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March 21, 2026 · View on GitHub

TypeScript Express Starter

🚀 Express RESTful API Boilerplate Using TypeScript

📝 Introduction

TypeScript Express Starter is an interactive CLI tool that generates production-ready TypeScript Express projects with your preferred stack configuration.

Instead of starting from scratch, this CLI provides a comprehensive project generator with multiple database integrations, development tools, and deployment configurations. Choose from 10+ templates and customize your development workflow in minutes.

Interactive Setup: Choose database, ORM, linter, testing framework, and more
Production Ready: Docker, PM2, NGINX configurations included
Developer Experience: Hot reload, testing, linting, and formatting pre-configured
Multiple Stacks: Support for 10+ database/ORM combinations

💎 CLI Features

🎯 Interactive Setup — Smart CLI with guided project configuration
🚀 Quick or Custom Mode — Start fast with presets or choose tools category by category
🗄️ Multiple Database Options — Prisma, Sequelize, TypeORM, Mongoose, Knex, and more
🛠️ Development Tools — Choose from ESLint, Biome, Jest, Vitest, Docker, PM2
📱 Template Selection — 10+ pre-configured project templates
⚡ Auto Configuration — Dependencies, scripts, and configs automatically setup
🔧 Smart Dependencies — Tool compatibility and requirement resolution
📦 Package Manager Agnostic — Works with npm, pnpm, or yarn
🚀 Zero Config Start — Generated projects work immediately
🎨 Customizable — Add your own templates and development tools

⚡️ Quick Start

# Install globally
npm install -g typescript-express-starter

# Run the interactive CLI
typescript-express-starter

┌  📘 TypeScript Express Starter
│
◇  Choose setup mode:
│  ● 🚀 Quick start (recommended preset) (Automatically selects a sensible toolset)
│  ○ 🛠 Custom (step-by-step) (Pick tools category by category)
│
◇  Which package manager do you want to use?
│  ● npm
│  ○ pnpm
│  ○ yarn
│
◇  Choose a template:
│  ● Express TypeScript (Basic Express + TypeScript starter · beginner · stable)
│  ○ Drizzle PostgreSQL (Modern SQL toolkit with type safety + full devtools · intermediate · stable)
│
◇  Enter your project name:
│  your-project-name
│
◇  Choose quick profile:
│  ○ Minimal (Template only (no additional devtools))
│  ● Recommended (Balanced default toolchain)
│  ○ Full (One tool from each category)
│
◇  Preset ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│                                                                     │
│  Quick profile selected: recommended (biome, tsup, vitest, docker)  │
│                                                                     │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
│
◇  Configuration summary ────────────────────────╮
│                                                │
│  Setup mode     : quick                        │
│  Package manager: pnpm                         │
│  Template       : Express TypeScript           │
│  Project name   : your-project-name            │
│  Devtools       : Biome, tsup, Vitest, Docker  │
│                                                │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
│
◆  Proceed with project generation?
│  ● Yes / ○ No
│
✔ 📦 Base dependencies installed!
│
└ 🎉 Project setup complete!

# Navigate to your project
cd your-project-name

# Start development server
npm run dev

Generated Project Features:

🌐 Express server: http://localhost:3000/
🔄 Hot reload with nodemon

📂 Generated Project Structure

When you create a new project, the CLI generates this structure:

your-project/
├── src/
│   ├── config/           # Configuration files, environment settings
│   ├── controllers/      # Request handling & response logic
│   ├── dtos/             # Data Transfer Objects for request/response
│   ├── entities/         # Database entities (if using ORM)
│   ├── exceptions/       # Custom exception classes
│   ├── interfaces/       # TypeScript interfaces and type definitions
│   ├── middlewares/      # Middlewares (logging, auth, error handling)
│   ├── repositories/     # Database access logic
│   ├── routes/           # API route definitions
│   ├── services/         # Business logic
│   ├── utils/            # Utility/helper functions
│   ├── app.ts            # Express app initialization
│   └── server.ts         # Server entry point
├── .env                   # Environment variables file
├── .env.development.local # Development environment variables
├── .env.production.local  # Production environment variables
├── .env.test.local        # Test environment variables
├── nodemon.json           # Nodemon configuration
├── package.json           # Project dependencies and scripts
└── tsconfig.json          # TypeScript configuration

🛠 Development Tools Available

Choose from these categories during project setup:

Category	Available Tools	Description
Linter	`biome`, `eslint`, `oxlint`	Code formatting & linting (Biome is all-in-one)
Bundler	`swc`, `tsup`	Fast TypeScript compilation and bundling
Testing	`jest`, `vitest`	Unit & integration testing frameworks
Container	`docker`	Docker & docker-compose configuration

To be added later (currently in progress):

Category	Available Tools	Description
Process	`pm2`	Production process management
CI/CD	`github`	GitHub Actions workflows
Git Hooks	`husky`	Pre-commit hooks for quality control
API Docs	`swagger`	OpenAPI/Swagger documentation

Smart Selection: The CLI automatically resolves tool dependencies and compatibility.

🧩 Available Templates

Current template status with comprehensive compatibility tested:

✅ Production Ready & Fully Tested

Template	Description	Status	Compatibility
`default`	Express + TypeScript starter	✅ Active	🎯 Baseline
`drizzle-postgresql`	Drizzle ORM + PostgreSQL (Type-safe, Zero overhead)	✅ Active	🌟 100% (8/8)

🔧 Enhanced Development Tools Support

drizzle-postgresql template is fully compatible with:

Linters

✅ Biome - Modern unified tool (linter + formatter)
✅ ESLint + Prettier - Traditional reliable combination
✅ Oxlint - Rust-based high-performance linter (18ms!)

Compilers

✅ tsup - esbuild-based bundler (193ms build!)
✅ SWC - Rust-based native performance compiler

Test Runners

✅ Jest - Mature test framework with full E2E support
✅ Vitest - Modern Vite-based test runner

🎯 All 8 combinations tested and verified - Choose your preferred development experience!

🚧 Coming Soon

ORM/Database Integration

Template	Description	Priority
`prisma`	Type-safe database client with auto-generated types	🔥 Next
`mongoose`	Elegant MongoDB ODM for Node.js	🔥 Next
`typeorm`	Decorator-based Active Record ORM	🚧 Planned
`sequelize`	Mature Promise-based SQL ORM	🚧 Planned
`mikro-orm`	Data Mapper ORM pattern for TypeScript	🚧 Planned
`typegoose`	TypeScript-friendly Mongoose alternative	🚧 Planned
`node-postgres`	High-performance PostgreSQL native driver	🚧 Planned
`knex`	Flexible SQL query builder & migrations	🚧 Planned

Architecture/Controller Style

Template	Description	Priority
`graphql`	GraphQL API schema with Apollo Server	🚧 Knowledge

🤔 Why Use This CLI?

vs. Manual Setup

Aspect	Manual Setup	TypeScript Express Starter CLI
Time	🔴 Hours of configuration	✅ 2-3 minutes interactive setup
Configuration	🔴 Manual dependency management	✅ Auto-resolved, compatible versions
Best Practices	🔴 Research required	✅ Pre-configured industry standards
Consistency	🔴 Varies by developer	✅ Standardized project structure
Updates	🔴 Manual maintenance	✅ CLI updates bring new features

vs. Other Generators

Feature	TypeScript Express Starter	Other Generators
Database Choice	✅ 10+ options planned	Limited options
Tool Selection	✅ Mix & match dev tools	Fixed stack
TypeScript First	✅ Built for TypeScript	Often JS-first
Production Ready	✅ Docker, PM2 included	Basic setup