Chapter 2. First steps
This chapter covers
- Installing the necessary components of the technical stack
- Setting up the tools of your development environment
- Creating your first application
- Cloning your first repository
To get things started, you’ll set up your development environment. This will consist of installing the necessary tools and underlying software to build Sails applications. You’ll then generate a Sails app to apply what you learned in chapter 1. This chapter will also provide an opportunity to demystify the process of backend app creation and dismiss the idea that it has to be a long, drawn-out process. The first application you’ll generate will be disposable. Yep, we said it—disposable. But that’s not a bad thing. It’s actually a feature. Sails is all about rapid development—the ability to have an idea or concept, act on it immediately, create the app, and explore your idea. The bottom line is this: don’t be afraid to experiment. Nothing is wasted. Just relax, explore, and have some fun!
Fortunately, developing modern web backend applications doesn’t require a lot of tools. In fact, you just need a few:
- Node.js
- Sails.js
- A text editor/integrated development environment (IDE)
- A command-line terminal (shell)
Once these are installed, the underlying applications require very little in the way of configuration. So let’s get busy.