Building a Simple CRUD Application with Node.js

Node.js is a powerful tool for building web applications, and one of the best ways to understand its capabilities is by creating a CRUD application from scratch. CRUD stands for Create, Read, Update, and Delete, and it’s the foundation of many applications. In this article, I’ll guide you through making a simple CRUD app with Node.js, without using any extra libraries!

Project Structure

Setting Up the Server (server.js)

The server.js file only sets up the server and connects to routing, following the Single Responsibility Principle (SRP).

Creating the Model (itemModel.js)

In Single Responsibility Principle (SRP), the model is responsible for managing the data and defining the CRUD operations on it.

Creating the Controller (itemController.js)

The Controller contains the main logic to handle CRUD operations, following the Dependency Inversion Principle (DIP) by using the model's methods.

Setting Up Routes (itemRoutes.js)

The Routes file handles the HTTP methods and directs each request to the correct controller function.

Response Handler (responseHandler.js)

This utility file handles the HTTP response and keeps the code DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself).

How the Structure Works

1. server.js: Sets up and runs the server.
2. itemRoutes.js: Directs requests to the correct controller function.
3. itemController.js: Contains application logic and interacts with the model.
4. itemModel.js: Acts as our "database" with methods to manage data.
5. responseHandler.js: Sends HTTP responses in a clean and reusable way.

This approach organizes the project to be modular and easy to maintain, using SOLID principles and ES modules.