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How to Build an MVC Web App from the Terminal: Step-by-Step Guide

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Building an MVC web app from the terminal might sound intimidating, but don’t worry! With the right steps, anyone can do it. Let’s walk through how to create a simple MVC app. It’s going to be fun, quick, and simple to follow. Grab your favorite beverage, and let’s get started!

Step 1: What is MVC?

Before we dive in, let’s understand the basics. MVC stands for Model-View-Controller. Here’s a simple breakdown:

Think of it as an organized way to keep your app clean and modular. Neat, right?

Step 2: Choose Your Tech Stack

Pick your favorite programming language and framework. For this guide, let’s use Node.js with Express, a popular framework used to create web apps.

If Node.js isn’t installed on your computer, visit Node.js and follow the simple install instructions. You’re going to love it!

Step 3: Start Your Project

Open your terminal and type:

mkdir my-mvc-app

This creates a directory for your app. Let’s step inside:

cd my-mvc-app

Now, initialize your project:

npm init -y

Woohoo! You’ve just set up your project. Easy, right?

Step 4: Install Dependencies

To keep things lightweight, install Express and a view engine like Pug (formerly Jade). In your terminal, type:

npm install express pug

This command adds Express and Pug to your project, helping you with routing (Controller) and building templates (View).

Step 5: Create the File Structure

Your MVC app needs structure. Create folders for Models, Views, and Controllers:

mkdir models views controllers

Now, create a basic app file:

touch app.js

Great job! Your folder structure is looking sharp.

Step 6: Write the Controller

In the controllers folder, create a file:

touch mainController.js

Add the following simple code to mainController.js:


exports.home = (req, res) => {
  res.render('index', { title: 'Welcome to MVC!', message: 'You did it!' });
};

This creates a function to render your homepage. Look at that, things are coming together!

Step 7: Create the Model

For this example, we’ll keep the Model simple. In the models folder, let’s create:

touch dataModel.js

Add this basic example:


const data = { title: 'Sample Data', content: 'This is your model!' };
module.exports = data;

Here’s where you’d normally write database queries, but we’re keeping it light.

Step 8: Build the View

Go to the views folder and create your first template:

touch index.pug

Write this Pug code:


html
  head
    title= title
  body
    h1= message

It’s simple, but it’s a great start! Pug lets you write HTML quickly and cleanly.

Step 9: Set Up Routing

Edit app.js and configure routes:


const express = require('express');
const app = express();
const mainController = require('./controllers/mainController');

// Set view engine
app.set('view engine', 'pug');

// Define routes
app.get('/', mainController.home);

// Start server
app.listen(3000, () => {
  console.log('Server is running on http://localhost:3000');
});

That’s it! You’ve connected the Controller to the View. Awesome work!

Step 10: Run the App

Run the app by typing:

node app.js

Open your browser and go to http://localhost:3000. You’ll see your homepage!

Step 11: Celebrate!

Take a moment to celebrate—you just built an MVC web app using only your terminal. Impressive, right? 🎉

Final Thoughts

MVC frameworks keep your code cleaner and easier to manage. Start small, experiment, and build cool things. Who knew web development from the terminal could be this fun?

Now, what will you build next? The sky’s the limit!

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