Building a CRUD Application with Node.js and MongoDB

Node.js and MongoDB form a popular technology stack for building modern web applications. This article will guide you through creating a simple CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) application using Node.js and MongoDB.

Prerequisites

Before you start, ensure you have the following installed:

1. Node.js and npm (Node Package Manager)

2. MongoDB (either locally or using a cloud service like MongoDB Atlas)

3. A code editor like Visual Studio Code

Setting Up the Project

Step 1: Initialize the Project

First, create a new directory for your project and initialize a Node.js project:

mkdir node-mongo-crud
cd node-mongo-crud
npm init -y

Step 2: Install Dependencies

Install the necessary dependencies:

npm install express mongoose body-parser

• express: A minimal and flexible Node.js web application framework.

• mongoose: An ODM (Object Data Modeling) library for MongoDB and Node.js.

• body-parser: Middleware to parse incoming request bodies in a middleware before your handlers, available under the req.body property.

Step 3: Set Up the Project Structure

Create the following folder structure:

node-mongo-crud/
├── models/
│   └── user.js
├── routes/
│   └── userRoutes.js
├── app.js
└── package.json

Creating the CRUD Application

Step 4: Configure MongoDB

Create a models/user.js file and define the User schema:

const mongoose = require('mongoose');

const userSchema = new mongoose.Schema({
    name: {
        type: String,
        required: true
    },
    email: {
        type: String,
        required: true,
        unique: true
    }
});

const User = mongoose.model('User', userSchema);

module.exports = User;

Step 5: Define Routes

Create a routes/userRoutes.js file and define the CRUD routes:

const express = require('express');
const User = require('../models/user');

const router = express.Router();

// Create a new user
router.post('/users', async (req, res) => {
    try {
        const user = new User(req.body);
        await user.save();
        res.status(201).send(user);
    } catch (error) {
        res.status(400).send(error);
    }
});

// Get all users
router.get('/users', async (req, res) => {
    try {
        const users = await User.find();
        res.status(200).send(users);
    } catch (error) {
        res.status(500).send(error);
    }
});

// Get a single user by ID
router.get('/users/:id', async (req, res) => {
    try {
        const user = await User.findById(req.params.id);
        if (!user) {
            return res.status(404).send();
        }
        res.status(200).send(user);
    } catch (error) {
        res.status(500).send(error);
    }
});

// Update a user
router.put('/users/:id', async (req, res) => {
    try {
        const user = await User.findByIdAndUpdate(req.params.id, req.body, { new: true, runValidators: true });
        if (!user) {
            return res.status(404).send();
        }
        res.status(200).send(user);
    } catch (error) {
        res.status(400).send(error);
    }
});

// Delete a user
router.delete('/users/:id', async (req, res) => {
    try {
        const user = await User.findByIdAndDelete(req.params.id);
        if (!user) {
            return res.status(404).send();
        }
        res.status(200).send(user);
    } catch (error) {
        res.status(500).send(error);
    }
});

module.exports = router;

Step 6: Set Up the Express Application

Create an app.js file to set up the Express application:

const express = require('express');
const mongoose = require('mongoose');
const bodyParser = require('body-parser');
const userRoutes = require('./routes/userRoutes');

const app = express();
const port = process.env.PORT || 3000;

app.use(bodyParser.json());
app.use(userRoutes);

mongoose.connect('mongodb://localhost:27017/nodecrud', { useNewUrlParser: true, useUnifiedTopology: true, useCreateIndex: true })
    .then(() => {
        console.log('Connected to MongoDB');
        app.listen(port, () => {
            console.log(`Server running on port ${port}`);
        });
    })
    .catch(error => {
        console.error('Connection error', error.message);
    });

Step 7: Run the Application

Make sure your MongoDB server is running. You can start your MongoDB server using:

mongod

Then, run your Node.js application:

node app.js

Your application should now be running on http://localhost:3000.

Testing the CRUD Endpoints

Use a tool like Postman or curl to test the endpoints:

• Create a new user:

  curl -X POST http://localhost:3000/users -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"name":"Alice","email":"[e-mail]"}'

• Get all users:

  curl -X GET http://localhost:3000/users

• Get a user by ID:

  curl -X GET http://localhost:3000/users/<user_id>

• Update a user:

  curl -X PUT http://localhost:3000/users/<user_id> -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"name":"Alice Updated","email":"[e-mail]"}'

• Delete a user:

  curl -X DELETE http://localhost:3000/users/<user_id>

Conclusion

You've now built a complete CRUD application using Node.js and MongoDB. This application serves as a basic template that you can expand and customize to fit more complex requirements. With Node.js and MongoDB, you have the flexibility and scalability to build robust web applications. Happy coding!