Run the CLI directly using npx:

npx neatnode

You’ll be prompted for:

• Project name
• Template type (Basic, REST API, or Socket)
• Whether to include CRUD modules

After generation, follow the next steps:

cd my-app
npm install
npm run dev

You can choose a template during the CLI prompt, or edit the generated files manually later. If you want to make a new default, open src/config/templates.js and reorder or modify the entries.

1. Create a new folder under backend/templates/ (e.g., express-graphql).

2. Add all necessary files: server.js, src/app.js, package.json, etc.

3. Register it in templates.js:

   { name: "GraphQL API", path: path.join(__dirname, "../../templates/express-graphql") }

4. Run npx neatnode and select your new template from the list.

NeatNode removes CRUD-related files and route references using markers in app.js:

// ROUTE_IMPORTS_START
// ROUTE_IMPORTS_END
 
// ROUTE_USES_START
// ROUTE_USES_END

When you select “No CRUD” during setup, these files are deleted:

• src/models/*.model.js
• src/controllers/*.controller.js
• src/routes/*.route.js

…and their imports and uses are stripped automatically.

If you selected “No CRUD” during CLI setup, the example CRUD files were removed intentionally. To restore them, either:

• Re-run the CLI and include CRUD, or
• Copy CRUD modules manually from the template folder.

Currently, templates are JavaScript-based, but the structure is TS-friendly. A future update will include:

--typescript

flag support for generating .ts files.

Each template includes a .env.example file. Copy it and rename to .env, then adjust values like:

PORT=5000
DB_URL=mongodb://localhost:27017/mydb

Your app automatically loads these via dotenv in server.js.

Open server.js in your generated project and modify:

const PORT = process.env.PORT || 5000;

Then update .env accordingly.

You can, but it’s not recommended. The CLI assumes it’s creating a new folder. If you must, use:

npx neatnode .

and it’ll scaffold into the current directory.

NeatNode won’t overwrite existing directories to avoid data loss. Either:

cd existing-folder && npx neatnode .

or create a new one:

npx neatnode my-new-app

Make sure your app.js includes both comment markers:

// ROUTE_IMPORTS_START
// ROUTE_IMPORTS_END
// ROUTE_USES_START
// ROUTE_USES_END

The regex-based remover depends on these comments.

By default, only occurrences of project-name inside package.json are replaced. Future updates will support:

{{projectName}}, {{author}}, {{version}}

for broader replacement coverage.

If globally installed:

npm update -g neatnode

Or if using via npx, it always fetches the latest published version.

Templates live inside the CLI package itself, under:

backend/templates/

Each template folder is a complete Node.js project with its own dependencies.

Yes — each generated project is a self-contained Node.js app. You can deploy it to:

• Render
• Railway
• Vercel (with Node adapter)
• Any VPS (via PM2)

Planned for future versions. A --monorepo flag will scaffold independent services (auth, API, socket) under one root.