Express.js Explained: Understanding the Basics in 60 Seconds

Express.js is a popular web application framework for Node.js that simplifies the process of building robust and efficient web applications. In this tutorial, we will delve into what Express.js is, its key features, and how it can be used to create web applications in just 60 seconds.

Express.js is a minimal and flexible Node.js web application framework that provides a wide range of features for building web applications and APIs. It is known for its simplicity, speed, and ease of use, making it a popular choice among developers.

Express.js provides a set of middleware functions that can be used to handle various aspects of a web application, such as routing, request and response handling, and error handling. It also provides a modular structure that allows developers to easily add new functionality to their applications by using middleware and third-party packages.

One of the key features of Express.js is its routing system, which allows developers to define routes for different URL paths and HTTP methods. This makes it easy to create RESTful APIs and handle different types of requests in a concise and organized manner.

Express.js also supports template engines, such as Pug and EJS, which can be used to generate dynamic HTML content based on data from the server. This makes it easy to create dynamic web pages and customize the user experience based on user input.

In addition, Express.js provides support for middleware functions, which can be used to perform tasks such as authentication, logging, and error handling. Middleware functions can be chained together to create a pipeline that processes incoming requests and responses in a sequential manner.

To get started with Express.js, you first need to install it using npm, the Node.js package manager. You can do this by running the following command in your terminal:

npm install express

Once Express.js is installed, you can create a new Express application by importing the module and using it to create an instance of the app:

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

You can then define routes for different URL paths and HTTP methods using the app object. For example, to create a route that handles GET requests to the root URL, you can do the following:

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

Finally, you can start the Express application by specifying a port number and calling the listen method on the app object:

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

In just 60 seconds, you have learned about Express.js and how to create a simple web application using this powerful framework. Express.js is a versatile and powerful tool that can be used to build a wide range of web applications, from simple websites to complex APIs. So go ahead and start exploring Express.js to take your web development skills to the next level!