I built create-fast-express-structure to stop rebuilding the same Express setup every time

Youssef Selk — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 03:46:48 +0000

Every time I started a new Express.js project, I ended up repeating the same work.

Create the folders.
Set up app.ts, server.ts, and index.ts.
Choose between TypeScript or JavaScript.
Deal with ESM vs CommonJS.
Add linting, formatting, testing, env files, security middleware, database starter, auth starter, and then fix the small things that always break the flow.

So I decided to build a CLI for it.

create-fast-express-structure is a production-focused scaffolder for Express.js apps with a clean MVC structure and optional features you can actually choose based on your project.

Why I made it

A lot of generators either feel too minimal or too opinionated.

Sometimes you just want:

a solid MVC base
clean structure
good defaults
optional add-ons only when you need them
a setup that does not look like a toy project

I wanted something that works for real projects, not just hello-world demos.

What it does

With one command, you can generate an Express.js project with support for:

TypeScript or JavaScript
ES Modules or CommonJS
minimal MVC structure by default
optional security middleware
optional Tailwind + EJS views
optional JWT auth starter and RBAC
optional MongoDB/Mongoose or PostgreSQL with Prisma or Drizzle
optional Vitest or Jest
optional ESLint or Biome
Prettier, Docker, Git, Husky, Commitlint
dry-run, skip-install, presets, and CI-friendly flags

Example usage

npm create fast-express-structure@latest my-ap

Or with more control:

npx create-fast-express-structure my-api --template secure-api --language ts --module esm

A few more examples:

fes my-api --yes --skip-install
fes my-api --auth --validation --rate-limit --env
fes data-api --db postgresql --orm prisma --env --no-tailwind
fes my-api --dry-run --template mvc-full

Something I cared about a lot

I did not want the CLI to dump everything into the project whether the user needs it or not.

So the prompts are dynamic.

I’d love honest feedback

I’m still improving it, and I’d really like feedback from people who build Express APIs in real projects.

What would you expect from a scaffolding tool like this?
What is always missing in most Express starters?

If you do not choose auth, it does not keep asking auth-related questions.
If you do not want Tailwind or views, it skips that path.
If you want TypeScript, it integrates it through my fast-ts-integrator setup.

The goal was simple: keep the experience clean, but still powerful.

Links

NPM:
https://www.npmjs.com/package/create-fast-express-structure
GitHub:
https://github.com/YoussefSelk/fast-express-structure

I got tired of messy TypeScript migrations in Node.js, so I built fast-ts-integrator

Youssef Selk — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:40:19 +0000

Adding TypeScript to an existing Node.js project sounds simple until it isn’t.

A few files in, things usually start drifting:

tsconfig.json stops matching the actual runtime
CommonJS and ESM start fighting each other
mixed .js and .ts files make the project harder to reason about
test and lint setup adds even more friction

I kept running into that same wall, so I built a small CLI to make the setup predictable.

What it is

fast-ts-integrator is a CLI that helps add TypeScript to a new or existing Node.js project with an interactive setup.

It lets you choose:

ES Modules or CommonJS
tsx or ts-node
Biome or ESLint + Prettier
Vitest or Jest Then it installs what is needed, generates the config, and adds the scripts so you can actually start working instead of fighting setup.

Why I built it

Most of the pain was never “TypeScript itself”.

It was the setup around it:

choosing the right module strategy
keeping runtime behavior consistent
avoiding broken imports after migration
wiring linting and testing without turning the project into config soup

I wanted something practical that works for real Node.js projects, not just empty demos.

Quick start

npx fast-ts-integrator

npx fast-ts

Example flow

The CLI walks through a few choices:

module system
execution engine
linter/formatter
test framework

After that, it scaffolds the setup and updates package.json for you.

Links

npm: npm package
GitHub: Github Repo

Still improving

This is an early release, and I’m actively improving it.

Real feedback would help a lot, especially from people who have dealt with:

gradual JS to TS migration
CommonJS to ESM headaches
existing Express or Node backends
lint/test setup that tends to break during migration

If you try it, I’d genuinely like to know what feels smooth and what feels annoying.

Forem: Youssef Selk

I built create-fast-express-structure to stop rebuilding the same Express setup every time

Why I made it

What it does

Example usage

Something I cared about a lot

I’d love honest feedback

Links

I got tired of messy TypeScript migrations in Node.js, so I built fast-ts-integrator

What it is

Why I built it

Quick start

Example flow

Links

Still improving