Building a User REST API with Node.js and Express
Creating REST APIs is a core part of modern web development. Node.js and Express make it particularly easy to set up these APIs. This blog will guide you through building a simple REST API for user management with methods to retrieve (GET) and add (POST) users.
Setting Up Your Project
Before diving into the code, ensure you have Node.js installed. Then, set up a new project:
1.Initialize a new Node.js project:
mkdir user-api
cd user-api
npm init -y
2.Install Express and CORS middleware:
npm install express cors
Creating the REST API
Here’s how to build a simple REST API to manage users:
Step 1: Basic Setup
Start by setting up Express and adding some middleware:
const express = require('express');
const cors = require('cors');
const app = express();
app.use(cors()); // Enables CORS
app.use(express.json()); // Parses incoming JSON requests and puts the parsed data in req.body
Step 2: Define User Data
For demonstration purposes, use a simple array to store user data:
let users = [
{ id: 1, name: 'John Doe', email: 'john@example.com', phone: '1234567890', password: '$A123456'},
{ id: 2, name: 'Jane Doe', email: 'jane@example.com', phone: '0987654321', password: '$B123456'},
{ id: 3, name: 'Jim Doe', email: 'jim@example.com', phone: '1234567890', password: '$C123456'}
];
Step 3: Implement GET Endpoint
Create a GET endpoint to retrieve all users:
app.get('/api/users', (req, res) => {
res.json(users); // Sends the current array of users as JSON
});
Step 4: Implement POST Endpoint
Add a POST endpoint to create new users:
app.post('/api/users', (req, res) => {
const { name, email, phone, password } = req.body;
const id = users.length + 1; // Generate a new ID
users.push({ id, name, email, phone, password }); // Add new user to array
res.status(201).json({ id, name, email, phone, password }); // Send back the created user data
});
Step 5: Start the Server
Set up the server to listen on port 5000:
app.listen(5000, () => {
console.log('Server is running on port 5000');
});
curl http://localhost:5000/api/users
POST User:
curl -X POST http://localhost:5000/api/users \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{"name": "Alice Doe", "email": "alice@example.com", "phone": "1234567890", "password": "$D123456"}'
By following these steps, we created a simple yet functional REST API for managing users using Node.js and Express. This API includes endpoints to retrieve and add users, showcasing how straightforward it is to set up basic backend functionalities with modern JavaScript tools.
