How to Build a Full-Stack React CRUD App with Node.js, Express and PostgreSQL: Step-by-Step Guide

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Introduction: Full-Stack JavaScript Made Practical

Building robust web applications is a core skill for modern software developers. In this guide, we walk through creating a full-stack CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) app using React for the frontend, Node.js and Express for the backend and PostgreSQL as the database. This architecture, built with industry-standard tools like Sequelize ORM and TailwindCSS for styling, enables efficient and scalable app development.

Project Overview: What Are We Building?

The example app lets users manage tutorials, each with a title, description and published status. Users can add new tutorials, view a list, edit or delete existing entries, and search by title. This covers typical CRUD operations and demonstrates essential principles for any React CRUD app connected to a Node.js Express PostgreSQL backend.

Backend Architecture: Node.js, Express & PostgreSQL

1. Setting Up the Server

Start by initializing a Node.js project and installing the required dependencies: express (server), sequelize (ORM), pg and pg-hstore (PostgreSQL support) and cors (cross-origin resource sharing). Use ESModule syntax for modern JavaScript imports.

2. Database Configuration with Sequelize

Set up PostgreSQL credentials and define a Sequelize instance. The Tutorial model contains fields for title, description and published status. You can run PostgreSQL locally, including via Docker for convenience in development.

3. Implementing RESTful API Routes

Create controllers for each CRUD operation: creating, finding (all or by ID), updating and deleting tutorials. Map these controllers to Express routes like /api/tutorials and /api/tutorials/:id. Each endpoint enables a RESTful API ideal for single-page applications.

Frontend Implementation: React with TailwindCSS

1. React App Structure

Organize your frontend with Vite for quick bootstrapping, react-router-dom for routing, axios for HTTP requests, and TailwindCSS for styling. Core files include App.jsx, main.jsx and a services/tutorial.service.js file for API calls.

2. Main Components and Their Roles

• AddTutorial.jsx handles new tutorial creation with form input and submission logic.
• TutorialsList.jsx renders the searchable list of tutorials, details and allows for deleting all tutorials.
• Tutorial.jsx manages editing, deleting and toggling the published status of a selected tutorial.

3. API Service Layer with Axios

Use tutorial.service.js to centralize all backend communications (CRUD operations and search functionality). This separation keeps the React components focused on UI logic and data state management.

4. Styling and UI/UX

Leverage TailwindCSS to implement a clean, responsive design in minimal code. Navigation is handled by React Router, connecting the tutorials list, add-tutorial form and tutorial editing components.

5. Running Your Full-Stack App

Start your Express server on port 8080, ensuring the database syncs via Sequelize on launch. Launch your React application with npm run dev (typically on port 5173). Ensure both backend and frontend are running locally to allow for seamless, real-time development and testing.

Key Takeaways: Full-Stack JavaScript Best Practices

• The combination of React, Node.js, Express and PostgreSQL is a proven tech stack for dynamic, scalable apps.
• Sequelize ORM streamlines database interaction and model management in a Node.js environment.
• Modular architecture keeps services, components and routes maintainable and extensible.

For detailed step-by-step instructions, sample code and advanced features like deployment or authentication integration, find out more on https://www.corbado.com/blog/react-express-crud-app-postgresql