Express.js

Scaffold an Express.js workspace with TypeScript.

Why Use This Command?

Installs Express 5 with TypeScript and a tsx watch dev script so you can start writing routes with hot reload on the first command.
Auto-detects monorepo or workspace mode so the same command works whether you're starting fresh or adding to an existing project.
Generates a minimal src/index.ts entry point so the server compiles and runs without extra boilerplate.

Requirements

Node.js runtime — Use any Node.js LTS release.
Empty directory (monorepo mode) or monorepo root (workspace mode) — The command auto-detects which mode to use.

Usage

Options

Flag	Description
`-d, --dry-run`	Preview changes without writing files.
`--name <name>`	Project or workspace name.
`--workspace-name <name>`	Workspace directory name.
`--output <dir>`	Output directory.

Output Structure

{project-slug}/
├── package.json
├── nova.config.json
├── apps/
│   └── {workspace-name}/
│       ├── package.json
│       ├── tsconfig.json
│       └── src/
│           └── index.ts
└── packages/

How It Works

Interactive Wizard

When run without flags, the command walks you through an interactive wizard:

Monorepo mode (no package.json found):

Project name — Enter a slug for your monorepo (e.g. my-api).
Workspace name — Enter a slug for the workspace directory (default: express).
Where should the project be created? — Choose between creating a new directory or building in the current working directory.
Output directory — If creating a new directory, confirm the path (default: ./{project-name}).
Run generators — Optionally run project-level generators (.editorconfig, .gitignore, LICENSE, etc.).

Workspace mode (package.json with workspaces found):

Package name — Enter a slug for the workspace package (e.g. my-api).
Workspace name — Enter a slug for the workspace directory (default: express).
Output directory — Confirm the workspace path (default: ./apps/{workspace-name}).

Non-Interactive Mode

Provide --name, --workspace-name, and --output to skip all prompts:

nova scaffold app expressjs --name my-api --workspace-name express --output ./my-api

Next Steps

After scaffolding, consider running generators to add essential project files like .editorconfig, .gitignore, LICENSE, and README.md.