Learning the MERN stack

MongoDB + Express + React + Node.js

Video	Blog	Code

---

Pre-requisites:

• Node.js version 8.17.0 (lts/carbon)
• Nodemon - Install nodemon globally or use npx nodemon.

Note: You will need to run sudo npm install -g --force nodemon to get macOS terminal to find nodemon.

Tip: To run the backend server.js file, you may run npx nodemon server without modifying the package.json file.

---

Creating the project

1. Run npx create-react-app mern-exercise-tracker to create the folder/React project

Setting up the backend

2. Change directory into newly created folder cd mern-exercise-tracker
3. Create new folder backend and change into it
4. Run npm init -y to create npm scaffold project with default values
5. Create a new file called server.js
6. Paste boilerplate express code with mongoose/cors/dotenv lines
7. Create .env file in backend folder and make sure the mongoose URI is set properly (note: make sure to change URI to localhost if running locally).
8. Make sure the root .gitignore file is skipping the newly created .env file and the node_modules folder within the backend folder
9. In the backend folder, create a new folder called models with two files exercise.model.js and user.model.js
10. Input the schema into each respective model file
11. In the backend folder, create a new folder called routes with two files exercises.js and users.js
12. Update server.js to use the newly created routes
13. Input the routes into the newly created routes files. Include advanced features like update by ID and deleting exercises

Done with backend!

You are done with the backend (for the video section)! Skip to 43:37 in the video to proceed with the frontend

---

Setting up the frontend

TBD