Setting up a Project with Node

Welcome to JSCRIPT 400 - Server Side Development with JavaScript

During class, we will be using repositories like these to develop skills and solidify concepts. I would recommend reading through the instructions before coming to class to prime yourself to the material.

Part of your homework assignment for each class will be to make a Pull Request against this repository. Your Pull Request should include answers to any questions in this document.

As we work together on this during class, I would encourage you to make comments next to code we write. Explain what is happening in your own words so that later you have those notes as a reference.

Core Learning Objective

Use NodeJS APIs to interact with files and the web

Sub-Objectives

Setup a basic NPM project
Run your project from the command line with scripts
Export and require your own files
Require and use core Node libraries
Install, require, and use packages from the web

Prereqs

To complete this lesson, make sure that node and npm is installed and can be run from the command line. My versions of each are as follows:

$ node -v
v12.2.0

$ npm -v
6.9.0

Instructions & Guiding Questions

Fork & Clone this repository

Question: What is the difference between forking and cloning a repository as opposed to just cloning a repository?
Your Answer:

Run npm init -y from the command line

Question: What does npm init do? How does the -y flag modify that command?
Your Answer:

Take a look at the file that was generated by the previous command

Question: What is the purpose of the following keys? "name", "scripts", "license"
Your Answer:

Create a .gitignore file

Question: What is the purpose of the .gitignore file? What is the significance of a "dot-file?"
Your Answer:

Create an index.js file with the following contents: console.log('Hello, Node!')

Question: From the command line, how can you run this file?
Your Answer:

Run npm test from the command line

Question: What happens and how is this related to what is in the package.json file?
Your Answer:

Create a new "script" command called "start" that has the following value: node index.js

Question: What will you enter on the command line to run that script?
Your Answer:

Change the name of your "start" script to "my-file"

Question: The same pattern will not work to try and run this script. How can you successfully get this script to run?
Your Answer:

Create a new file called profile.js. Inside the file, copy the following but replace <your-name> with your name:
```
module.exports = '<your-name>'
```
Add the following to your index.js file. Then, run your file.
```
const profile = require('./profile.js')
console.log(profile)
```

Question: What gets logged? Why?
Your Answer:
Question: What is module.exports and what is its type in JavaScript? What is require and what is its type in JavaScript?
Your Answer:

We can only export one thing from files when using Node. With that said, export both your name and your birthday from the profile.js file.

Question: What are some ways you can solve this problem?
Your Answer:

Add the following to your index.js file. Then, run your file.

const path = require('path')
console.log(path.resolve())

Question: What is path and where does it come from?
Your Answer:

Install the moment package

Question: What command can you run to install this package?
Your Answer:

On your own, use this package in the index.js file

Question: Do you need to use a ./ to require the package? Why or why not?
Your Answer:

Move your profile.js file into a src/ folder. Update the path in your index.js file to ensure everything continues to work.

bwreid / w1-node-ecosystem

Setting up a Project with Node

Core Learning Objective

Sub-Objectives

Prereqs

Instructions & Guiding Questions

Resources

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