Express server setup for quick tests.

Here are the ~100 lines of code you need to run an express-server with CORS and helmet.

It should save you the hustle of copying and pasting those same 100 lines each time you need to try something or just want to play around.

Just specify your js-file on the command line, and you have a server running.

Usually you would install node-server as global:

sudo npm i -g windycom/node-server

node-server <js-file> [...<js-file>]

Each file (a "service") must export an (asynchronous) init()-function, either as the default (module.exports) or as a named function (module.exports.init).

The function will recieve the expressjs-app, together with an options object, and is free to do with app whatever it feels like (add middleware, set some routes etc):

module.exports = async (app, options) => {
  app.get('/', myFancyRequestHandler);
};

// or:

module.exports.init = async (app, options) => {
  app.get('/', myFancyRequestHandler);
};

Additionally, you can export a few configuration values:

module.exports.PORT = 8100;
module.exports.HOSTNAME = '127.0.0.1';
module.exports.HELMET = {
  hsts: false,
  noCache: true,
};
module.exports.CORS = {};
module.exports.DEBUG = true;

The values above are the defaults that will be used if you don't specify overrides.

Note: When you run multiple services, the configuration is taken from the first one. Values on other services will be ignored.

The options-object passed to init() has the following properties:

• server: The http-server. Use to add e.g. websockets.
• debug: If true, full errors will be shown (only the message otherwise).
• port: The port used.
• hostname: The hostname used.

When the server starts, it does the following:

• Create an express-app via express().
• Create a http-server via http.createServer(app).
• Load the services you specified.
• Set some defaults: Helmet, CORS, etc.
• Calls each of the init-functions asynchronously: await init(app, options).
• calls listen on server.

That's all.

This software is licenced under the MIT license.