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Part 2 of this project

Routing

Organize page routes with an Express Router.

Goal

This snapshot advances Copperline Journal by teaching you to organize page routes with an Express Router.

Every numbered folder is a complete app. Run this stage independently, then compare it with the previous folder to see the new responsibility clearly.

Prerequisites

Use Node.js 20 or newer, npm, and a terminal. You should recognize basic JavaScript functions, objects, and HTTP requests.

Port 3000 must be available. MongoDB snapshots use Docker locally; copy the example environment file before starting them.

  • Node.js and npm installed
  • A code editor and terminal
  • Docker from part 4 onward

Concepts

Routers group related endpoints and can be mounted under a common path. Route order matters because Express matches top to bottom.

Keep responsibilities visible: middleware prepares requests, routes choose handlers, models protect data rules, and EJS views present escaped values.

Walkthrough

Move home, about, and sample post handlers into a router, mount it from the app, and add a final 404 handler.

Read the example from input to output, then inspect the matching snapshot. The repository includes the surrounding setup and error handling.

const router = require("express").Router();
router.get("/", home);
router.get("/about", about);
app.use("/", router);

Run and verify

Enter 02-Routing, install its dependencies, copy .env.example when present, and start the server.

Open http://localhost:3000. Keep the terminal visible so route, validation, and database errors can be connected to the browser action that caused them.

git clone https://github.com/michaeldunga1/fcc-express-blog.git
cd fcc-express-blog/02-Routing
npm install
cp .env.example .env
npm start

Troubleshooting

A broad parameter route can capture a specific path if it appears first. Check the HTTP method and mount path together.

A missing-module error usually means npm install ran in another snapshot. For database failures, check the container and that this folder uses its own Copperline database name.

  • Read the first error first
  • Restart after environment changes
  • Never commit .env or node_modules

Try this

Add a named /contact route and verify an unknown path returns 404.

Test a happy path and one invalid or unauthorized request. Useful applications return clear feedback without exposing secrets or stack traces.

  • Make one small change
  • Test it in the browser
  • Compare with the next snapshot only after it works

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