create : myapp/public/stylesheets
   create : myapp/public/stylesheets/style.css
   create : myapp/views
   create : myapp/views/index.pug
   create : myapp/views/layout.pug
   create : myapp/views/error.pug
   create : myapp/bin
   create : myapp/bin/www
Then install dependencies:
$ cd myapp
$ npm install
On MacOS or Linux, run the app with this command:
$ DEBUG=myapp:* npm start
On Windows Command Prompt, use this command:
> set DEBUG=myapp:* & npm start
On Windows PowerShell, use this command:
PS> $env:DEBUG='myapp:*'; npm start
Then load http://localhost:3000/ in your browser to access the app.
The generated app has the following directory structure:
.
├── app.js
├── bin
│   └── www
├── package.json
├── public
│   ├── images
│   ├── javascripts
│   └── stylesheets
│       └── style.css
├── routes
│   ├── index.js
│   └── users.js
└── views
    ├── error.pug
    ├── index.pug
    └── layout.pug

7 directories, 9 files
The app structure created by the generator is just one of many ways to structure Express apps. Feel free to use this structure or modify it to best suit your needs.

Example 3: javascript express setting up a server

There are several steps for setting up a basic Express Server:

1. Run npm init -y
2. Install your dependencies (express)
3. Create a .gitignore file
4. Add node_modules to your .gitignore
5. Create the server directory
6. Create your index file
7. Require your dependencies
8. Declare your app variable
9. Declare your listen port
10. invoke the listen method and add a console log to the callback
11. run nodemon server/index.js in your terminal
12. success