How should I start writing Node.js code?
In order: set up the environment, write your first program with console.log, use built-in modules like fs and http, build a basic HTTP server, learn modules with module.exports and require, install Express, build a REST API, and connect a database and auth.
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More FAQs in A Roadmap to Writing Node.js Code From Your First Program to Real APIs
Start with console.log('Hello from Node.js') to confirm it works, then try requiring built-in modules like os or fs to access system information. This shows what server-side JavaScript can do that browser JavaScript cannot.
After you have built a basic HTTP server with the http module and understand modules. Express handles routing, middleware, and request parsing, so understanding what it does under the hood first makes Express more meaningful.
After you have learned Express basics. Build an API with GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE routes, handle JSON bodies, and send JSON responses. This is real backend development that every Node.js developer must know.
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