Node.js Error: Cannot find module express

Question

I wrote my first node.js app, but it can't find express library:

C:\ChatServer\Server>node server.js

module.js:340
    throw err;
          ^
Error: Cannot find module 'express'
    at Function.Module._resolveFilename (module.js:338:15)
    at Function.Module._load (module.js:280:25)
    at Module.require (module.js:364:17)
    at require (module.js:380:17)
    at Object.<anonymous> (C:\ChatServer\Server\server.js:6:9)
    at Object.<anonymous> (C:\ChatServer\Server\server.js:25:4)
    at Module._compile (module.js:456:26)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (module.js:474:10)
    at Module.load (module.js:356:32)
    at Function.Module._load (module.js:312:12)

But express is intalled (with -g key):

C:\ChatServer\Server>npm install -g express
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/express
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/express
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/connect/2.7.11
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/commander/0.6.1
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/range-parser/0.0.4
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/mkdirp/0.3.4
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/cookie/0.1.0
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/buffer-crc32/0.2.1
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/fresh/0.1.0
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/methods/0.0.1
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/send/0.1.0
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/cookie-signature/1.0.1
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/debug
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/mkdirp/0.3.4
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/range-parser/0.0.4
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/cookie/0.1.0
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/connect/2.7.11
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/commander/0.6.1
npm WARN package.json range-parser@0.0.4 No repository field.
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/buffer-crc32/0.2.1
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/fresh/0.1.0
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/methods/0.0.1
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/send/0.1.0
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/cookie-signature/1.0.1
npm WARN package.json methods@0.0.1 No repository field.
npm WARN package.json methods@0.0.1 No readme data.
npm WARN package.json fresh@0.1.0 No repository field.
npm WARN package.json send@0.1.0 No repository field.
npm WARN package.json cookie-signature@1.0.1 No repository field.
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/debug
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/mime/1.2.6
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/qs/0.6.5
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/send/0.1.1
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/formidable/1.0.14
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/cookie/0.0.5
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/bytes/0.2.0
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/pause/0.0.1
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/mime/1.2.6
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/bytes/0.2.0
npm WARN package.json bytes@0.2.0 No repository field.
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/pause/0.0.1
npm WARN package.json pause@0.0.1 No repository field.
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/formidable/1.0.14
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/qs/0.6.5
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/send/0.1.1
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/cookie/0.0.5
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/mime
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/mime
C:\Users\Dmitry\AppData\Roaming\npm\express -> C:\Users\Dmitry\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\express\bin\express
npm WARN package.json policyfile@0.0.4 'repositories' (plural) Not supported.
npm WARN package.json Please pick one as the 'repository' field
npm WARN package.json assert-plus@0.1.2 No repository field.
npm WARN package.json ctype@0.5.2 No repository field.
express@3.2.6 C:\Users\Dmitry\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\express
├── methods@0.0.1
├── fresh@0.1.0
├── range-parser@0.0.4
├── cookie-signature@1.0.1
├── buffer-crc32@0.2.1
├── cookie@0.1.0
├── debug@0.7.2
├── commander@0.6.1
├── mkdirp@0.3.4
├── send@0.1.0 (mime@1.2.6)
└── connect@2.7.11 (pause@0.0.1, qs@0.6.5, bytes@0.2.0, cookie@0.0.5, formidable@1.0.14, send@0.1.1)

Some information:

C:\ChatServer\Server>npm --version
1.2.24

C:\ChatServer\Server>node --version
v0.10.9

C:\ChatServer\Server>npm --version
1.2.24

C:\ChatServer\Server>npm ls -g installed express
npm WARN package.json cookie-signature@1.0.1 No repository field.
npm WARN package.json fresh@0.1.0 No repository field.
npm WARN package.json methods@0.0.1 No repository field.
npm WARN package.json range-parser@0.0.4 No repository field.
npm WARN package.json send@0.1.0 No repository field.
npm WARN package.json policyfile@0.0.4 'repositories' (plural) Not supported.
npm WARN package.json Please pick one as the 'repository' field
npm WARN package.json bytes@0.2.0 No repository field.
npm WARN package.json pause@0.0.1 No repository field.
npm WARN package.json assert-plus@0.1.2 No repository field.
npm WARN package.json ctype@0.5.2 No repository field.
C:\Users\Dmitry\AppData\Roaming\npm
└── express@3.2.6


C:\ChatServer\Server>npm ls installed express
C:\ChatServer\Server
└── (empty)

How can I solve this problem? (MUST I install it without -g?)

Answer 1

Given you have installed node on your system, install Express locally for your project using the following for Windows:

npm install express

or

npm install express --save

You might give it global access by using:

npm install -g express --save

Answer 2

create one folder in your harddisk e.g sample1 and go to command prompt type :cd and gives the path of sample1 folder and then install all modules...

npm install express

npm install jade

npm install socket.io

and then whatever you are creating application save in sample1 folder

try it...

Answer 3

go to your application directory and install the express module using the below command npm install express --save then list the all install module using the below command npm ls you will see all the locally install modules.

Answer 4

• sudo brew uninstall node
• brew update
• brew upgrade
• brew cleanup
• brew install node
• sudo chown -R $(whoami) /usr/local
• brew link --overwrite node
• sudo brew postinstall node

This worked for me on MacOS X Sierra

Answer 5

On Ubuntu-based OS you can try

sudo apt-get install node-express

its working for me on Mint

Answer 6

I had this error in vscode, although the modules where installed. I am using typescript and express. In the server.ts files all the imports had red squiggly underlines. It turns out I had a faulty tsconfig.json file.

{
    "compileOnSave": false,
    "compilerOptions": {
        "module": "commonjs", // Previously this value was `es6`
        "target": "es6",
        "allowSyntheticDefaultImports": true,
        "baseUrl": "public",
        "sourceMap": true,
        "outDir": "dist",
        "jsx": "react",
        "strict": true,
        "preserveConstEnums": true,
        "removeComments": true,
        "noImplicitAny": true,
        "allowJs": true
    },
    "exclude": [
        "node_modules",
        "build"
    ]
}