2. NodeJS installation and configuration

Before we dive into creating APIs in NodeJS, it's important to understand how to install and configure NodeJS on your system. This guide will help you understand the process of installing and configuring NodeJS.

NodeJS Installation

Node.js is a JavaScript runtime environment built on Chrome's V8 JavaScript engine. It allows you to run JavaScript on the server side. To install NodeJS, follow the steps below:

1. Go to the official Node.js website at https://nodejs.org/.
2. Here, you will see two versions of Node.js available for download. The LTS (Long Term Support) version is the most stable version and is recommended for most users. The Current version contains the latest features, but it might not be as stable as the LTS version. Click the download button for the version you prefer.
3. After downloading the installation file, run it. You will see a series of installation screens. Click 'Next' to step through these screens. Make sure the 'npm package manager' option is selected during installation as we will need it to install Node.js packages.
4. Click 'Install' to install Node.js and npm on your system.

Once installed, you can verify that Node.js installed correctly by opening a terminal or command prompt and typing the following command:

node -v

This should display the version of Node.js you have installed.

NodeJS Configuration

After installing Node.js, you will need to configure it for development. Here are the steps to do this:

1. Open the terminal or command prompt.
2. Create a new folder for your Node.js project with the 'mkdir' command and navigate to it with the 'cd' command.
3. Inside this folder, you will need to initialize a new Node.js project. You can do this with the following command:

npm init

This will launch a wizard that will help you create a new 'package.json' file for your project. This file contains information about your project and the dependencies it needs to function.

4. The wizard will ask you a series of questions about your project. If you are unsure of any of the answers, you can simply press 'Enter' to accept the default values. You can always change this information later by editing the 'package.json' file.
5. After answering all the questions, the wizard will create the 'package.json' file and you are ready to start developing your Node.js project!

With Node.js installed and configured, you are now ready to start building APIs in Node.js. In the next chapter, we'll talk about how to create your first API using Express.js, a popular web framework for Node.js.

I hope this guide was helpful for you to understand how to install and configure Node.js. Remember, practice is the key to becoming proficient at anything, so be sure to try out what you've learned here.

Good luck with your Node.js learning and development!