Understanding ENV

How to start PORT on an env variable

Install dotenv package

Install the dotenv package using npm. This package allows you to load environment variables from a file.

npm install dotenv

Create a .env File:

Create a file named .env in the root of your project. This file will contain your environment variables. Add a variable for the port, for example:

PORT=3000

Load Environment Variables in Your Express App:

In your main Express application file (e.g., app.js or index.js), load the environment variables using dotenv. Add the following lines at the top of your file:

require('dotenv').config();

Use the PORT Environment Variable:

const express = require('express');
const app = express();
const port = process.env.PORT || 3000;

// Rest of your Express app code...

app.listen(port, () => {
  console.log(`Server is running on http://localhost:${port}`);
});

Run Your Express App:

node app.js