create-next-xpres

create-next-xpres is a CLI tool that helps you quickly set up a Next.js project integrated with an Express server. It simplifies the process of creating a full-stack JavaScript application by combining Next.js for the frontend, Express for the backend and MongoDB for Database preconfigured, with optional Tailwind CSS for styling.

Features

• Automatic Project Setup: Automatically creates a Next.js app in a client folder and an Express server in the root directory.
• Custom Project Name: Allows you to specify the project name, or use the current directory if . is entered.
• Tailwind CSS Support: Optionally includes Tailwind CSS setup during the Next.js project creation.
• Express Server: Includes a basic Express server setup with routing, ready for customization.

Installation

You can install create-next-xpres globally to use it as a CLI tool:

npm install -g create-next-xpres@latest

Or use it directly with npx:

npx create-next-xpres@latest

Usage

1. Run the CLI: Start by running the CLI command:

   npx create-next-xpres@latest

2. Project Name: Enter the name of your project when prompted. If you don't enter a name, it will default to next-xpres-app. If you enter ., the files will be created in the current directory.

3. Tailwind CSS: Choose whether to include Tailwind CSS during the Next.js app setup.

4. Project Structure: The tool will create a project with the following structure:

   your-project-name/
   ├── client/            # Next.js app
   ├── index.js           # Express server
   ├── connection.js      # MongoDB Connection with Mongoose
   ├── package.json       # Root package.json with Express dependencies
   ├── tailwind.config.js # Tailwind configuration (if Tailwind CSS is selected)
   └── postcss.config.js  # PostCSS configuration (if Tailwind CSS is selected)

5. Start the Project: After setup, navigate to the project folder and start the development server:

   cd your-project-name
   npm run dev      # Starts the Next.js development server with express using nodemon
   npm start        # Starts the Next.js production server with express

Example

$ npx create-next-xpres
? Enter the name of your project: my-app
? Do you want to use Tailwind CSS? Yes
Running: npx create-next-app@latest client --tailwind
...
Express server setup completed.

Scripts

The package.json includes the following scripts:

• npm start: Starts the Next.js development server Express server.
• npm run dev: Starts the Next.js development server with Express server.

License

MIT License

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please open an issue or submit a pull request on GitHub.

Author

Raushan Kumar

Acknowledgments

• Next.js
• Express
• Tailwind CSS