Building a RESTful API with Node.js and Express

Introduction to RESTful APIs

A RESTful API is an architectural style for designing networked applications. It's based on the idea of resources, which are identified by URIs, and can be manipulated using a fixed set of operations.

Step 1: Install Required Packages

Install the required packages, including express and body-parser.

npm install express body-parser

Step 2: Create a New Express App

Create a new file called app.js and add the following code to create a new Express app.

const express = require('express');
const bodyParser = require('body-parser');
const app = express();
app.use(bodyParser.json());

Step 3: Define Routes

Define routes for CRUD operations. For example, to handle GET requests, add the following code.

app.get('/users', (req, res) => {
  // Handle GET request
  res.json([{
    id: 1,
    name: 'John Doe'
  }]);
});

Step 4: Handle POST Requests

Handle POST requests to create new resources.

app.post('/users', (req, res) => {
  // Handle POST request
  const user = req.body;
  res.json(user);
});

Step 5: Run the App

Run the app by typing node app.js in your terminal.

node app.js

Use a tool like Postman to test the API.