Create db config file with startup function.

backend/config/database/database.config.js

+// /config/db.js
+const mysql = require("mysql2");
+const fs = require("fs");
+const path = require("path");
+require("dotenv").config();
+
+const pool = mysql.createPool({
+  host: process.env.DB_HOST,
+  user: process.env.DB_USER || "corps_directory_dev",
+  database: process.env.DB_NAME || "corps_directory_db",
+  password: process.env.DB_PASSWORD || "corps_db_password",
+  waitForConnections: true,
+  connectionLimit: 10,
+  queueLimit: 0,
+});
+
+console.log("Host: ", process.env.DB_HOST);
+
+// Function to execute the SQL file
+const executeSQLFile = (filePath) => {
+  const sql = fs.readFileSync(filePath, "utf8");
+  pool.getConnection((err, connection) => {
+    if (err) {
+      console.error("Error connecting to MySQL:", err.message);
+      return;
+    }
+
+    // Execute the SQL from the file
+    connection.query(sql, (err, result) => {
+      if (err) {
+        console.error("Error executing SQL file:", err.message);
+        connection.release();
+        return;
+      }
+      console.log("SQL file executed successfully.");
+      connection.release();
+    });
+  });
+};
+
+// Execute the SQL file during startup
+const schemaFilePath = path.join(__dirname, "./schema.sql");
+executeSQLFile(schemaFilePath);
+
+module.exports = pool;

backend/config/database/schema.sql

+-- schema.sql
+
+-- Create the 'people' table if it doesn't exist
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS people (
+  id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
+  first_name VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
+  last_name VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL
+);
+

backend/index.js

@@ -5,16 +5,7 @@ require("dotenv").config();
 const app = express();
 app.use(express.json());
 
-// mysql connection
-const pool = mysql.createPool({
-  host: process.env.DB_HOST,
-  user: process.env.DB_USER || "corps_directory_dev",
-  database: process.env.DB_NAME || "corps_directory_db",
-  password: process.env.DB_PASSWORD || "corps_db_password",
-  waitForConnections: true,
-  connectionLimit: 10, // Max number of connections in the pool
-  queueLimit: 0, // Unlimited queue
-});
+const pool = require("./config/database/database.config"); // This will now run the schema.sql file on startup
 
 // Check connection and create the 'people' table on initialization
 pool.getConnection((err, connection) => {
@@ -23,25 +14,6 @@ pool.getConnection((err, connection) => {
     return;
   }
   console.log("Connected to MySQL");
-
-  const createTable = `
-    CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS people (
-      id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
-      first_name VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
-      last_name VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL
-    )
-  `;
-
-  connection.query(createTable, (err, result) => {
-    if (err) {
-      console.error("Error creating table:", err.message);
-      connection.release(); // Release the connection back to the pool
-      return;
-    }
-
-    console.log("Table 'people' exists or was created.");
-    connection.release(); // Release the connection back to the pool
-  });
 });
 
 // POST endpoint to add a new person