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Build a REST API with Node.js and Express

2 min read Technical

Step-by-step guide to creating a production-ready REST API with Node.js and Express.

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Build a REST API with Node.js and Express

Building APIs is a fundamental skill for modern web developers. Let’s create one from scratch.

Prerequisites

  • Node.js installed
  • Basic JavaScript knowledge
  • A code editor

Project Setup

First, create a new directory and initialize npm:

mkdir my-api
cd my-api
npm init -y

Install Express:

npm install express

Creating the Server

Create index.js:

const express = require('express');
const app = express();
const PORT = 3000;

app.use(express.json());

// Routes
app.get('/', (req, res) => {
  res.json({ message: 'Welcome to the API' });
});

app.get('/api/users', (req, res) => {
  res.json([
    { id: 1, name: 'John' },
    { id: 2, name: 'Jane' }
  ]);
});

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

Adding CRUD Operations

let users = [
  { id: 1, name: 'John' },
  { id: 2, name: 'Jane' }
];

// Create
app.post('/api/users', (req, res) => {
  const user = {
    id: users.length + 1,
    name: req.body.name
  };
  users.push(user);
  res.status(201).json(user);
});

// Update
app.put('/api/users/:id', (req, res) => {
  const user = users.find(u => u.id === parseInt(req.params.id));
  if (!user) return res.status(404).json({ error: 'Not found' });
  user.name = req.body.name;
  res.json(user);
});

// Delete
app.delete('/api/users/:id', (req, res) => {
  users = users.filter(u => u.id !== parseInt(req.params.id));
  res.status(204).send();
});

Error Handling

Always handle errors gracefully:

app.use((err, req, res, next) => {
  console.error(err.stack);
  res.status(500).json({ error: 'Something went wrong!' });
});

Conclusion

You now have a functional REST API! Next steps: add validation, authentication, and a database.

#nodejs#express#api#backend

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Creator behind Musetrend.

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