Simple Node-RED setup environment

When you install Node-RED globally, it is installed on your system.
Hive-RED installs Node-RED for each project.
Each folder where you download Hive-RED has a different Node-RED environment.

• Portable: Node-RED runs within the project folder.
• Cross-platform: Works on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
• Easy Setup: Just install dependencies and start.

Node.js must be installed in advance.
Node.js: https://nodejs.org/en/download

1. Install dependencies:

   npm install

2. Start Node-RED:

   npm start

   The server will start on port 8000 (or the next available port).

   • Editor: http://localhost:8000/red
   • API: http://localhost:8000/api

3. Reset Environment (Optional): If you want to clear all data and installed modules to start fresh:

   npm run reset

   Warning: This will delete the data directory and node_modules.

• data/: Node-RED user directory (settings, flows, sessions, etc.).
• settings.js: Node-RED configuration file.

To ensure that users who download your project have the necessary nodes installed, you should install nodes into the project's package.json.

To install a new node: Run the following command in the project root:

npm install node-red-contrib-example-node

This adds the node to the dependencies in package.json. When others download your project and run npm install, these nodes will be installed automatically.