Building a Full Stack Application using React and Express might sound daunting, but with the right guidance, it can be an enlightening journey! This blog will walk you through the process of setting up and troubleshooting a simple Full Stack React Express application. This application is designed to showcase various features while being easy to understand.

Introduction

The repository described here contains a simple Full Stack React and Express application. This application accompanies a course on Pluralsight titled Building a Full Stack Application with Express and React. The application consists of a Front End built with Redux and React, which is located in the app directory, and a Back End powered by Express, found in the server directory.

Installation Steps

Follow these steps to get your application up and running:

• First, install the required programs:
• Git
• Node.js
• MongoDB
• Clone the repository and install dependencies:

git clone git@github.com:danielstern/express-react-fullstack.git
npm install

• Ensure MongoDB is running. Navigate to your Mongo installation directory and run the command below, replacing the path with your chosen Mongo directory:

C:\Data\bin\mongod.exe

• Start the development environment:

npm run dev

• The application should open automatically!

Troubleshooting

Even the best-laid plans may encounter bumps along the way. Here are some troubleshooting tips to help you overcome common issues:

• Problem: The application won’t start!

Try the following:

• Run npm install again.
• Update your Node.js version to the latest one.
• Clone the finished repo and start from there.
• Problem: I’m getting weird error XYZ!

Here’s what you can do:

• Cancel npm run dev (with ctrl-C on Windows) and run it again.
• If the error mentions a particular file, check that file for common errors such as capitalization of property names or forgetting to destructure parameters with curly brackets.
• Still no luck? Clone the finished repo and prune away parts of it until you’re at the point you left off.

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Challenge Task Solutions

Take your application further with these challenge tasks:

Connected Username Component

1. Create a connected username component that matches user data with an ID provided as a prop.
2. Update the server-side state assembly process to include usernames relevant to the current session (but not passwords or sensitive data).

Sign Up Feature

This version of the application can be found at the Add Sign Up Branch. Follow these steps:

1. Add a link to the sign-up page from the login page.
2. Create a Sign Up route, which is almost identical to the Login route.
3. Add a saga to communicate requests from the Login Route to the server.
4. Add a server route to create new users in the database.

Coming Soon: Security Enhancements

Stay tuned for security updates coming February 2019!

At fxis.ai, we believe that such advancements are crucial for the future of AI, as they enable more comprehensive and effective solutions. Our team is continually exploring new methodologies to push the envelope in artificial intelligence, ensuring that our clients benefit from the latest technological innovations.