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expressjs logoexpress

Fast, unopinionated, minimalist web framework for node.

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Quick Overview

Express is a minimal and flexible Node.js web application framework that provides a robust set of features for web and mobile applications. It is designed to make developing web applications and APIs easier and faster, with a focus on simplicity and performance.

Pros

  • Lightweight and minimalist, allowing developers to add only what they need
  • Large ecosystem of middleware and plugins for extending functionality
  • Excellent performance and high test coverage
  • Well-documented and widely adopted in the Node.js community

Cons

  • Can be overwhelming for beginners due to its flexibility and minimal structure
  • Requires additional modules for common web development tasks (e.g., body parsing, cookie handling)
  • Lack of built-in structure may lead to inconsistent code organization in large projects
  • Not as opinionated as some other frameworks, which may require more decision-making from developers

Code Examples

  1. Basic Express server:
const express = require('express');
const app = express();
const port = 3000;

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

app.listen(port, () => {
  console.log(`Server running at http://localhost:${port}`);
});
  1. Handling POST requests with middleware:
const express = require('express');
const app = express();

app.use(express.json());

app.post('/api/users', (req, res) => {
  const { name, email } = req.body;
  // Process the data (e.g., save to database)
  res.json({ message: 'User created successfully' });
});
  1. Using route parameters:
app.get('/api/users/:id', (req, res) => {
  const userId = req.params.id;
  // Fetch user data based on userId
  res.json({ userId, name: 'John Doe' });
});

Getting Started

To start using Express, follow these steps:

  1. Install Express in your project:

    npm install express
    
  2. Create a new file (e.g., app.js) and add the following code:

    const express = require('express');
    const app = express();
    const port = 3000;
    
    app.get('/', (req, res) => {
      res.send('Hello World!');
    });
    
    app.listen(port, () => {
      console.log(`Server running at http://localhost:${port}`);
    });
    
  3. Run your application:

    node app.js
    
  4. Open a web browser and navigate to http://localhost:3000 to see your Express application in action.

Competitor Comparisons

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Pros of Koa

  • Lighter and more expressive middleware system
  • Built-in support for async/await
  • Smaller codebase, leading to potentially better performance

Cons of Koa

  • Smaller ecosystem and fewer middleware options
  • Steeper learning curve for developers familiar with Express
  • Less widespread adoption in the industry

Code Comparison

Express:

const express = require('express');
const app = express();

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

Koa:

const Koa = require('koa');
const app = new Koa();

app.use(async ctx => {
  ctx.body = 'Hello World!';
});

Both Express and Koa are popular Node.js web application frameworks. Express has been around longer and has a larger ecosystem, while Koa is newer and designed to be more lightweight and flexible.

Express uses a callback-based middleware system, whereas Koa leverages async/await for more readable asynchronous code. Koa's middleware stack is more streamlined, allowing for better composability.

While Express has a larger community and more readily available middleware, Koa's simplicity and modern approach to handling asynchronous operations make it attractive for developers looking for a lightweight alternative.

The choice between Express and Koa often depends on project requirements, team familiarity, and personal preference. Express is generally considered easier for beginners, while Koa may appeal more to developers comfortable with modern JavaScript features.

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Pros of Nest

  • Built-in dependency injection and modular architecture
  • TypeScript support out of the box
  • Opinionated structure for better scalability and maintainability

Cons of Nest

  • Steeper learning curve due to its complex architecture
  • Potentially overkill for small projects
  • Slightly slower performance compared to Express

Code Comparison

Express:

const express = require('express');
const app = express();

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

Nest:

import { Controller, Get } from '@nestjs/common';

@Controller()
export class AppController {
  @Get()
  getHello(): string {
    return 'Hello World!';
  }
}

Express is minimalist and straightforward, allowing developers to quickly set up routes. Nest, on the other hand, uses decorators and classes, providing a more structured approach but requiring more boilerplate code.

Express is ideal for simple applications or microservices, offering flexibility and ease of use. Nest shines in larger, enterprise-level applications where its opinionated structure and built-in features can significantly improve development efficiency and code organization.

Both frameworks have their strengths, and the choice between them depends on project requirements, team expertise, and scalability needs.

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Pros of Fastify

  • Higher performance and lower overhead
  • Built-in schema validation and serialization
  • Extensible plugin system

Cons of Fastify

  • Smaller ecosystem and community compared to Express
  • Steeper learning curve for developers familiar with Express
  • Less documentation and third-party resources available

Code Comparison

Express:

const express = require('express')
const app = express()

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

Fastify:

const fastify = require('fastify')()

fastify.get('/', async (request, reply) => {
  return 'Hello World!'
})

Both Express and Fastify are popular Node.js web frameworks, but they have different design philosophies and features. Express is known for its simplicity and flexibility, making it easy to get started and customize. It has a large ecosystem of middleware and plugins.

Fastify, on the other hand, focuses on performance and developer experience. It offers built-in schema validation, serialization, and a plugin system that allows for easy extension of functionality. Fastify's performance is generally better than Express, especially for high-load applications.

However, Express has a larger community and more resources available, which can be beneficial for beginners or when facing complex issues. Fastify's learning curve might be steeper for developers accustomed to Express, but it offers more modern features out of the box.

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Pros of Hapi

  • Built-in support for input validation, authentication, and caching
  • Modular architecture with a plugin system for better code organization
  • Extensive configuration options for fine-tuned control

Cons of Hapi

  • Steeper learning curve due to its more opinionated structure
  • Less flexibility in routing compared to Express
  • Smaller ecosystem and community compared to Express

Code Comparison

Express:

const express = require('express');
const app = express();

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

Hapi:

const Hapi = require('@hapi/hapi');

const init = async () => {
  const server = Hapi.server({ port: 3000 });
  server.route({
    method: 'GET',
    path: '/',
    handler: (request, h) => 'Hello World!'
  });
  await server.start();
};

Both Express and Hapi are popular Node.js web application frameworks, but they have different philosophies and approaches. Express is known for its simplicity and flexibility, making it easier for beginners to get started. It has a large ecosystem of middleware and plugins.

Hapi, on the other hand, provides more built-in functionality and emphasizes configuration over code. It offers robust features out of the box, which can be beneficial for larger, more complex applications. However, this comes at the cost of a steeper learning curve and less flexibility in certain areas.

The choice between Express and Hapi often depends on the specific requirements of the project and the developer's preferences.

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The API and real-time application framework

Pros of Feathers

  • Built-in real-time functionality and WebSocket support
  • Modular architecture with a plugin system for easy extensibility
  • Automatic REST API generation for services

Cons of Feathers

  • Steeper learning curve due to additional abstractions
  • Smaller community and ecosystem compared to Express
  • May be overkill for simple applications

Code Comparison

Express:

const express = require('express');
const app = express();

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

Feathers:

const feathers = require('@feathersjs/feathers');
const express = require('@feathersjs/express');

const app = express(feathers());

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

Summary

Express is a minimal and flexible web application framework for Node.js, widely used and with a large ecosystem. It provides a robust set of features for web and mobile applications.

Feathers is built on top of Express and provides additional features like real-time capabilities, service-oriented architecture, and built-in support for multiple databases. It's well-suited for real-time applications and APIs but may have a steeper learning curve.

Both frameworks are powerful tools for building web applications, with Express being more lightweight and flexible, while Feathers offers more built-in functionality out of the box.

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README

Express Logo

Fast, unopinionated, minimalist web framework for Node.js.

This project has a Code of Conduct.

Table of contents

NPM Version NPM Install Size NPM Downloads OpenSSF Scorecard Badge

const express = require('express')
const app = express()

app.get('/', function (req, res) {
  res.send('Hello World')
})

app.listen(3000)

Installation

This is a Node.js module available through the npm registry.

Before installing, download and install Node.js. Node.js 0.10 or higher is required.

If this is a brand new project, make sure to create a package.json first with the npm init command.

Installation is done using the npm install command:

$ npm install express

Follow our installing guide for more information.

Features

  • Robust routing
  • Focus on high performance
  • Super-high test coverage
  • HTTP helpers (redirection, caching, etc)
  • View system supporting 14+ template engines
  • Content negotiation
  • Executable for generating applications quickly

Docs & Community

PROTIP Be sure to read Migrating from 3.x to 4.x as well as New features in 4.x.

Quick Start

The quickest way to get started with express is to utilize the executable express(1) to generate an application as shown below:

Install the executable. The executable's major version will match Express's:

$ npm install -g express-generator@4

Create the app:

$ express /tmp/foo && cd /tmp/foo

Install dependencies:

$ npm install

Start the server:

$ npm start

View the website at: http://localhost:3000

Philosophy

The Express philosophy is to provide small, robust tooling for HTTP servers, making it a great solution for single page applications, websites, hybrids, or public HTTP APIs.

Express does not force you to use any specific ORM or template engine. With support for over 14 template engines via Consolidate.js, you can quickly craft your perfect framework.

Examples

To view the examples, clone the Express repo and install the dependencies:

$ git clone https://github.com/expressjs/express.git --depth 1
$ cd express
$ npm install

Then run whichever example you want:

$ node examples/content-negotiation

Contributing

Linux Build Windows Build Test Coverage

The Express.js project welcomes all constructive contributions. Contributions take many forms, from code for bug fixes and enhancements, to additions and fixes to documentation, additional tests, triaging incoming pull requests and issues, and more!

See the Contributing Guide for more technical details on contributing.

Security Issues

If you discover a security vulnerability in Express, please see Security Policies and Procedures.

Running Tests

To run the test suite, first install the dependencies, then run npm test:

$ npm install
$ npm test

People

The original author of Express is TJ Holowaychuk

List of all contributors

TC (Technical Committee)

TC emeriti members

TC emeriti members

Triagers

Triagers emeriti members

Emeritus Triagers

License

MIT

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