Express - lesson 2 | HackIndia Skills

Key point

One route idea

A good route describes a resource. The HTTP method describes the action.

Use /projects with GET to list projects. Use /projects with POST to create one. Avoid routes like /getProjects or /createProject.

Routes are contracts

Your API routes are the first thing a recruiter will scan. They should be easy to guess without reading every line of code.

Think like a frontend developer using your API. If the app has students, projects, teams, or applications, those words usually become route names.

Your to-do

Pick route names

Do each one yourself, then tap it to tick it off. The ticks are only a checklist for you: they are not marked or scored.

List the main things your app stores or returns.
Use plural nouns for collections, like /projects or /applications.
Use an id when you mean one item, like /projects/:id.
Keep words lowercase and simple.
Put filters in the query string, not in the route path.

0 of 5 done

Example

Clean route sketch

This is a simple project API shape. It uses route methods from HTTP methods such as GET, POST, PATCH, and DELETE.

Express route paths do not include query strings. /projects?tech=node is still matched by /projects.

import express from 'express';

const app = express();

app.get('/projects', (req, res) => {
  res.json({ message: 'List projects' });
});

app.post('/projects', (req, res) => {
  res.status(201).json({ message: 'Create project' });
});

app.get('/projects/:id', (req, res) => {
  res.json({ message: `Get project ${req.params.id}` });
});

app.patch('/projects/:id', (req, res) => {
  res.json({ message: `Update project ${req.params.id}` });
});

app.delete('/projects/:id', (req, res) => {
  res.status(204).send();
});

Common mistake

Avoid action URLs

Beginners often put the verb inside the path. That makes the API noisy and hard to extend.

Do not write /getAllProjects, /addProject, /deleteProject/:id. The method already says the action.

Tip

Use AI carefully

Ask ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude to review your route plan before coding. Paste your app idea and ask for REST-style routes using nouns and HTTP methods.

Check the output. Remove action names in paths. Keep query strings separate from route paths. Do not accept old Express 4 wildcard examples like /* for Express 5.

Prompt:
I am building an Express 5 API for a college hackathon project tracker.
Suggest a simple route table using resource nouns, HTTP methods, and short descriptions.
Do not use action words like getProject in the URL.
Keep filters as query strings.