Example backend API in Node.js – Video Tutorial

In this video-tutorial, my goal is to create an example Node.js backend API which can be used for React / Next.js projects. API will return a JSON response.

The thing is most of the parts of React / Next.js projects require working backend API so you can fetch data. It’s relatively easy to do so in Python or Golang. Usually with a few lines of code. In this coding session, I want to explore for myself if it is the same in Node.js.

Since it is a coding session and a video-post at the same time, on this page I will post the process, which might contain a lot of “progress content.” If you want to see the result and just a short explanation, jump to the end of the page.

Part 1: Build a JSON API in Node.js

In part 1, we create a very simple Node.js app with the following features:

• Execute as a webserver to serve a backend API.
• Return an example JSON response.
• Receive header and method information from the incoming request.

Here we use pure Node.js implementation:

Part 2: Introduce package.json and use nodemon

For the “Hello, world!” project not having package.json is OK. However, before we advance our simple project, we need to introduce the package.json file:

• Contains the project’s metadata (name, version, etc.).
• Repository information, author, license.
• Information about project dependencies.
• Entry point (index.js, app.js, or something else).
• Executable command scripts.
• And many more.

I also recommend using nodemon. It is a tool that will monitor your source code and refresh the working application. Check the video above for the live-example.

In conclusion, the final code for Part 1 and Part 2 can be found here:

Part 3: Convert pure Node.js API to Express.js Web Server

In this section, we start using Express.js – one of the most popular web frameworks for Node.js.

Here is the source code of the same web application but now with Express.js:

Part 4: Accept URL params and return JSON object by using Express.js features

Topics covered:

1. Return a JSON response by using res.json() method. This method implicitly uses JSON.stringify() and sets the correct content-type.
2. Add one more route and accept request params by using the req.params object.

The final version of the updated server.js file:

Additional Resources

Besides the links mentioned above, these following resources were very helpful to start learning:

• https://nodejs.dev/learn

Video Tutorial & Live Code: This post has a corresponding Interactive Tutorial where you can watch videos and practice code simultaneously. Check it here.

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