Alright, diving into this starter setup again. This is my third serious attempt, the previous ones just didn’t feel quite right, you know? Ended up being either too much or too little.
Starting Fresh, Sort Of
So, I opened up my terminal. Always feels like a clean slate, even though it’s take three. The goal this time was simple: keep it lean. No bells and whistles until absolutely needed.
First thing, made a new folder. Called it something like `project-base-v3`. Didn’t spend too much time on the name, honestly. Then, navigated into it. Standard stuff.
Laying the Groundwork
I decided what I absolutely needed to just get something up and running.
- Basic Server: Went with * and Express again. It’s just familiar and quick for this stage. Ran `npm init -y` to get the `*` file set up without the questions. Then `npm install express`. That gives me a minimal web server.
- Entry Point: Created a `*` file. Kept it super simple, just the basic Express boilerplate to listen on a port and send back a “Hello World” type message. Checked it in the browser. Okay, port’s open, message received. Good start.
Structure Decisions (The Hard Part)
This is where I tripped up before. Tried to create this perfect, elaborate folder structure that could handle a massive application. It was overkill and intimidating for starting small.
This time? Way simpler.
- Put `*` right in the root.
- Added a `public` folder. Planning for basic HTML/CSS later. Left it empty for now.
- Resisted making `routes`, `controllers`, `models` folders yet. Big temptation, but no. Let the project tell me when it needs them.
Felt much cleaner. Less daunting. Just the essentials staring back at me.
Adding a Few Helpers
Okay, totally barebones is annoying too. Need some developer comforts.
Auto-Restart: Pulled in `nodemon`. `npm install –save-dev nodemon`. I was tired of manually stopping and starting the server every time I tweaked the `*` file. That gets old fast. Updated the `scripts` in `*` to add a `dev` command using nodemon.
Code Consistency: Decided to add Prettier and ESLint. `npm install –save-dev prettier eslint`. Had some headaches configuring these perfectly in the past, so this time I grabbed some standard configs, tweaked them only slightly. Just want basic formatting and linting, not a complex rule set right now. Helps keep things tidy without being a bottleneck.
Where It Stands Now
So, this is attempt number three. It’s not flashy. It doesn’t try to solve every future problem. It’s just a solid, minimal starting point. A simple Express server, auto-restart for development, and basic code formatting.
Feels more usable than the last two attempts. Less rigid. More like a foundation I can actually build on without immediately wanting to rip half of it out. We’ll see how it goes when I actually use it for a real project, but for now, it feels right. It’s practical, and that’s what matters.
