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#docker #eslint #express #graphql #jest #knex #logger #mikro-orm #mongoose #nginx #nodejs #prettier #prisma #routing-controllers #sequelize #swagger #swc #typegoose #typeorm #typescript

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README

TypeScript Express Starter

🚀 Express RESTful API Boilerplate Using TypeScript

📝 Introduction

TypeScript Express Starter is an interactive CLI tool that generates production-ready TypeScript Express projects with your preferred stack configuration.

Instead of starting from scratch, this CLI provides a comprehensive project generator with multiple database integrations, development tools, and deployment configurations. Choose from 10+ templates and customize your development workflow in minutes.

Interactive Setup: Choose database, ORM, linter, testing framework, and more
Production Ready: Docker, PM2, NGINX configurations included
Developer Experience: Hot reload, testing, linting, and formatting pre-configured
Multiple Stacks: Support for 10+ database/ORM combinations

💎 CLI Features

🎯 Interactive Setup — Smart CLI with guided project configuration

🚀 Quick or Custom Mode — Start fast with presets or choose tools category by category

🗄️ Multiple Database Options — Prisma, Sequelize, TypeORM, Mongoose, Knex, and more

🛠️ Development Tools — Choose from ESLint, Biome, Jest, Vitest, Docker, PM2

📱 Template Selection — 10+ pre-configured project templates

⚡ Auto Configuration — Dependencies, scripts, and configs automatically setup

🔧 Smart Dependencies — Tool compatibility and requirement resolution

📦 Package Manager Agnostic — Works with npm, pnpm, or yarn

🚀 Zero Config Start — Generated projects work immediately

🎨 Customizable — Add your own templates and development tools

⚡️ Quick Start

# Install globally
npm install -g typescript-express-starter
Run the interactive CLI
typescript-express-starter
┌  📘 TypeScript Express Starter │ ◇  Choose setup mode: │  ● 🚀 Quick start (recommended preset) (Automatically selects a sensible toolset) │  ○ 🛠 Custom (step-by-step) (Pick tools category by category) │ ◇  Which package manager do you want to use? │  ● npm │  ○ pnpm │  ○ yarn │ ◇  Choose a template: │  ● Express TypeScript (Basic Express + TypeScript starter · beginner · stable) │  ○ Drizzle PostgreSQL (Modern SQL toolkit with type safety + full devtools · intermediate · stable) │ ◇  Enter your project name: │  your-project-name │ ◇  Choose quick profile: │  ○ Minimal (Template only (no additional devtools)) │  ● Recommended (Balanced default toolchain) │  ○ Full (One tool from each category) │ ◇  Preset ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮ │                                                                     │ │  Quick profile selected: recommended (biome, tsup, vitest, docker)  │ │                                                                     │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯ │ ◇  Configuration summary ────────────────────────╮ │                                                │ │  Setup mode     : quick                        │ │  Package manager: pnpm                         │ │  Template       : Express TypeScript           │ │  Project name   : your-project-name            │ │  Devtools       : Biome, tsup, Vitest, Docker  │ │                                                │ ├────────────────────────────────────────────────╯ │ ◆  Proceed with project generation? │  ● Yes / ○ No │ ✔ 📦 Base dependencies installed! │ └ 🎉 Project setup complete!
Navigate to your project
cd your-project-name
Start development server
npm run dev

Generated Project Features:

🌐 Express server: http://localhost:3000/
🔄 Hot reload with nodemon

📂 Generated Project Structure

When you create a new project, the CLI generates this structure:

your-project/
├── src/
│   ├── config/           # Configuration files, environment settings
│   ├── controllers/      # Request handling & response logic
│   ├── dtos/             # Data Transfer Objects for request/response
│   ├── entities/         # Database entities (if using ORM)
│   ├── exceptions/       # Custom exception classes
│   ├── interfaces/       # TypeScript interfaces and type definitions
│   ├── middlewares/      # Middlewares (logging, auth, error handling)
│   ├── repositories/     # Database access logic
│   ├── routes/           # API route definitions
│   ├── services/         # Business logic
│   ├── utils/            # Utility/helper functions
│   ├── app.ts            # Express app initialization
│   └── server.ts         # Server entry point
├── .env                   # Environment variables file
├── .env.development.local # Development environment variables
├── .env.production.local  # Production environment variables
├── .env.test.local        # Test environment variables
├── nodemon.json           # Nodemon configuration
├── package.json           # Project dependencies and scripts
└── tsconfig.json          # TypeScript configuration

🛠 Development Tools Available

Choose from these categories during project setup:

| Category | Available Tools | Description | | ------------- | --------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | | Linter | biome, eslint, oxlint | Code formatting & linting (Biome is all-in-one) | | Bundler | swc, tsup | Fast TypeScript compilation and bundling | | Testing | jest, vitest | Unit & integration testing frameworks | | Container | docker | Docker & docker-compose configuration |

To be added later (currently in progress):

| Category | Available Tools | Description | | ------------- | --------------- | ------------------------------------ | | Process | pm2 | Production process management | | CI/CD | github | GitHub Actions workflows | | Git Hooks | husky | Pre-commit hooks for quality control | | API Docs | swagger | OpenAPI/Swagger documentation |

Smart Selection: The CLI automatically resolves tool dependencies and compatibility.

🧩 Available Templates

Current template status with comprehensive compatibility tested:

✅ Production Ready & Fully Tested

| Template | Description | Status | Compatibility | | -------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- | --------- | ------------- | | default | Express + TypeScript starter | ✅ Active | 🎯 Baseline | | drizzle-postgresql | Drizzle ORM + PostgreSQL (Type-safe, Zero overhead) | ✅ Active | 🌟 100% (8/8) |

🔧 Enhanced Development Tools Support

drizzle-postgresql template is fully compatible with:

Linters

✅ Biome - Modern unified tool (linter + formatter)
✅ ESLint + Prettier - Traditional reliable combination
✅ Oxlint - Rust-based high-performance linter (18ms!)

Compilers

✅ tsup - esbuild-based bundler (193ms build!)
✅ SWC - Rust-based native performance compiler

Test Runners

✅ Jest - Mature test framework with full E2E support
✅ Vitest - Modern Vite-based test runner

🎯 All 8 combinations tested and verified - Choose your preferred development experience!

🚧 Coming Soon

ORM/Database Integration

| Template | Description | Priority | | --------------- | --------------------------------------------------- | ---------- | | prisma | Type-safe database client with auto-generated types | 🔥 Next | | mongoose | Elegant MongoDB ODM for Node.js | 🔥 Next | | typeorm | Decorator-based Active Record ORM | 🚧 Planned | | sequelize | Mature Promise-based SQL ORM | 🚧 Planned | | mikro-orm | Data Mapper ORM pattern for TypeScript | 🚧 Planned | | typegoose | TypeScript-friendly Mongoose alternative | 🚧 Planned | | node-postgres | High-performance PostgreSQL native driver | 🚧 Planned | | knex | Flexible SQL query builder & migrations | 🚧 Planned |

Architecture/Controller Style

| Template | Description | Priority | | --------- | ------------------------------------- | ------------ | | graphql | GraphQL API schema with Apollo Server | 🚧 Knowledge |

🤔 Why Use This CLI?

vs. Manual Setup

| Aspect | Manual Setup | TypeScript Express Starter CLI | | ------------------ | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------------- | | Time | 🔴 Hours of configuration | ✅ 2-3 minutes interactive setup | | Configuration | 🔴 Manual dependency management | ✅ Auto-resolved, compatible versions | | Best Practices | 🔴 Research required | ✅ Pre-configured industry standards | | Consistency | 🔴 Varies by developer | ✅ Standardized project structure | | Updates | 🔴 Manual maintenance | ✅ CLI updates bring new features |

vs. Other Generators

| Feature | TypeScript Express Starter | Other Generators | | -------------------- | -------------------------- | ---------------- | | Database Choice | ✅ 10+ options planned | Limited options | | Tool Selection | ✅ Mix & match dev tools | Fixed stack | | TypeScript First | ✅ Built for TypeScript | Often JS-first | | Production Ready | ✅ Docker, PM2 included | Basic setup |

⭐️ Stargazers

🍴 Forkers

🤝 Contributors

💳 License

MIT

Made with ❤️ by AGUMON 🦖

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