5 Simple Steps to Develop a RESTful API using Express.js and MongoDB

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Prerequisites

Before we dive into building the API, make sure you have the following prerequisites installed on your system:

1. Node.js and npm (Node Package Manager): You can download and install them from nodejs.org.
2. MongoDB: You’ll need a running instance of MongoDB. You can install it locally or use a cloud-based service like MongoDB Atlas.

Setting Up the Project

1. Create a Project Directory: Start by creating a new directory for your project.

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mkdir my-restful-api
cd my-restful-api

2. Initialize a Node.js Project: Use the following command to create a package.json file for your project.

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npm init -y

3. Install Dependencies: Install Express.js and other necessary packages by running the following command:

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npm install express mongoose body-parser

Building the RESTful API

1. Setting Up Express.js

Create an app.js file in your project directory and set up Express.js:

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const express = require('express');
const bodyParser = require('body-parser');
const mongoose = require('mongoose');

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

app.use(bodyParser.urlencoded({ extended: true }));
app.use(bodyParser.json());

// Connect to MongoDB
mongoose.connect('mongodb://localhost/my-restful-api', {
  useNewUrlParser: true,
  useUnifiedTopology: true,
});

// Define routes
app.use('/api', require('./routes/api'));

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

2. Defining Your Data Model

Create a models directory and define your data model using Mongoose. For example, let's create a simple Task model:

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const mongoose = require('mongoose');

const taskSchema = new mongoose.Schema({
  title: String,
  description: String,
  completed: Boolean,
});

module.exports = mongoose.model('Task', taskSchema);

3. Creating Routes

Create a routes directory and define your API routes. Here's an example of CRUD operations on tasks:

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const express = require('express');
const router = express.Router();
const Task = require('../models/task');

// Create a new task
router.post('/tasks', async (req, res) => {
  try {
    const task = new Task(req.body);
    await task.save();
    res.status(201).send(task);
  } catch (error) {
    res.status(400).send(error);
  }
});

// Get all tasks
router.get('/tasks', async (req, res) => {
  try {
    const tasks = await Task.find();
    res.send(tasks);
  } catch (error) {
    res.status(500).send(error);
  }
});



module.exports = router;

4. Testing the API

You can now start your Express.js server using node app.js. Your RESTful API should be accessible at http://localhost:3000/api.

To test your API, you can use tools like Postman or make HTTP requests using a tool like curl or a web client library like axios in your front-end application.

if you have any questions or suggestions just do let me know on my Instagram or at codeculturepro@gmail.com