What are the benefits of using Express in NodeJS to run both a backend and a frontend server simultaneously?

My current project involves a simple NodeJS/AngularJS application structured as follows:

/frontend/index.html <-- AngularJS home page
/frontend/js/app.js  <-- AngularJS app.js
/backend/package.json<-- NodeJS package.json
/backend/index.js    <-- NodeJS script

Currently, I am serving the backend API using my NodeJS express server, while accessing the frontend directly via file://.../frontend/index.html in my browser.

I'm wondering if it is considered good practice to have both the "Backend API" and the frontend served by NodeJS (potentially using two express instances). If so, how should I organize the code for this setup?

angularjsnode.jsexpress

Answer №1

When I access the frontend part directly (file://.../frontend/index.html) in my browser.

This method is only applicable on your personal computer and cannot be used for a typical web server that others can access. Therefore, this is not considered a suitable practice for a standard web server intended for public use on the internet.

By simply adding one line of code utilizing the express.static() middleware, you can configure your existing node.js server to serve all static HTML files without requiring a separate process. While larger-scale operations may implement an NGINX proxy to handle static HTML file serving, it appears unnecessary for your current needs. For now, utilize express.static() within your existing node.js server to serve static files and eliminate any reliance on file:// references.

Is it beneficial to run two separate NodeJS instances for serving both the "Backend API" and the frontend, and how should I structure the code?

There seems to be no justification for running two node.js instances based on the information provided. It is recommended to operate a single instance responsible for serving both the API and static HTML files within your application.

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