Express: The Lightweight and Beginner-Friendly Node.js Framework (2024)

3 min read

Mar 31, 2023

Express: The Lightweight and Beginner-Friendly Node.js Framework (2)

As a web developer, one of my favorite frameworks to use is Express. Express is a minimalist and flexible framework that allows developers to build web applications quickly and easily. In this article, I’ll explain what Express is, why it’s a great choice for beginners using Node.js, and walk you through the basics of setting up an app using Express.

What is Express?

Express is a popular web framework for Node.js that provides a set of tools and features for building web applications. It’s minimalist and flexible, meaning you can use it to build small or large applications with ease. Express is built on top of Node.js’ core HTTP module, which means it’s lightweight and fast.

Why is Express a great choice for beginners?

Express is a great choice for beginners because of its simplicity and ease of use. It has a small bundle size and a straightforward API, which makes it easy to learn and use. Express also has a large and active community, which means there are plenty of resources available for learning and troubleshooting.

How to Set Up an Express App

To set up an Express app, you’ll need to follow a few basic steps. First, you’ll need to install Express using npm. Open your terminal and navigate to the directory where you want to create your app, then run the following command:

npm install express

This will install the latest version of Express in your project directory.

Next, create a new file called app.js in your project directory. This file will contain the code for your Express app. Here's some example code to get you started:

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

In this example, we’re requiring the Express module, creating a new Express app, and setting the port to 3000. We’re also defining a single route for the root path (‘/’) that responds with the text ‘Hello World!’. Finally, we’re starting the server and logging a message to the console to let us know that the server is running.

To start your app, navigate to your project directory in the terminal and run the following command:

node app.js

This will start the server and your app will be available at http://localhost:3000/. If you navigate to this URL in your web browser, you should see the text 'Hello World!' displayed on the page.

Conclusion

Express is a great web framework for Node.js that provides a simple and flexible way to build web applications. It’s lightweight, fast, and has a small bundle size, making it a great choice for beginners who want to learn more about Node.js. By following the steps outlined above, you can quickly and easily set up an Express app and start building your own web applications.

FAQs

Express: The Lightweight and Beginner-Friendly Node.js Framework? ›

Express is a great web framework for Node. js that provides a simple and flexible way to build web applications. It's lightweight, fast, and has a small bundle size, making it a great choice for beginners who want to learn more about Node. js.

Read On ›

What is the most beginner friendly js framework? ›

Top 10 JavaScript Frameworks to Use in 2024 (especially for...

React.
jQuery.
Angular.
Express.
Vue.
Svelte.
Next.js.
Meteor.

More items...

Mar 22, 2024

Discover More Details ›

What is the simplest framework for NodeJS? ›

Express is the most popular and minimalistic web framework for NodeJS. Express is designed to simplify the backend application development with a robust set of features including routing, middleware, error handling, and templating.

Is ExpressJS lightweight? ›

Express is a lightweight and flexible routing framework with minimal core features meant to be augmented through the use of Express middleware modules.

See Details ›

What is the Express framework in NodeJS? ›

What Is Express JS? Express is a node js web application framework that provides broad features for building web and mobile applications. It is used to build a single page, multipage, and hybrid web application. It's a layer built on the top of the Node js that helps manage servers and routes.

Find Out More ›

What is the lightest js framework? ›

VanJS is the smallest reactive UI framework in the world, with just 1.0kB in the gzipped minified bundle. It's 50~100 times smaller than most popular alternatives. Guess what you can get from this 1.0kB framework?

Tell Me More ›

Which framework is best for beginners? ›

This format will make it easier for beginners to grasp the essentials of each full-stack framework.

Node. js with Express. ...
Django (Python) ...
Ruby on Rails (Ruby) ...
Laravel (PHP) ...
Spring Boot (Java) ...
Angular (TypeScript) ...
React with Node. ...
Vue.

More items...

Feb 6, 2024

Show Me More ›

Is Nodejs beginner friendly? ›

Easy to Learn

Node is written in JavaScript. JavaScript is one of the most popular programming languages and nearly every developer is familiar with it. Therefore, learning Node requires less effort and time, even for a junior JavaScript programmer.

Explore More ›

Which is the fastest NodeJS framework? ›

Express.

js is a Node. js web application platform that is simple and flexible and comes with many features for making web and mobile apps. Its API is easy to use and understand for handling HTTP calls, routing, middleware, and rendering views. Because it is fast, easy to use, and scalable, Express.

Is nestjs better than Express? ›

Nestjs is designed to provide a structured and modular approach, making it easier to build and maintain large-scale applications, whereas Expressjs offers more flexibility but may require additional setup for scalability.

Show Me More ›

What is better than ExpressJS? ›

Top Alternatives of ExpressJS

SailsJS. Sails is a robust, flexible, high-performance MVC framework for NodeJS. ...
NestJs. NestJS is a full-stack JavaScript framework for building efficient and scalable server-side applications. ...
Fastify. ...
FeatherJS. ...
NuxtJS. ...
Koa. ...
EmberJS. ...
BackboneJS.

More items...

Jun 3, 2024

Read The Full Story ›

Which is the best lightweight database for NodeJS? ›

1. MongoDB. MongoDB stands out as a top choice for NodeJs application development, particularly for those seeking a powerful NoSQL database solution. MongoDB's document-oriented structure, built on a flexible schema design, allows developers to store data in JSON-like documents.

See Details ›

Can Next.js replace Express? ›

js is not a direct replacement for Express. js. Next. js focuses on React-based web applications with server-side rendering, whereas Express.

Get More Info Here ›

Can I learn Express without Node? ›

js on the other-hand is a library/framework that can help you create a web-server. This library runs within nodejs. So it's true you can “learn” how to use Express. js before nodejs, but to “learn nodejs” means understanding what nodejs provides for you, and how to leverage it.

What is the difference between NodeJS and ExpressJS? ›

No, they are not the same. Node JS is a runtime environment that allows you to run JavaScript on the server side, while Express JS is a web application framework built on top of Node js to simplify building web applications.

Is ExpressJS easy to learn? ›

Description. Express JS uses the Javascript programming language, which is an easy-to-learn language. You can work on the frontend and backend directly with just using javascript.

View Details ›

What is the easiest frontend framework for beginners? ›

Advantages of Vue include its detailed documentation, support for both complex and simple applications, a simple syntax, and a virtual DOM. It is recommended for projects requiring flexibility over stable components. Compared to React and Svelte, it is the easiest to learn.

How beginner friendly is JavaScript? ›

Like HTML and CSS, JavaScript is a beginner-friendly language, especially compared to more complex languages like C++. Even though JavaScript is a more straightforward language, learning still takes time and dedication. Mastering advanced JavaScript concepts could take one to two years of frequent practice.

Learn More ›

Which is the best JavaScript course for beginners? ›

IBM. ...
Coursera Project Network. ...
University of California, Davis. JavaScript for Beginners. ...
IBM. IBM Full Stack Software Developer. ...
University of California, Davis. JavaScript Basics. ...
University of Michigan. Interactivity with JavaScript. ...
University of Michigan. JavaScript, jQuery, and JSON. ...
Scrimba. Learn JavaScript.

More items...

Discover More Details ›

What is the easiest JavaScript project? ›

1.4) To-Do List. A to-do list is among the easiest JavaScript projects for beginners which allows you to create a to-do app or web page through JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. You can practice adding, editing, and deleting elements while allowing the user to mark a task as finished.

Show Me More ›