node_app_checklist

A tl;dr checklist to guide your workflow for your new Node App

Set Up NodeJS and Express

• Initialize a new NodeJS application using Node Package Manager

  $ npm init -y
  

  • (-y accepts all default settings)

• Install Express

  $ npm install --save express
  

  • Note: --save auto adds module to package.json

• Create index.js in root directory

  • Require Express module and set up app port:

  var express = require("express")
  var app = express()
  
  app.listen(4000, () => {
    console.log("app listening on port 4000")
  })

• Start server with nodemon which automates server reload on file change (server start traditionally done with node index.js)

  • to install nodemon enter npm install nodemon (install globally with npm install -g nodemon)

MongoDB & Mongoose ODM

• Install Mongoose

  $ npm install --save mongoose
  

• In db/connection.js, set up Schema and connection to the db:

  var mongoose = require("mongoose")
  
  mongoose.Promise = global.Promise
  
  var ExampleSchema = mongoose.Schema({
    name: String,
  })
  
  mongoose.model("Example", ExampleSchema)
  
  mongoose.connect("mongodb://localhost/<app_name>")
  
  module.exports = mongoose

• Handy MongoDB CLI Commands:

  • Note: be sure $ mongod is running in a separate terminal window

  • $ mongo opens interface

  • > show dbs

  • > use <name_of_db>

  • > show collections

  • > db.<name_of_collection>.find({}) to show all

  • More commands...

Making the MEN app MEANer (Angular)

• In index.js display root file: layout.html

  app.get("/", function(req, res) {
    res.sendFile(__dirname + "/layout.html")
  })

• Set up Express to accept AJAX requests (from Angular):

  app.use(parser.json({extended: true}))

• CDN Angular from layout.html & add link to your Angular app

  <script type="text/javascript" src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/angularjs/1.5.8/angular.min.js"></script>
  <script type="text/javascript" src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/angular-ui-router/0.3.2/angular-ui-router.min.js"></script>
  <script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/angular.js/1.5.0-beta.2/angular-resource.min.js"></script>
  <script src="/assets/js/app.js"></script>

• Example Angular Factory and Controller + Express API Route:

  // app.js (Angular)
  function ExampleFactoryFunction($resource) {
    return $resource("/api/example/:name", {}, {
      update: { method: "put" }
    })
  }
  
  function indexController(ExampleFactory) {
    ExampleFactory.query()
                  .$promise
                  .then(examples => this.examples = examples)
  }
  
  function showController($stateParams, ExampleFactory) {
    this.example = Example.get({name: $stateParams.name})
    this.update = function() {
      this.example.$update({name: $stateParams.name})
    }
  }

  // index.js (Express)
  app.post("/api/examples/:name", function(req, res) {
    Example.findOneAndUpdate({name: req.params.name}, req.body, {new: true}).then(example => {
      res.json(example)
    })
  })

• Example: WhenPresident

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Other Helpful Modules

• body-parser

• hbs (handlebars)