exp-gen 🚀

exp-gen is a lightning-fast, interactive CLI tool designed to scaffold Express.js API projects in seconds. Whether you prefer TypeScript or JavaScript, exp-gen sets up your directory structure, configuration, and database boilerplate so you can start coding immediately.

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🚀 Quick Start

To use the generator anywhere on your system, install it globally via npm:

npm install -g @madhusha_99/exp-gen

Once installed, you can initialize a new project using any of the following commands:

exp
# OR
gen
# OR
express-draft

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🛠 User Guide

1. Initialize Project

Run exp in your terminal. The interactive CLI (powered by @clack/prompts) will guide you through the setup:

• Project Name: Enter your project folder name (e.g., my-api).
• Language: Choose between TypeScript (Recommended) or JavaScript.
• Database: Select your preferred database.
  • Currently Supported: MongoDB (via Mongoose).
  • Coming Soon: MySQL, PostgreSQL (Prisma), and SQLite.
• Install Dependencies: Choose Yes to let the CLI run npm install for you automatically.

2. Navigate and Run

After the scaffolding is complete, follow the on-screen instructions:

cd <your-project-name>
npm run dev

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📁 Project Structure

exp-gen scaffolds a professional Layered Architecture, ensuring your code remains scalable and maintainable as it grows:

• configs/: Environment variables and database connection logic.
• controllers/: Bridges the routes and the business logic; handles requests/responses.
• dtos/: Data Transfer Objects for validating and shaping incoming data.
• interfaces/: TypeScript interfaces and types for strict type safety.
• middlewares/: Custom Express middlewares (Auth, Error handling, Logging).
• models/: Database schemas (e.g., Mongoose/MongoDB models).
• repositories/: The data access layer; handles direct database operations.
• routes/: API endpoint definitions and mapping to controllers.
• services/: Core Business Logic layer; where the heavy lifting happens.
• utils/: Shared helper functions and utility classes.
• app.ts: The application entry point.

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🤝 Contributing

We love open source! exp-gen is a community-driven project, and we welcome contributions to make it better.

How to contribute

1. Add Database Templates: We are looking for contributors to help build out the MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQLite templates in the src/templates folder.
2. Report Bugs: Found a glitch? Open an issue.
3. Feature Requests: Have an idea for a new feature? Let us know!

Local Development Setup

If you want to work on the CLI itself:

1. Clone the repo: git clone https://github.com/Open-Core-Lab/exp-gen.git
2. Install dependencies: npm install
3. Make your changes and submit a Pull Request!

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📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

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Happy coding! 🚀 Maintained by Madhusha Prasad