Quick Guide to Setting Up an Express Server with TypeScript

If you’re looking to set up an Express server with TypeScript quickly, you’re in the right place. In this article, we’ll walk you through the steps necessary to accomplish this task seamlessly.

Step 1: Create TypeScript Configuration File

The first step in setting up your Express server with TypeScript is to create a TypeScript configuration file. This can be done using the Terminal

npx tsc --init

This command will generate a tsconfig.json file, which is the TypeScript compiler configuration file.

Step 2: Create package.json

Next, we need to create a package.json file. This file houses metadata about your project, including the packages your project depends on, information about scripts, and much more. Use the following command to create a package.json file (Feel free to replace pnpm with you package manager of choice such as npm or yarn):

pnpm init

This command will initialize a new Node.js project and create a package.json file.

Step 3: Create src/index.ts File

Create a new src/index.ts file. This is the entry point of your application.

Step 4: Install Dev Dependencies

Now, we need to install several development dependencies to aid in our project. the -D` installs the dependencies as dev dependencies.

pnpm add ts-node-dev typescript @types/node @types/express -D

This command will add ts-node-dev, typescript, @types/node, and @types/express as devDependencies in your project.

Step 5: Modify package.json

Next, we need to modify the package.json file to include a start script for development. Add the following under the "scripts" section:

"scripts": {
  "dev": "ts-node-dev --respawn --transpile-only src/index.ts"
}

This script will allow you to run your TypeScript application and restart the server anytime you make changes to your files.

Step 6: Install Express

Now, it’s time to install Express, a minimal and flexible Node.js web application framework that provides a robust set of features for web and mobile applications. Run the following command to install Express:

pnpm add express

Step 7: Basic Server Setup

In your src/index.ts file, add the following code to set up a basic Express server:

import express from "express";
const app = express();

app.get("/", (req, res) => {
  res.send("Hello World");
});
app.listen(3000, () => {
  console.log("Application listening at http://localhost:3000");
});ty

This script sets up a basic Express server which listens on port 3000 and responds with “Hello World” to GET requests on the root URL.

And voila! You’ve set up an Express server with TypeScript. Now, you can build your application on this foundation, adding routes, middleware, and more as required by your project. Happy coding!