How to Build Password Generator using Node.js?

Last Updated : 24 Jul, 2024

Creating a password generator is a common and practical programming task that helps enhance security by generating random passwords. Using Node.js, you can build a simple and effective password generator with various features, such as customizable length, inclusion of special characters, and more. This article will guide you through building a password generator using Node.js.

Why Build a Password Generator?

Security: Strong passwords reduce the risk of unauthorized access.
Automation: Saves time by automatically generating complex passwords.
Customization: Tailor the password generation process to meet specific needs, such as length and character set.

Steps to Setup Project to build Password Generator

Step 1: Create Project folder

Make a folder structure for the project.

mkdir myapp

Step 2: Switch to Project Directory

Navigate to the project directory using below command

cd myapp

Step 3: Initialize the NodeJs project

Use the below command to initialize node application inside the myapp folder.

npm init -y

Step 4: Define Character Sets

Define the character sets that you want to include in your password generator. This can include lowercase letters, uppercase letters, numbers, and special characters.

const lowerCaseChars = 'abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz';
const upperCaseChars = 'ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ';
const numberChars = '0123456789';
const specialChars = '!@#$%^&*()_+[]{}|;:,.<>?';

Step 5: Setup Password Generator

Create a function that returns a random string containing characters, numbers, and letters. This string is created randomly using the following algorithm.

function generatePassword() {
  const length = 12,
    charset =
      "@#$&*0123456789ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ@#$&*0123456789abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz",
    password = "";
  for (var i = 0, n = charset.length; i < length; ++i) {
    password += charset.charAt(Math.floor(Math.random() * n));
  }
  return password;
}

Step 6: Create Server

Now, use HTTP’s “createServer” method, inside this method we will call the “generatePassword” method with a form that reloads the page on click so that a new password will be generated.

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
       res.end(`
       <!doctype html>
       <html>
       <body>
           <h1> ${generatePassword()} </h1>
           <form action="/">
               <button>Generate New Password</button>
           </form>
       </body>
       </html>
     `);
});

Step 7: Setup Listener

We have to set up a listener, which runs the application on port 3000.

server.listen(3000, () => {
   console.log("lishing on http://localhost:3000");
});

Example: Implementation to build password generator using nodejs.

Node

// app.js

const http = require('http');

function generatePassword() {
  const length = 12,
    charset =
      "@#$&*0123456789ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ@#$&*0123456789abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz",
    password = "";
  for (var i = 0, n = charset.length; i < length; ++i) {
    password += charset.charAt(Math.floor(Math.random() * n));
  }
  return password;
}

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
  res.end(`
        <!doctype html>
        <html>
        <body>
            <h1> ${generatePassword()} </h1>
            <form action="/">
                <button>Generate New Password</button>
            </form>
        </body>
        </html>
      `);
});

server.listen(3000, () => {
  console.log("lishing on http://localhost:3000");
});

Step to run the application: Inside the terminal type the following command

node app.js

Conclusion

Building a password generator with Node.js is a practical way to understand the basics of JavaScript, Node.js, and command-line interfaces. The approach covered in this guide provides a customizable solution that you can extend and modify to fit your specific needs. Whether you need a simple tool for generating passwords or want to delve deeper into Node.js development, this project is a solid starting point.

How to Generate a Random Password using JavaScript?

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