Getting Started with the RESTful API Node Starter Template

Introduction

Creating a RESTful API from scratch can be a daunting task, especially when you need to ensure it's production-ready with all the essential features like authentication, validation, and logging. But what if you could kickstart your project with a robust, fully-configured template? Introducing the Node.js Starter Template, a comprehensive boilerplate that simplifies API development. This template leverages Node.js, Express, and Mongoose to provide a solid foundation for your next project.

Quick Start

Getting started with this template is incredibly easy. You can create a new project with just one command:

npx create-starter-template-nodejs <project-name>

Alternatively, you can use npm:

npm init starter-template-nodejs <project-name>

For those who prefer manual installation, follow these steps:

Clone the repository:

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/mdashikar/starter-template-nodejs.git
cd starter-template-nodejs
npx rimraf ./.git

Install the dependencies:
```
npm install
```
Set the environment variables:
```
cp .env.example .env
```

Features

This starter template comes packed with features to jumpstart your development process:

MongoDB: Use Mongoose for object data modeling.
Authentication & Authorization: Implement JWT-based authentication and role-based access control.
Request Validation: Utilize Joi for request data validation.
Comprehensive Logging: Employ Winston and Morgan for effective logging.
API Documentation: With swagger-jsdoc and swagger-ui-express
Process Management: Use PM2 for advanced production process management.
Environment Configuration: Manage environment variables with dotenv and cross-env.
Security Measures: Enhance security with Helmet and sanitize inputs against XSS and query injection.
CORS & Compression: Enable Cross-Origin Resource Sharing and gzip compression.
Docker Support: Run your application in a Docker container.
Git Hooks: Husky and lint-staged.
Linting & Formatting: Maintain code quality with ESLint and Prettier.

Running the Application

To run the application locally:

npm run dev

For production:

npm run start

Testing

This template supports extensive testing with Jest:

Run all tests:
```
npm test
```
Run tests in watch mode:
```
npm test:watch
```

Using Docker

You can also run the application in a Docker container:

For development:
```
npm run docker:dev
```
For production:
```
npm run docker:prod
```
To run tests in a Docker container:
```
npm run docker:test
```

Linting and Formatting

Ensure your code adheres to best practices:

Run ESLint:
```
npm run lint
```
Fix ESLint errors:
```
npm run lint:fix
```
Run Prettier:
```
npm run prettier
```
Fix Prettier errors:
```
npm run prettier:fix
```

Environment Variables

Modify the environment variables in the .env file to fit your setup. Here are some defaults:

NODE_ENV=development
PORT=3000
MONGODB_URL=mongodb://mongodb:27017/node-boilerplate
JWT_SECRET=thisisasamplesecret
JWT_ACCESS_EXPIRATION_MINUTES=30
JWT_REFRESH_EXPIRATION_DAYS=30
SMTP_HOST=smtp-relay.brevo.com
SMTP_PORT=587
SMTP_AUTH_USER=601f7f001@smtp-brevo.com
SMTP_AUTH_PASSWORD=BRGVQs6vacTC37d5
MAIL_FORM=support@starter-template-nodejs.com

Conclusion

The RESTful API Node Starter Template is a powerful tool for quickly building RESTful APIs using Node.js, Express, and Mongoose. With its rich set of features and well-organized project structure, it provides a solid foundation for your next project.

Ready to start building? Check out the GitHub repository and get started today!

Happy coding!