4bnode — CLI Tool & Visual Dashboard for Node.js/Express

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Quick Start

Terminal

$ npx 4bnode init my-app
$ cd my-app
$ npm run dev

Your app runs at http://localhost:3000 with a built-in visual dashboard at http://localhost:3000/_dev.

CLI Commands

Create a Project

Terminal

$ npx 4bnode init <name>

Scaffolds a new Express project with:

ES Module syntax
Environment config (.env.development, .env.production)
CORS, JSON body parser (50MB limit)
Static file serving from public/
Built-in dev dashboard at /_dev

Add Features

Use the interactive menu:

Terminal

$ npx 4bnode add

Or add directly:

Command	Description
`4bnode add api <name>`	Create a new API endpoint
`4bnode add mongo`	Configure MongoDB connection
`4bnode add crud`	Add CRUD operations to a route
`4bnode add login`	Add JWT authentication & login
`4bnode add socket`	Integrate Socket.IO
`4bnode add websocket`	Add native WebSocket support
`4bnode add serialport`	Serial port communication

API Endpoint Creation

Terminal

$ 4bnode add api users

When creating an API endpoint:

Select HTTP method (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, PATCH)
Choose fields from existing model (if available)
Add custom fields received from client
File fields auto-configure multer for multipart uploads
All routes use /api/ prefix

Schema Management

Terminal

$ 4bnode schema              # Interactive create/view/edit
$ 4bnode schema user         # Create or edit 'user' schema

Supported field types: String, Number, Boolean, Date, Array, ObjectId, Mixed, Buffer

Field constraints: required, unique, default

Presets available: user, product, post

List Project Info

Terminal

$ 4bnode list                # Show all models, routes & config
$ 4bnode list models         # List models only
$ 4bnode list routes         # List routes only

Update 4bnode

To update to the latest version of 4bnode, run:

Terminal

$ npx 4bnode@latest

Dashboard Passkey

During npx 4bnode init, you'll be prompted to set a 6-digit passkey to protect the dev dashboard.

To change the passkey later, run inside your project:

Terminal

$ 4bnode passkey

Start Dev Dashboard

Terminal

$ 4bnode ui

Runs npm run dev and opens the visual dashboard. Must be run inside a 4bnode project.

Visual Dashboard

Access at http://localhost:3000/_dev when running npm run dev. A full-featured development environment built right into your app.

Overview

Project status, configured features, and quick stats at a glance.

Database

MongoDB connection setup and URI management. Connect, disconnect, and monitor your database.

Schemas

Create, view, and edit MongoDB schemas with visual field management. Add/remove fields, toggle required/unique, set defaults.

String Number Boolean Date ObjectId Array

Environment

View and edit .env.development and .env.production files directly from the dashboard.

API Routes

Full route management with visual controls:

Create new routes (Methods, CRUD, Login, Register)
Add methods to existing routes with field selection
Select fields from models or add custom fields
File upload fields auto-configure multer
View route source code, edit inline
Share endpoint docs with frontend team (Markdown format)
Delete routes (removes file + index.js registration)

API Tester

Built-in Postman-like API testing tool with REST, Socket.IO, and WebSocket support.

Body types: JSON, Form Data, URL Encoded, Raw, Binary
File uploads: Choose file, send as File or Base64
Auto-detect fields: Matches URL to route and pre-fills body/form fields from route code
Path variables: Auto-detects :id params, shows editable fields
Query params: Key-value editor, auto-fills from req.query
Headers: Key-value editor with quick presets (Bearer Auth, JSON, Form Data, URL Encoded, Accept)
Response viewer: Body + Headers tabs, copy response, save responses
Collection management: Save requests, organize with responses, delete with confirmation
Import from routes: One-click import endpoints from your project routes
All data persisted in .4bnode/ JSON files (not localStorage)

Share Collection

Generate a shareable API documentation page:

Endpoint details cURL examples Fetch examples Axios examples File upload code Response examples Search & filter Persistent URL

Reports

Export MongoDB data as styled Excel (.xlsx) reports.

Select models and fields to include
Populate referenced ObjectId fields
Custom column headers and prefixes
Drag-and-drop column reordering
Configurable date format & timezone
Preview before download

Logs

Real-time server log monitoring via SSE.

Filter by type (LOG, INFO, WARN, ERROR)
Search through log entries
Auto-scroll with toggle
Keeps last 500 entries

Real-time

Socket.IO and WebSocket configuration panel. Set up real-time communication in seconds.

SerialPort

Serial port setup with path and baud rate config. Communicate with hardware devices directly.

Generated Project Structure

my-app/ ├── index.js # Express app entry point ├── package.json ├── .env.development # Dev environment variables ├── .env.production # Production environment variables ├── .4bnode/ # Dashboard engine & data (managed by 4bnode) ├── public/ # Static files │ └── index.html # App status landing page └── src/ ├── db.js # MongoDB connection (after add mongo) ├── models/ # Mongoose schemas └── routes/ # API route files

Real-time Communication

Socket.IO

Terminal

$ 4bnode add socket

Access in routes via req.io:

JavaScript

router.get('/notify', (req, res) => {
  req.io.emit('message', 'Hello from server');
  res.json({ sent: true });
});

WebSocket

Terminal

$ 4bnode add websocket

Access in routes via req.wss:

JavaScript

router.get('/broadcast', (req, res) => {
  req.wss.clients.forEach(client => {
    if (client.readyState === WebSocket.OPEN) {
      client.send('Hello from server');
    }
  });
  res.json({ sent: true });
});

Help

Terminal

$ 4bnode -h
$ 4bnode --help

License

Proprietary License

Unauthorized copying, distribution, modification, or use of this code is strictly prohibited.

For licensing or commercial use: contact@4brains.in

CLI Commands

4bnode init <name> Create new project
4bnode add Interactive feature menu
4bnode add api <name> New API endpoint
4bnode add mongo MongoDB connection
4bnode add crud CRUD operations
4bnode add login JWT auth & login
4bnode add socket Socket.IO
4bnode add websocket Native WebSocket
4bnode add serialport Serial port
4bnode schema Manage schemas
4bnode list Show project info
4bnode passkey Change dashboard passkey
4bnode ui Open dashboard
4bnode -h Help
4bnode@latest Update to latest