Build a Node.js REST API with Express

Building a REST API

Node.js REST API with Express handles CRUD operations with JSON.

Introduction to REST APIs

A REST API (Representational State Transfer Application Programming Interface) is a set of rules and conventions for creating web services. It allows interaction with web services using standard HTTP methods. REST APIs are stateless and can handle multiple types of calls, return various data formats, and change structurally with the correct implementation.

Setting Up Node.js and Express

To create a REST API using Node.js and Express, you need to set up a Node.js environment and install Express. Follow these steps:

Creating the Express Server

After setting up the environment, create a file server.js and set up a basic Express server:

Defining CRUD Operations

CRUD stands for Create, Read, Update, and Delete. These operations correspond to HTTP methods POST, GET, PUT, and DELETE respectively. Let's define these endpoints in our Express app:

Testing the API

After defining the endpoints, you can test your API using tools like Postman or cURL to ensure each operation (Create, Read, Update, Delete) works as expected.

Node.js REST API