Introduction

In this guide, we'll explore how to build a RESTful API, a foundation for modern web applications. We'll use the combined powers of two widely used technologies: Python and Express.js.

Before we start, you'll need to have Node.js and npm installed. Node.js lets you run JavaScript on the server, while npm is a tool for managing packages and libraries. You can download and install them from the official website.

Once your environment is set up, we'll create a new project directory, initialize a Node.js project, and install Express.js. Express.js is a web framework that makes building web applications and APIs easy.

With our tools in place, we'll set up an Express.js server, define RESTful endpoints to serve data, and test our API. By the end of this guide, you'll have hands-on experience in creating a RESTful API.

Step 1

Before you start building the RESTful API, make sure you have Node.js and npm installed on your machine.

• Node.js: Node.js is a runtime environment that allows you to execute JavaScript code outside a web browser. It's commonly used for server-side programming. You can download it from the official Node.js website. Prerequisite: None.

• npm: npm (Node Package Manager) is a package manager for JavaScript. It's used to install and manage packages (libraries and tools) for Node.js. It comes bundled with Node.js.

• You can download and install them from the official Node.js website.

Step 2: Create a New Directory

Create a new directory for your project and navigate to it in your terminal.

mkdir restful-api-project
cd restful-api-project

Step 3: Initialize a Node.js Project

Initialize a new Node.js project by running:

npm init -y

This command will create a package.json file that keeps track of your project's dependencies.

Step 4: Install Express.js

Install Express.js, a popular web framework for Node.js, using npm:

npm install express

Step 5: Create an Express.js Server

Create a file named app.js in your project directory. This file will be the entry point for your Express.js application. Add the following code to set up a basic 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 is running on port ${port}`);
});

Step 6: Test Your Express.js Server

Run your server with the following command:

node app.js

Open your web browser and navigate to http://localhost:3000. You should see "Hello, World!" displayed in your browser.

Step 7: Create RESTful Endpoints

Extend your Express.js application to create RESTful endpoints. For example, to create an endpoint for getting a list of items, you can add the following code to app.js:

const items = [{ id: 1, name: 'Item 1' }, { id: 2, name: 'Item 2' }];

app.get('/items', (req, res) => {
  res.json(items);
});

Step 8: Test the API Endpoints

Test your new endpoint by navigating to http://localhost:3000/items in your web browser or using a tool like Postman.