Node.js TypeScript Server Template

A robust and scalable Node.js server template built with TypeScript, Express, and modern development tools. This template is designed to help you quickly set up a production-ready Node.js server with TypeScript.

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Features

• TypeScript: Strongly-typed JavaScript for better development experience.
• Express: Fast and minimalist web framework for Node.js.
• Morgan: HTTP request logging for monitoring incoming requests.
• Dotenv: Environment variable management.
• Nodemon: Automatic server restart during development.
• Modular Structure: Organized folder structure for scalability.
• Environment Template: Includes a .env.example file for easy setup.

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Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed:

• Node.js (v16 or higher recommended)
• npm or yarn

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Getting Started

1. Clone the Repository

Clone this repository to your local machine:

git clone https://github.com/your-username/nodejs-ts-server.git
cd nodejs-ts-server

2. Install Dependencies

Install the required dependencies:

npm install

3. Set Up Environment Variables

Run the setup script to create a .env file from the provided .env.example:

npm run setup

Open the .env file and replace the placeholders with your actual values:

PORT=3000
NODE_ENV=development

4. Run the Server

Start the server in development mode:

npm run dev

The server will start at http://localhost:3000.

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Project Structure

nodejs-ts-server/
├── src/
│   ├── controllers/       # Route controllers
│   ├── routes/            # Route definitions
│   ├── services/          # Business logic
│   ├── utils/             # Utility functions
│   ├── app.ts             # Express app setup
│   └── server.ts          # Server entry point
├── .env.example           # Environment variables template
├── .env                   # Environment variables (ignored by Git)
├── .gitignore             # Files to ignore in Git
├── package.json           # Project dependencies and scripts
├── tsconfig.json          # TypeScript configuration
├── nodemon.json           # Nodemon configuration
└── README.md              # Project documentation

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Available Scripts

• npm run dev: Start the server in development mode using nodemon and ts-node.
• npm run build: Compile TypeScript files to JavaScript in the dist folder.
• npm start: Start the server in production mode using the compiled JavaScript files.
• npm run setup: Create a .env file from .env.example.

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Adding Routes

To add a new route, follow these steps:

1. Create a new controller in the src/controllers/ folder.

   // src/controllers/exampleController.ts
   import { Request, Response } from "express";
   
   export const getExample = (req: Request, res: Response) => {
     res.json({ message: "This is an example route" });
   };

2. Define the route in the src/routes/ folder.

   // src/routes/exampleRoutes.ts
   import express from "express";
   import { getExample } from "../controllers/exampleController";
   
   const router = express.Router();
   
   router.get("/example", getExample);
   
   export default router;

3. Register the route in src/app.ts.

   import exampleRoutes from "./routes/exampleRoutes";
   
   // Add this line after other middleware
   app.use("/api", exampleRoutes);

Now, the new route will be available at http://localhost:3000/api/example.

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Environment Variables

The project uses environment variables for configuration. To set up your environment:

1. Rename the .env.example file to .env:

   cp .env.example .env

2. Open the .env file and replace the placeholders with your actual values:

   PORT=3000
   NODE_ENV=development

The following environment variables are used in this project:

• PORT: The port on which the server will run (default: 3000).
• NODE_ENV: The environment mode (development or production).

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Logging

HTTP request logging is handled by morgan. In development mode, logs are printed to the console in the dev format. You can customize the logging format or output as needed.

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Contributing

Contributions are welcome! If you find a bug or want to add a feature, please open an issue or submit a pull request.

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License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.

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Acknowledgments

• Express for the web framework.
• TypeScript for adding type safety.
• Morgan for HTTP request logging.

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Enjoy building your Node.js server with TypeScript! 🚀