feathersjs/feathers

---
outline: deep
---

# Creating an app

In the [quick start](./starting.md) we created a Feathers application in a single file to get a better understanding of how Feathers itself works.

<img style="margin: 2em;" src="/img/main-character-coding.svg" alt="Getting started">

The [Feathers CLI](../cli/index.md) allows us to initialize a new Feathers server with a recommended structure and generate things we commonly need like authentication, a database connection or new services. In this guide we will create a Feathers HTTP and real-time API for a chat application using the Feathers CLI. Using it, for example with [a JavaScript frontend](../frontend/javascript.md), looks like this:

![The Feathers chat application](../basics/assets/feathers-chat.png)

You can find the complete example in the [feathers-chat repository](https://github.com/feathersjs/feathers-chat).

## Generating the application

You can create a new Feathers application by running `npm create feathers <name>`. To create a new Feathers application called `feathers-chat` we can run:

```sh
npm create feathers@latest feathers-chat
```

If you never ran the command before you might be asked to confirm the package installation by pressing enter. The `@latest` in the command makes sure that the most recent released version of the CLI is used.

<BlockQuote type="warning" label="Note">

Since the generated application is using modern features like ES modules, the Feathers CLI requires __Node 16 or newer__.

</BlockQuote>

First, choose if you want to use JavaScript or TypeScript. When presented with the project name, just hit enter, or enter a name (no spaces). Next, write a short description for your application. Confirm the next questions with the default selection by pressing Enter. If you choose a database other than __SQLite__, make sure it is reachable at the connection string. For following this guide using MongoDB, change the database selection in the dropdown below.

<DatabaseSelect />
<hr />

Once you confirm the last prompt, the final selection should look similar to this:

<DatabaseBlock global-id="sql">

![feathers generate app prompts](./assets/generate-app.png)

<BlockQuote type="info" label="Note">

`SQLite` creates an SQL database in a file so we don't need to have a database server running.

</BlockQuote>

</DatabaseBlock>

<DatabaseBlock global-id="mongodb">

![feathers generate app prompts](./assets/generate-app-mongodb.png)

</DatabaseBlock>

Sweet! We generated our first Feathers application in a new folder called `feathers-chat` so we need to go there.

```sh
cd feathers-chat
```

<BlockQuote type="tip">

Most generated files have a page in the [CLI guide](../cli/index.md) which contains more information about the file and what it does.

</BlockQuote>

## Running the server and tests

The server can be started by running

<LanguageBlock global-id="ts">

<DatabaseBlock global-id="sql">

```sh
npm run compile
npm run migrate
npm start
```

</DatabaseBlock>

<DatabaseBlock global-id="mongodb">

```sh
npm run compile
npm start
```

</DatabaseBlock>

</LanguageBlock>

<LanguageBlock global-id="js">

```sh
npm start
```

</LanguageBlock>

After that, you will see the Feathers logo at

```
http://localhost:3030
```

<BlockQuote type="warning" label="Note">

You can exit the running process by pressing **CTRL + C**

</BlockQuote>

The app also comes with a set of basic tests which can be run with

```sh
npm test
```

There is also a handy development command that restarts the server automatically whenever we make a code change:

```sh
npm run dev
```

<BlockQuote type="warning" label="Note">

Keep this command running throughout the rest of this guide so it will reload all our changes automatically.

</BlockQuote>

## What's next?

In this chapter, we've created a new Feathers application. To learn more about the generated files and what you can do with the CLI, have a look at the [CLI guide](../cli/index.md) after finishing the Getting Started guide. In [the next chapter](./authentication.md) we will set up user authentication.