How To Easily Create a Server with Node.js & Express.js

Node.js is a popular JavaScript runtime that allows developers to run JavaScript code outside of a web browser. It is commonly used for creating server-side applications and APIs. Express.js is a popular web application framework for Node.js, which makes it easy to build web applications and APIs.

Step 1: Install Node.js

If you don’t have Node.js installed on your computer, you can download it from the official website (https://nodejs.org) and follow the installation instructions for your operating system.

Step 2: Create a New Project

Open your terminal or command prompt and create a new directory for your project. Navigate to the new directory and run the following command to initialize a new Node.js project:


npm init -y


Step 3: Install Express.js

Run the following command in your terminal to install Express.js as a dependency in your project:


npm install express


Step 4: Create a Server File

Create a new file in your project directory called server.js. This file will be the entry point for your server. Open server.js in your preferred code editor and add the following code:

        const express = require('express');
        const app = express();

        app.get('/', (req, res) => {
            res.send('Hello, World!');
        });

        const port = process.env.PORT || 3000;
        app.listen(port, () => {
            console.log(`Server is running on port ${port}`);
        });
    

Step 5: Start the Server

In your terminal, run the following command to start the server:


node server.js


Now you have a simple server running with Node.js and Express.js. You can visit http://localhost:3000 in your web browser to see the “Hello, World!” message.

Conclusion

Creating a server with Node.js and Express.js is an easy and powerful way to build web applications and APIs. With just a few simple steps, you can have a server up and running in no time.