mern-project-cli/commands/createMERNProject.js

A developer-friendly CLI tool that streamlines MERN stack development by automating project setup, database configuration, and boilerplate generation by implementing MVC Architecture. Create production-ready MongoDB, Express, React, and Node.js applicatio

import fs from 'fs-extra';
import path from 'path';
import chalk from 'chalk';
import { execSync } from 'child_process';
import createNextJsProject from './createNextJs.js';
import { checkNodeVersion } from '../utils/checkNodeVersion.js';

export default function createMERNProjectCommand(program) {
  program
    .command('create <projectName>')
    .description('Create a new MERN project')
    .option('--next')
    .option('--backend')
    .action((projectName, opts) => {
      // Check Node.js version before proceeding
      if (opts.next) return createNextJsProject(projectName);

      checkNodeVersion();

      const rootDir = path.join(process.cwd(), projectName);

      if (opts.backend) {
        console.log('📦 Creating backend app...');
        const backendDir = path.join(rootDir, 'backend');
        const dirsToCreate = [
          'controllers',
          'db',
          'middlewares',
          'models',
          'routes',
          'utils',
        ];

        try {
          fs.mkdirSync(backendDir, { recursive: true });
          dirsToCreate.forEach((dir) =>
            fs.mkdirSync(path.join(backendDir, dir), { recursive: true })
          );
          console.log('✅ Backend directory structure created.');

          // Backend files creation
          fs.writeFileSync(
            path.join(backendDir, 'constants.js'),
            '// TODO: Add application-wide constants'
          );
          fs.writeFileSync(
            path.join(backendDir, 'server.js'),
            `// Entry point of the backend server
require('dotenv').config();
const express = require('express');
const app = express();
const PORT = process.env.PORT || 5000;

app.use(express.json());

// Route to display the initial message on browser
app.get('/', (req, res) => {
  res.send('${projectName.toUpperCase()} BACKEND API');
});

// TODO: Add routes and middleware

app.listen(PORT, () => {
  console.log(\`Server is up and running at http://localhost:\${PORT} 🚀\`);
});`
          );
          fs.writeFileSync(
            path.join(backendDir, '.env.example'),
            `# Sample .env file for backend
PORT=5000
DB_URI=your_database_uri_here`
          );
          fs.writeFileSync(
            path.join(backendDir, '.gitignore'),
            `node_modules
.env`
          );
          fs.writeFileSync(
            path.join(backendDir, 'README.md'),
            `# ${projectName} Backend
This is the backend of the ${projectName} MERN project.

## Setup

- Install dependencies: \`npm install\`
- Start the development server: \`npm run dev\`

## Environment Variables

Create a \`.env\` file based on \`.env.example\`.`
          );
          fs.writeFileSync(
            path.join(backendDir, 'package.json'),
            JSON.stringify(
              {
                name: `${projectName}-backend`,
                version: '1.0.0',
                main: 'server.js',
                scripts: {
                  start: 'node server.js',
                  dev: 'nodemon server.js',
                },
                dependencies: {
                  express: '^4.21.1',
                  mongoose: '^8.7.1',
                  cors: '^2.8.5',
                  dotenv: '^16.4.5',
                },
                devDependencies: {
                  nodemon: '^3.1.7',
                },
              },
              null,
              2
            )
          );
          console.log('✅ Backend files created successfully.');

          // Initialize Git in backend
          console.log('🔧 Initializing Git repository in backend...');
          try {
            execSync(`git init "${backendDir}"`, { stdio: 'inherit' });
            console.log('✅ Git repository initialized in backend.');
          } catch {
            console.warn(
              '⚠️ Git is not installed or an error occurred. Skipping Git initialization.'
            );
          }

          // Install backend dependencies
          console.log('📦 Installing backend dependencies...');
          try {
            execSync('npm install', { cwd: backendDir, stdio: 'inherit' });
            console.log('✅ Backend dependencies installed.');
          } catch (error) {
            console.error(
              `❌ Failed to install backend dependencies: ${error.message}`
            );
            process.exit(1);
          }

          console.log(
            `\n🎉 Backend directory for "${projectName}" created successfully!`
          );
        } catch (error) {
          console.error(`❌ Failed to create backend: ${error.message}`);
          process.exit(1);
        }

        return;
      }

      // Create root project directory
      try {
        fs.mkdirSync(rootDir, { recursive: true });
        console.log('✅ Root directory created successfully.');
      } catch (error) {
        console.error(`❌ Failed to create root directory: ${error.message}`);
        process.exit(1);
      }

      console.log('📦 Creating backend app...');
      const backendDir = path.join(rootDir, 'backend');
      const dirsToCreate = [
        'controllers',
        'db',
        'middlewares',
        'models',
        'routes',
        'utils',
      ];

      try {
        fs.mkdirSync(backendDir, { recursive: true });
        dirsToCreate.forEach((dir) =>
          fs.mkdirSync(path.join(backendDir, dir), { recursive: true })
        );
        console.log('✅ Backend directory structure created.');
      } catch (error) {
        console.error(
          `❌ Failed to create backend directory structure: ${error.message}`
        );
        process.exit(1);
      }

      // Backend files creation
      try {
        fs.writeFileSync(
          path.join(backendDir, 'constants.js'),
          '// TODO: Add application-wide constants'
        );
        fs.writeFileSync(
          path.join(backendDir, 'server.js'),
          `// Entry point of the backend server
require('dotenv').config();
const express = require('express');
const app = express();
const PORT = process.env.PORT || 5000;

app.use(express.json());

// Route to display the initial message on browser
app.get('/', (req, res) => {
  res.send('${projectName.toUpperCase()} BACKEND API');
});

// TODO: Add routes and middleware

app.listen(PORT, () => {
  console.log(\`Server is up and running at http://localhost:\${PORT} 🚀\`);
});`
        );
        fs.writeFileSync(
          path.join(backendDir, '.env.example'),
          `# Sample .env file for backend
PORT=5000
DB_URI=your_database_uri_here`
        );
        fs.writeFileSync(
          path.join(backendDir, '.gitignore'),
          `node_modules
.env`
        );
        fs.writeFileSync(
          path.join(backendDir, 'README.md'),
          `# ${projectName} Backend
This is the backend of the ${projectName} MERN project.

## Setup

- Install dependencies: \`npm install\`
- Start the development server: \`npm run dev\`

## Environment Variables

Create a \`.env\` file based on \`.env.example\`.`
        );
        fs.writeFileSync(
          path.join(backendDir, 'package.json'),
          JSON.stringify(
            {
              name: `${projectName}-backend`,
              version: '1.0.0',
              main: 'server.js',
              scripts: {
                start: 'node server.js',
                dev: 'nodemon server.js',
              },
              dependencies: {
                express: '^4.21.1',
                mongoose: '^8.7.1',
                cors: '^2.8.5',
                dotenv: '^16.4.5',
              },
              devDependencies: {
                nodemon: '^3.1.7',
              },
            },
            null,
            2
          )
        );
        console.log('✅ Backend files created successfully.');
      } catch (error) {
        console.error(`❌ Failed to create backend files: ${error.message}`);
        process.exit(1);
      }

      // Initialize Git in backend
      console.log('🔧 Initializing Git repository in backend...');
      try {
        execSync(`git init "${backendDir}"`, { stdio: 'inherit' });
        console.log('✅ Git repository initialized in backend.');
      } catch {
        console.warn(
          '⚠️ Git is not installed or an error occurred. Skipping Git initialization.'
        );
      }

      const frontendDir = path.join(rootDir, 'frontend');
      // Install backend dependencies
      console.log('📦 Installing backend dependencies...');
      try {
        execSync('npm install', { cwd: backendDir, stdio: 'inherit' });
        console.log('✅ Backend dependencies installed.');
      } catch (error) {
        console.error(
          `❌ Failed to install backend dependencies: ${error.message}`
        );
        process.exit(1);
      }

      // Create frontend using Vite
      console.log('📦 Creating React frontend app with Vite...');
      try {
        // Ensure frontend directory exists and is empty
        fs.emptyDirSync(frontendDir);

        // Use npm create vite to generate the project
        execSync(`npm create vite@latest frontend -- --template react`, {
          cwd: rootDir,
          stdio: 'inherit',
        });

        // Install dependencies
        console.log('📦 Installing frontend dependencies...');
        execSync('npm install', {
          cwd: frontendDir,
          stdio: 'inherit',
        });
        console.log('✅ Frontend dependencies installed.');

        // Create .env.example
        fs.writeFileSync(
          path.join(frontendDir, '.env.example'),
          `# Sample .env file for frontend
REACT_APP_API_URL=http://localhost:5000/api`
        );
        console.log('✅ Frontend .env.example file created.');

        // Final success message
        console.log(`\n🎉 MERN project "${projectName}" created successfully!`);

        console.log(
          `${chalk.green.bold('To get started:')}
  ${chalk.blue(`cd "${projectName}"`)}

${chalk.magenta.bold('Backend:')}
  ${chalk.blue('cd backend')}
  ${chalk.yellow('npm start')} ${chalk.cyan('or')} ${chalk.yellow(
    'npm run dev [nodemon]'
  )}

${chalk.magenta.bold('Frontend:')}
  ${chalk.blue('cd frontend')}
  ${chalk.yellow('npm run dev')}`
        );
      } catch (error) {
        console.error(`❌ Failed to create frontend: ${error.message}`);
        process.exit(1);
      }
    });
}