Backend development with Express
  • Welcome!
  • Intro to backend development with Express
    • Tutorial
      • Getting started
      • Step 1: Setting up your project
      • Step 2: Installing Express
      • Step 3: Building the server
      • Step 4: Communicating with the server
      • Step 5: Routing
      • Step 6: Serving static files
      • Step 7: Sending your blog post to your server
      • Step 8: Extracting the blog post
      • Step 9: Saving your blog post
      • Step 10: Displaying your blog posts
      • Congratulations!
    • Extras
      • More ideas
      • Individual Blog Posts
    • Keywords
    • Command-line cheatsheet
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On this page
  • Install Node.js
  • Use the command line
  • Using a Mac?
  • Using Windows?
  • I've never used the command line before...
  • Install a text editor
  • Get the code from GitHub
  1. Intro to backend development with Express
  2. Tutorial

Getting started

Here's what you need to do to get set up for the tutorial.

PreviousTutorialNextStep 1: Setting up your project

Last updated 5 years ago

Install Node.js

and download it from there. The most up-to-date version should be fine.

Use the command line

In this tutorial you will be using the command line - a special program where you can type commands into your computer. It often looks like a plain window with a blinking cursor, rather like something out of the 80s.

Using a Mac?

You will already have a command-line program called Terminal. You can access it by pressing cmd+space and searching for "Terminal".

Using Windows?

The command-line program that comes with Windows is not the correct one for this tutorial. You will need to and use that.

I've never used the command line before...

That's ok! It's not as scary as it looks. We've got a for you to use to learn some of the basic commands. Feel free to refer to it any time during the tutorial - it's listed in the sidebar.

Install a text editor

You will need somewhere to write your code. There are a lot of popular, free text editors out there. If you don't have one already, here are some suggestions.

Get the code from GitHub

The code you need for this tutorial lives in a GitHub repository. You will need to get a copy onto your computer.

If you want to backup your work on your own Github account, you can do so. Talk to your mentor about ways you can synchronise your work in a Github repository of your own.

Go to , and look for the green button that says Clone or Download. Download the files as a .zip. Then go and find the location of the .zip file and unzip it.

Go to the Node.js website
install Git for Windows
handy command-line cheatsheet
Atom
Sublime Text
Visual Studio Code
https://github.com/node-girls/express-workshop