RESTful APIs are the backbone of many web applications. With Node.js and Express.js, you can build efficient and scalable APIs quickly and effectively.

Setting Up

Start by initializing your project and installing Express:

bash
Copymkdir my-api
cd my-api
npm init -y
npm install express
 
Basic API Example
 
Here’s a simple example of a REST API with Express:
 
const express = require('express');
const app = express();
const PORT = 3000;
 
app.use(express.json());
 
// Sample endpoint
app.get('/api', (req, res) => {
    res.json({ message: 'Welcome to the API!' });
});
 
// Start the server
app.listen(PORT, () => {
    console.log(`Server running at http://localhost:${PORT}`);
});

Key Features of Express APIs

• Routing: Define clear endpoints for different resources.
• Middleware: Add custom logic for processing requests.
• Scalability: Integrate with databases and external services.

By understanding the core principles and leveraging Node.js tools, you can create robust RESTful APIs for any application.