Lab App

This is a web application built using Express.js as the backend framework, Handlebars for templating, and TailwindCSS for styling. It demonstrates a simple but dynamic structure with category filtering, reusable layouts, and server-side rendering.

Features

• Dynamic Routing: Supports various routes and dynamic content filtering.
• Server-Side Rendering: Renders HTML on the server for faster load times and improved SEO.
• Modular Views: Utilizes Handlebars for reusable layouts and partials.
• TailwindCSS Styling: Built with utility-first TailwindCSS for quick, responsive styling.

Prerequisites

Ensure you have the following installed:

• Node.js
• npm

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/your-username/express-handlebars-tailwind.git
   cd express-handlebars-tailwind

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

3. Build Tailwind CSS: Generate the Tailwind output file for the styling:

   npm run build:css

Usage

1. Start the Application: Run the following command to start the application in development mode:

   npm run dev

   This will run both the Express server and the Tailwind build process. Nodemon is used to auto-restart the server when files change.

2. Visit the App: Open your browser and go to http://localhost:3000 to view the application.

Project Structure

Here’s a brief overview of the project’s structure:

express-handlebars-tailwind/
├── views/
│   ├── layouts/
│   │   └── main.handlebars        # Main layout template
│   ├── partials/
│   │   ├── categories.handlebars  # Categories partial for filtering
│   │   └── items.handlebars       # Items partial for displaying filtered results
│   └── home.handlebars            # Main view for homepage content
├── public/
│   └── css/
│       └── styles.css             # Custom CSS and Tailwind styles
├── app.js                         # Main application file with routes and server setup
├── package.json                   # Project metadata and scripts
├── tailwind.config.js             # Tailwind CSS configuration
└── nodemon.json                   # Nodemon configuration

Configuration

• TailwindCSS: Customize your Tailwind configuration in tailwind.config.js for themes, colors, and responsive breakpoints.
• Routes and Sample Data: Modify app.js to change routes and add sample data. Example data can be found in the items and categories arrays.

Available Scripts

In package.json, the following scripts are defined:

• npm run dev: Starts the server with Nodemon and builds Tailwind in watch mode.
• npm run build:css: Processes Tailwind CSS, outputting optimized CSS to public/css/styles.css.

Customization

1. Modify Views: Update Handlebars views in views/ to customize page layout or content.
2. Add Routes: Extend routing in app.js for additional functionality (e.g., more filtered views).
3. Styling: Update styles.css with custom CSS or Tailwind classes for further design tweaks.

License

This project is open-source under the MIT License.

---

This README is tailored to a ready-to-run app. Just replace your-username with your GitHub username in the repository URL if needed. Let me know if you’d like any further customization!