mean

MEAN.JS - Full-Stack JavaScript Using MongoDB, Express, AngularJS, and Node.js -

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Quick Overview

MEAN.JS is a full-stack JavaScript solution that helps you build fast, robust, and maintainable production web applications using MongoDB, Express, AngularJS, and Node.js. It provides a solid starting point for developers to create web applications with a modern tech stack, following best practices and offering a modular architecture.

Pros

Provides a complete, pre-configured full-stack JavaScript solution
Follows best practices and includes a modular architecture for scalability
Includes built-in features like authentication, user management, and RESTful API generation
Active community and extensive documentation

Cons

Uses AngularJS (1.x), which is now considered outdated compared to Angular 2+
May have a steeper learning curve for developers new to the MEAN stack
Some users report occasional issues with dependency conflicts and versioning
Less flexible than building a custom stack from scratch for specific project needs

Code Examples

Creating a new MEAN.JS application:

git clone https://github.com/meanjs/mean.git myApp
cd myApp
npm install
npm start

Defining a new Mongoose model:

'use strict';

const mongoose = require('mongoose');
const Schema = mongoose.Schema;

const ArticleSchema = new Schema({
  title: {
    type: String,
    default: '',
    trim: true,
    required: 'Title cannot be blank'
  },
  content: {
    type: String,
    default: '',
    trim: true
  },
  user: {
    type: Schema.ObjectId,
    ref: 'User'
  }
});

mongoose.model('Article', ArticleSchema);

Creating a new Angular controller:

(function () {
  'use strict';

  angular
    .module('articles')
    .controller('ArticlesController', ArticlesController);

  ArticlesController.$inject = ['$scope', 'ArticlesService'];

  function ArticlesController($scope, ArticlesService) {
    var vm = this;

    vm.articles = ArticlesService.query();
  }
}());

Getting Started

Install Node.js and MongoDB on your system.

Clone the MEAN.JS repository:

git clone https://github.com/meanjs/mean.git myApp

Navigate to the project directory and install dependencies:
```
cd myApp
npm install
```
Start the application:
```
npm start
```
Open your browser and visit http://localhost:3000 to see the application running.

Competitor Comparisons

angular

98,226

Deliver web apps with confidence 🚀

Pros of Angular

More comprehensive framework with a full ecosystem of tools and libraries
Better performance optimization and rendering capabilities
Stronger typing system with TypeScript integration

Cons of Angular

Steeper learning curve due to its complexity
Heavier framework, potentially leading to larger bundle sizes
Less flexibility compared to MEAN's modular approach

Code Comparison

Angular (component example):

@Component({
  selector: 'app-root',
  template: '<h1>{{title}}</h1>'
})
export class AppComponent {
  title = 'My Angular App';
}

MEAN (Express route example):

app.get('/', function(req, res) {
  res.render('index', { title: 'My MEAN App' });
});

Summary

Angular is a more robust, performance-oriented framework with stronger typing, while MEAN offers a full-stack JavaScript solution with greater flexibility. Angular excels in large-scale applications but has a steeper learning curve. MEAN is more accessible for developers familiar with JavaScript across the stack but may require more manual configuration for advanced features. The choice between them depends on project requirements, team expertise, and scalability needs.

express

67,245

Fast, unopinionated, minimalist web framework for node.

Pros of Express

Lightweight and minimalist framework, offering flexibility and customization
Extensive ecosystem with a wide range of middleware and plugins
Faster learning curve for developers familiar with Node.js

Cons of Express

Requires more setup and configuration for full-stack applications
Less opinionated, which may lead to inconsistent project structures
Lacks built-in features for database integration and authentication

Code Comparison

Express:

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

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

app.listen(3000, () => console.log('Server running on port 3000'));

MEAN.JS:

'use strict';

module.exports = function (app) {
  app.route('/').get(function (req, res) {
    res.render('index', {
      user: req.user || null
    });
  });
};

Express provides a more straightforward approach to routing, while MEAN.JS offers a modular structure with built-in templating and user management. MEAN.JS includes a full-stack setup out of the box, whereas Express requires additional configuration for similar functionality.

node

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Node.js JavaScript runtime ✨🐢🚀✨

Pros of Node

Core JavaScript runtime environment, providing a foundation for all Node.js applications
Extensive ecosystem with a vast number of packages and modules
Active development and frequent updates from a large community

Cons of Node

Steeper learning curve for beginners compared to full-stack frameworks
Requires additional setup and configuration for full-stack applications
Less opinionated, which may lead to inconsistent project structures

Code Comparison

Node (server.js):

const http = require('http');

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
  res.writeHead(200, { 'Content-Type': 'text/plain' });
  res.end('Hello World\n');
});

server.listen(3000);

MEAN (app.js):

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

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

app.listen(3000);

Summary

Node provides a robust foundation for JavaScript applications, offering flexibility and a vast ecosystem. MEAN, built on top of Node, offers a more opinionated full-stack framework with integrated MongoDB, Express, and Angular. While Node requires more setup for full-stack development, it allows for greater customization. MEAN provides a smoother start for full-stack projects but may be less flexible for unique requirements.

node-mongodb-native

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The official MongoDB Node.js driver

Pros of node-mongodb-native

Focused solely on MongoDB integration, providing a more specialized and optimized solution
Directly maintained by MongoDB, ensuring up-to-date features and best practices
Lightweight and flexible, allowing for easy integration into various Node.js projects

Cons of node-mongodb-native

Requires additional setup and configuration for a full-stack application
Lacks built-in features for user authentication, routing, and front-end integration
Steeper learning curve for developers new to MongoDB or NoSQL databases

Code Comparison

node-mongodb-native:

const { MongoClient } = require('mongodb');
const client = new MongoClient('mongodb://localhost:27017');
await client.connect();
const db = client.db('myDatabase');
const collection = db.collection('documents');

MEAN:

const mongoose = require('mongoose');
mongoose.connect('mongodb://localhost:27017/myDatabase');
const Schema = mongoose.Schema;
const DocumentSchema = new Schema({ /* schema definition */ });
const Document = mongoose.model('Document', DocumentSchema);

The node-mongodb-native example shows direct interaction with MongoDB, while MEAN uses Mongoose for object modeling and database operations. MEAN provides a more abstracted approach, simplifying schema definition and model creation, whereas node-mongodb-native offers more granular control over database operations.

loopback

13,199

LoopBack makes it easy to build modern applications that require complex integrations.

Pros of LoopBack

More extensive documentation and better community support
Built-in API explorer for easy testing and documentation
Stronger focus on API development with robust tooling

Cons of LoopBack

Steeper learning curve due to more complex architecture
Less flexibility in choosing frontend technologies
Heavier framework with more dependencies

Code Comparison

MEAN.js route definition:

app.route('/api/articles').all(articlesPolicy.isAllowed)
  .get(articles.list)
  .post(articles.create);

LoopBack route definition:

module.exports = function(app) {
  var Article = app.models.Article;
  Article.remoteMethod('list', {
    http: {path: '/articles', verb: 'get'},
    returns: {arg: 'articles', type: 'array'}
  });
};

Summary

MEAN.js provides a full-stack solution with a more straightforward setup, making it easier for developers familiar with the MEAN stack. It offers greater flexibility in choosing frontend technologies and has a gentler learning curve.

LoopBack, on the other hand, excels in API development with robust tools and documentation. It provides a more structured approach to building scalable applications but requires more time to master its concepts and architecture.

The choice between the two depends on project requirements, team expertise, and whether the focus is on full-stack development or primarily API creation.

feathers

15,203

The API and real-time application framework

Pros of Feathers

Lightweight and modular architecture, allowing for easier customization and scalability
Real-time functionality built-in, supporting WebSockets out of the box
Supports multiple databases and ORMs, providing greater flexibility

Cons of Feathers

Smaller community and ecosystem compared to MEAN
Less opinionated, which may require more decision-making and setup for developers

Code Comparison

MEAN.js (Express route):

app.route('/api/articles').all(articlesPolicy.isAllowed)
  .get(articles.list)
  .post(articles.create);

Feathers.js (Service):

app.use('/api/articles', {
  async find(params) { /* ... */ },
  async create(data, params) { /* ... */ }
});

Key Differences

Feathers uses a service-based architecture, while MEAN follows a more traditional MVC pattern
Feathers has built-in support for real-time events, whereas MEAN requires additional setup
MEAN provides a more complete, opinionated stack, while Feathers offers greater flexibility in choosing components

Use Cases

Choose Feathers for real-time applications or when flexibility is a priority
Opt for MEAN when you prefer a more structured, full-stack solution with a larger community

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README

MEAN.JS is a full-stack JavaScript open-source solution, which provides a solid starting point for MongoDB, Node.js, Express, and AngularJS based applications. The idea is to solve the common issues with connecting those frameworks, build a robust framework to support daily development needs, and help developers use better practices while working with popular JavaScript components.

Before You Begin

Before you begin we recommend you read about the basic building blocks that assemble a MEAN.JS application:

MongoDB - Go through MongoDB Official Website and proceed to their Official Manual, which should help you understand NoSQL and MongoDB better.
Express - The best way to understand express is through its Official Website, which has a Getting Started guide, as well as an ExpressJS guide for general express topics. You can also go through this StackOverflow Thread for more resources.
AngularJS - Angular's Official Website is a great starting point. You can also use Thinkster Popular Guide, and Egghead Videos.
Node.js - Start by going through Node.js Official Website and this StackOverflow Thread, which should get you going with the Node.js platform in no time.

Prerequisites

Make sure you have installed all of the following prerequisites on your development machine:

Git - Download & Install Git. OSX and Linux machines typically have this already installed.
Node.js - Download & Install Node.js and the npm package manager. If you encounter any problems, you can also use this GitHub Gist to install Node.js.
MongoDB - Download & Install MongoDB, and make sure it's running on the default port (27017).
Bower - You're going to use the Bower Package Manager to manage your front-end packages. Make sure you've installed Node.js and npm first, then install bower globally using npm:

$ npm install -g bower

Downloading MEAN.JS

There are several ways you can get the MEAN.JS boilerplate:

Cloning The GitHub Repository

The recommended way to get MEAN.js is to use git to directly clone the MEAN.JS repository:

$ git clone https://github.com/meanjs/mean.git meanjs

This will clone the latest version of the MEAN.JS repository to a meanjs folder.

Downloading The Repository Zip File

Another way to use the MEAN.JS boilerplate is to download a zip copy from the master branch on GitHub. You can also do this using the wget command:

$ wget https://github.com/meanjs/mean/archive/master.zip -O meanjs.zip; unzip meanjs.zip; rm meanjs.zip

Don't forget to rename mean-master after your project name.

Yo Generator

Another way would be to use the Official Yo Generator, which generates a copy of the MEAN.JS 0.4.x boilerplate and supplies an application generator to ease your daily development cycles.

Quick Install

Once you've downloaded the boilerplate and installed all the prerequisites, you're just a few steps away from starting to develop your MEAN application.

The boilerplate comes pre-bundled with a package.json and bower.json files that contain the list of modules you need to start your application.

To install the dependencies, run this in the application folder from the command-line:

$ npm install

This command does a few things:

First it will install the dependencies needed for the application to run.
If you're running in a development environment, it will then also install development dependencies needed for testing and running your application.
When the npm packages install process is over, npm will initiate a bower install command to install all the front-end modules needed for the application
To update these packages later on, just run npm update

Running Your Application

Run your application using npm:

$ npm start

Your application should run on port 3000 with the development environment configuration, so in your browser just go to http://localhost:3000

That's it! Your application should be running. To proceed with your development, check the other sections in this documentation. If you encounter any problems, try the Troubleshooting section.

Explore config/env/development.js for development environment configuration options.

Running in Production mode

To run your application with production environment configuration:

$ npm run start:prod

Explore config/env/production.js for production environment configuration options.

Running with User Seed

To have default account(s) seeded at runtime:

In Development:

MONGO_SEED=true npm start

It will try to seed the users 'user' and 'admin'. If one of the user already exists, it will display an error message on the console. Just grab the passwords from the console.

In Production:

MONGO_SEED=true npm start:prod

This will seed the admin user one time if the user does not already exist. You have to copy the password from the console and save it.

Running with TLS (SSL)

Application will start by default with secure configuration (SSL mode) turned on and listen on port 8443. To run your application in a secure manner you'll need to use OpenSSL and generate a set of self-signed certificates. Unix-based users can use the following command:

$ npm run generate-ssl-certs

Windows users can follow instructions found here. After you've generated the key and certificate, place them in the config/sslcerts folder.

Finally, execute prod task npm run start:prod

enable/disable SSL mode in production environment change the secure option in config/env/production.js

Testing Your Application

You can run the full test suite included with MEAN.JS with the test task:

$ npm test

This will run both the server-side tests (located in the app/tests/ directory) and the client-side tests (located in the public/modules/*/tests/).

To execute only the server tests, run the test:server task:

$ npm run test:server

To execute only the server tests and run again only changed tests, run the test:server:watch task:

$ npm run test:server:watch

And to run only the client tests, run the test:client task:

$ npm run test:client

Running your application with Gulp

The MEAN.JS project integrates Gulp as build tools and task automation.

We have wrapped Gulp tasks with npm scripts so that regardless of the build tool running the project is transparent to you.

To use Gulp directly, you need to first install it globally:

$ npm install gulp -g

Then start the development environment with:

$ gulp

To run your application with production environment configuration, execute gulp as follows:

$ gulp prod

It is also possible to run any Gulp tasks using npm's run command and therefore use locally installed version of gulp, for example: npm run gulp eslint

Development and deployment With Docker

Install Docker
Install Compose
Local development and testing with compose:

$ docker-compose up

Local development and testing with just Docker:

$ docker build -t mean .
$ docker run -p 27017:27017 -d --name db mongo
$ docker run -p 3000:3000 --link db:db_1 mean
$

To enable live reload, forward port 35729 and mount /app and /public as volumes:

$ docker run -p 3000:3000 -p 35729:35729 -v /Users/mdl/workspace/mean-stack/mean/public:/home/mean/public -v /Users/mdl/workspace/mean-stack/mean/app:/home/mean/app --link db:db_1 mean

Production deploy with Docker

Production deployment with compose:

$ docker-compose -f docker-compose-production.yml up -d

Production deployment with just Docker:

$ docker build -t mean -f Dockerfile-production .
$ docker run -p 27017:27017 -d --name db mongo
$ docker run -p 3000:3000 --link db:db_1 mean

Deploying to PAAS

Deploying MEANJS To Heroku

By clicking the button below you can signup for Heroku and deploy a working copy of MEANJS to the cloud without having to do the steps above.

Amazon S3 configuration

To save the profile images to S3, simply set those environment variables: UPLOADS_STORAGE: s3 S3_BUCKET: the name of the bucket where the images will be saved S3_ACCESS_KEY_ID: Your S3 access key S3_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY: Your S3 access key password

Getting Started With MEAN.JS

You have your application running, but there is a lot of stuff to understand. We recommend you go over the Official Documentation. In the docs we'll try to explain both general concepts of MEAN components and give you some guidelines to help you improve your development process. We tried covering as many aspects as possible, and will keep it updated by your request. You can also help us develop and improve the documentation by checking out the gh-pages branch of this repository.

Community

Use the Official Website to learn about changes and the roadmap.
Join #meanjs on freenode.
Discuss it in the new Google Group
Ping us on Twitter and Facebook

Contributing

We welcome pull requests from the community! Just be sure to read the contributing doc to get started.

Credits

Inspired by the great work of Madhusudhan Srinivasa The MEAN name was coined by Valeri Karpov.

License

The MIT License

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