Step 1: Install Node.js and NPM

1. Download Node.js:

   • Go to the Node.js download page.
   • Download the LTS version as it is more stable and recommended for most users.

2. Install Node.js:

   • Run the downloaded installer.
   • Follow the prompts and ensure the "Add to PATH" option is selected.
   • Complete the installation.

3. Verify Installation:

   • Open Command Prompt.
   • Run the following commands to check versions:

     node -v
     npm -v

   • You should see version numbers for both Node.js and NPM.

Step 2: Install MySQL

1. Download MySQL:

   • Visit the MySQL Community Downloads page.
   • Download and install the MySQL Community Server for Windows.

2. Install MySQL:

   • Follow the installation instructions, and set up a root password for the database.
   • Choose the default port 3306.
   • Ensure MySQL is set to run as a Windows Service.

3. Start MySQL Server:

   • Open the MySQL Workbench or run the command prompt as an administrator, and enter the following to start MySQL:

     mysql -u root -p

   • Enter the password you set during installation to access the MySQL CLI.

4. Create a Database for Your Application:

   • In the MySQL CLI, create a new database:

     CREATE DATABASE mean_stack;

   • This database will be used by your Express app.

Step 3: Install Angular CLI

1. Install Angular CLI via NPM:

   • Run the following command in Command Prompt:

     npm install -g @angular/cli

2. Verify Installation:

   • Check the Angular CLI version by running:

     ng version

   • You should see the version details if it installed correctly.

Step 4: Create a New Angular Project

1. Generate an Angular Project:

   • In Command Prompt, navigate to the directory where you want your project, and run:

     ng new my-mean-app

   • Angular CLI will prompt you to choose styles (CSS, SCSS, etc.)—select according to your preference.

2. Run the Angular Application:

   • Navigate to the project directory:

     cd my-mean-app

   • Start the Angular development server:

     ng serve

   • Open a browser and go to http://localhost:4200 to see your running Angular app.

Step 5: Install Express and Set Up Node Server

1. Navigate to the Backend Directory:

   • Within your Angular project, create a folder for your backend server:

     mkdir backend
     cd backend

2. Initialize a New Node Project:

   • Run:

     npm init -y

   • This will create a package.json file.

3. Install Express and MySQL2:

   • Install the necessary packages:

     npm install express mysql2

   • Express will handle server requests, and mysql2 will help connect to the MySQL database.

4. Create a Simple Server File:

   • In the backend directory, create an app.js file with the following code:

     const express = require('express');
     const mysql = require('mysql2');
     const app = express();
     
     // Middleware
     app.use(express.json());
     
     // MySQL Database Connection
     const db = mysql.createConnection({
       host: 'localhost',
       user: 'root',
       password: 'your_mysql_password', // Replace with your MySQL root password
       database: 'mean_stack'
     });
     
     db.connect(err => {
       if (err) {
         console.error('MySQL connection error:', err);
         return;
       }
       console.log('Connected to MySQL');
     });
     
     // Routes
     app.get('/', (req, res) => {
       res.send('Hello from Express and MySQL!');
     });
     
     // Start Server
     const PORT = 3000;
     app.listen(PORT, () => {
       console.log(`Server running on http://localhost:${PORT}`);
     });

   • Note: Replace 'your_mysql_password' with the password you set for MySQL.

5. Start the Server:

   • In Command Prompt, run the following in the backend folder:

     node app.js

   • You should see a message indicating that the server is connected to MySQL.

Step 6: Connect Angular and Express

1. Proxy Configuration:

   • In the Angular app (my-mean-app), create a proxy.conf.json file with the following:

     {
       "/api": {
         "target": "http://localhost:3000",
         "secure": false
       }
     }

   • This will forward requests from Angular to your Express server.

2. Update Angular angular.json:

   • Add this line in the "serve" section:

     "proxyConfig": "src/proxy.conf.json"

3. Restart the Angular Development Server:

   • Run:

     ng serve

   • Angular Requests to /api will now be proxied to the Express server.