Building REST APIs with Node.js

Node.js and Express make it easy to build powerful REST APIs. Let's explore the fundamentals.

Setting Up Express

First, install Express and set up a basic server:

javascript

const express = require('express');
const app = express();
const PORT = process.env.PORT || 3000;

// Middleware
app.use(express.json());
app.use(express.urlencoded({ extended: true }));

// Basic route
app.get('/', (req, res) => {
  res.json({ message: 'Welcome to our API!' });
});

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

Creating CRUD Routes

Implement the four basic operations:

javascript

// GET all users
app.get('/api/users', (req, res) => {
  // Return all users
});

// GET single user
app.get('/api/users/:id', (req, res) => {
  // Return user by ID
});

// POST new user
app.post('/api/users', (req, res) => {
  // Create new user
});

// PUT update user
app.put('/api/users/:id', (req, res) => {
  // Update user by ID
});

// DELETE user
app.delete('/api/users/:id', (req, res) => {
  // Delete user by ID
});