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Basic Template

The Basic Template (TS) is a clean, minimal Express + TypeScript starter focused on clarity and type safety.
It’s ideal for developers who want a working backend with TypeScript without unnecessary complexity.

Overview

This template generates a fully functional TypeScript-based Express server in seconds.
It’s suitable for:

  • Developers learning Express with TypeScript
  • Quick prototypes with type safety
  • Lightweight services that don’t require advanced layers

You get a typed server.ts, a configured Express app, and essential middleware prewired.
No authentication, no complex services — just a clean, typed foundation.

Folder Structure

<project-root>/
├─ package.json
├─ tsconfig.json
└─ src/
   ├─ app.ts
   ├─ server.ts
   ├─ config/
   │  └─ database.ts
   ├─ routes/
   │  └─ todo.route.ts
   ├─ controllers/
   │  └─ todo.controller.ts
   ├─ models/
   │  └─ todo.model.ts

Features

  • Preconfigured Express server with TypeScript
  • Strict typing via tsconfig
  • Built-in CORS and JSON body parsing
  • Logging via Morgan
  • Example Todo CRUD with typed controllers and models
  • Clean and extendable structure

You can remove the example CRUD automatically by selecting “No” when the CLI prompts for CRUD. NeatNode removes all related files for you.

When to Use

Use the Basic Template (TS) when you want to:

  • Learn Express with proper TypeScript patterns
  • Build small services with type safety
  • Prototype APIs without architectural overhead
  • Keep everything simple and understandable

This template intentionally avoids advanced abstractions so you can scale it your way.

Customization Ideas

  • Add more routes under src/routes/
  • Extend models with interfaces or types
  • Introduce a modules/ folder later if the project grows
  • Plug in a database or ORM when needed

Summary

The Basic Template (TypeScript) helps you:

  • Start backend development with TypeScript the right way
  • Understand Express flow with clear typing
  • Build quickly without boilerplate overload
  • Migrate smoothly to advanced NeatNode TS templates later

It’s a solid starting point for any TypeScript-based Node.js backend.

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