In the previous course section,
we get started with NodeJS.
Now, at this point, we don't fully use
the advantages NodeJS offers to us.
For example, we're not talking to a database,
but we get the solid foundation
that we need to write code that executes
on the server instead of in the browser.
However, with just NodeJS,
which is what we are using here,
we have certain limitations;
or to be precise, as a developer,
we have extra unnecessary work to do.
Now, for example, for every website that we build,
we have to create that Node server on our own
and define this request handling function.
And whilst that may be doesn't sound too bad,
what about the code inside this function?
Here we then have to check the request.url
and handle different cases to execute different code.
That's all possible, but it's all pretty low level
as it's called.
We have to parse and look up the URL manually;
we have to write this "if" statement manually.
And if you are building a complex website,
let's say an online shop with many different pages
where you at some point then maybe also need
to parse incoming user data,
then there will be a point where this gets very cumbersome.
And that's why we typically don't work
with just NodeJS like this,
but why we use a third-party library on top of NodeJS
to make our life as a developer a bit easier
just as we used third-party libraries before in the browser
to help ourselves with some predefined styles
or to easily add something like a parallax effect.
For the same reason, we also might want to simplify
our life when it comes to the backend code.
And that's why in this section,
we will start adding a third-party package.
To be precise,
this course module is about NodeJS Development
with a third-party library called ExpressJS.
And then this course section,
you will not just learn why we use that,
we already had a look at the "why" right now in this video,
but you will also learn what exactly ExpressJS is
and how you use it.
And we are going to explore how we can handle
the requests and send back responses with ExpressJS,
and you will see that it will be a bit easier
than with just NodeJS.
And therefore, since we will now have this simplification
and this extra help from this library,
in this course section,
we are now also finally going to start parsing
some user input submitted through a form,
and we will then also store that input in a file
that will be stored on the server,
which we then in turn can use
to generate dynamic HTML pages based on that file content.
But we'll get there step by step;
let's, first of all, start by installing ExpressJS,
and let's see how it works.