Express by Examples

Express is the most popular framework for NodeJS.

This chapter will explain how to install Express and how to create your working environment.

 

#npm install -g express

This insatlls express framework globally because we want other Linux users can use express too. Express is installed as a node module inside /usr/lib/node_modules/express/ directory.

 

 

#npm install -g express-generator

This installs utility app for automatic generation of express environment.

Thus you can install all necessery files into your project with command:

 

$express myproject

     create : myproject
   create : myproject/package.json
   create : myproject/app.js
   create : myproject/public
   create : myproject/public/javascripts
   create : myproject/public/stylesheets
   create : myproject/public/stylesheets/style.css
   create : myproject/routes
   create : myproject/routes/index.js
   create : myproject/routes/users.js
   create : myproject/views
   create : myproject/views/index.jade
   create : myproject/views/layout.jade
   create : myproject/views/error.jade
   create : myproject/public/images
   create : myproject/bin
   create : myproject/bin/www


 

 After that install dependencies:

$cd myproject

$npm install

 

package.json contains

{
  "name": "myproject",
  "version": "0.0.0",
  "private": true,
  "scripts": {
    "start": "node ./bin/www"
  },
  "dependencies": {
    "body-parser": "~1.10.2",
    "cookie-parser": "~1.3.3",
    "debug": "~2.1.1",
    "express": "~4.11.1",
    "jade": "~1.9.1",
    "morgan": "~1.5.1",
    "serve-favicon": "~2.2.0"
  }
}

 

 

To see other options type:

$express -h

-h, --help          output usage information
-V, --version       output the version number
-e, --ejs           add ejs engine support (defaults to jade)
     --hbs           add handlebars engine support
-H, --hogan         add hogan.js engine support
-c, --css <engine>  add stylesheet <engine> support (less|stylus|compass) (defaults to plain css)
     --git           add .gitignore
-f, --force         force on non-empty directory

 

 

 

Notice that we can use express command in a linux shell because of existance /usr/lib/express file.