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Express Monorepo Template

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HMCTS Express Monorepo Template

Production-ready Node.js starter with cloud-native capabilities

A comprehensive monorepo template that demonstrates best practices for building HMCTS digital services using Express.js, TypeScript, and GOV.UK Design System.

Cloud Native Platform

Features for cloud deployment and operations:

  • Health Checks

    Configurable health endpoints with readiness and liveness probes for Kubernetes deployments

  • Azure Integration

    Built-in support for Azure Key Vault secrets management and properties volume mounting

  • Application Insights

    Comprehensive monitoring with Azure Application Insights including custom metrics and distributed tracing

  • Properties Volume

    Secure configuration management through mounted volumes with automatic environment variable injection

GOV.UK Starter

Everything you need to build GDS services:

  • GOV.UK Design System

    Fully integrated GOV.UK Frontend with Nunjucks templates and automatic asset compilation

  • Internationalization

    Welsh language support with locale middleware and translation management system

  • Session Management

    Flexible session storage with Redis and PostgreSQL support for distributed applications

  • Cookie Manager

    Built-in cookie management with consent tracking and preference handling

  • Security Headers

    Pre-configured Helmet.js with CSP, HSTS, and nonce-based script protection

  • Asset Pipeline

    Vite-powered asset compilation with SCSS support and production optimization

Simple Router

Lightweight file-system router inspired by Next.js:

File-based Routing

Maps files in directories to Express routes automatically with zero configuration

Dynamic Parameters

Support for dynamic route segments using [param] syntax (e.g., /users/[id])

HTTP Method Exports

Export handlers for any HTTP method (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc.) directly from route files

Middleware Support

Single handlers or arrays of middleware for complex request pipelines

Multiple Mount Points

Mount different directories with different URL prefixes for modular applications

Zero Dependencies

Lightweight implementation with no external dependencies, built for performance

Monorepo Architecture

Organized for scalability and maintainability:

  • Workspace-based structure with Yarn workspaces
  • Shared libraries for common functionality
  • Simple Router package for file-based routing
  • TypeScript with strict mode and ES modules
  • Comprehensive testing with Vitest and Playwright
  • Docker multi-stage builds for production
  • Helm charts for Kubernetes deployment
  • GitHub Actions CI/CD pipeline
  • Biome for fast linting and formatting

Getting Started

  1. Install dependencies with yarn install
  2. Run development server with yarn dev
  3. Access the application at http://localhost:3000

Learn More

Explore the codebase and documentation to understand the full capabilities of this template.

Example Form

See how multi-page forms work with validation and session management.

See example form