Cli command cannot find module 'express'

[jellehak]

Cli command can't find express. Perhaps this should be added to the docs to also install express globally when using the global cli command json-server-auth.

> npx json-server-auth db.json

node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:927
  throw err;
  ^

Error: Cannot find module 'express'
Require stack:
- /usr/local/lib/node_modules/json-server-auth/dist/guards.js
- /usr/local/lib/node_modules/json-server-auth/dist/bin.js

[jeremyben]

It's written right at the beginning, install both json-server (which holds express) and json-server-auth.

[jellehak]

yes that's true that json-server holds express but when installing npm i -g json-server-auth. json-server-auth can't find the express that was installed with json-server. Fix I used is to also install express globally npm i -g express.

[jeremyben]

Did you install json-server globally as well when the error appeared ?

[jellehak]

Yes I have json-server installed globally. Problem is that nodejs doesn't resolve sibling packages from other global packages with obvious reasons.
Possible solution would be to

• add express as dependency
• add a peerDependencies to notify the user or
• refactor to not require express at all
• or add it to the docs to install express globally.

[jeremyben]

Thank you for the detailed infos. Will look into it, and change the docs.

[nitinthewiz]

+1 on @jellehak 's solution. Installing express globally works and without, the CLI complains that express is not found. @jeremyben absolutely worth adding this to the docs. Simple and easy fix to the issue.

[OnyskivK]

I had the same issue, installed json-server in package.json file, also installed express package
But the solution in json-server version
Try "json-server --version"
if your version contain alpha it is not going to work, try to update the version, for example "json-server": "^0.17.4" and it will work