Node.js happens to be a famous technology for creating web applications. It is possible to decrease the startup loading time to about 70 per cent by implementing Node.js. Besides this, you will be able to improve the back-end and front-end transition, thereby decreasing the reduced latency. As you choose Node.js for app modernization for your business enterprise, scaling can become easy, non-blocking and asynchronous. Thus, the product can manage a wide array of requests. This tutorial discusses the Node.js architecture and the best practices for Node.js application development.
About Node.js architecture
Choosing the exemplary project architecture is essential to increase its longevity. It is also beneficial in addressing the changing needs. Adopting Node.js is worth mentioning in this aspect, as it allows you to write legible and clean code. It is also effective in creating a bunch of reusable code modules and components across the app. Besides this, it helps to avoid unwanted repetition.
Node.js architecture involves the Single Threaded Event Loop to manage a bunch of concurrent clients. Such a processing model consists of the Javascript event-based model along with the callback mechanism. It depends on the event loop and provides the suitable opportunity to execute various blocking I/O operations in the non-blocking manner. Scaling becomes much simpler and more accessible by choosing a single thread instead of a new thread/ one thread for each request under the web loads.
There are specific reasons why Node.js architecture is regarded as a suitable option to facilitate Serverless Development. Check it out!
Flexibility
Once the developer introduces specific changes within Node.js, a particular Node is impacted. For other frameworks, it is essential to bring specific changes to the core programming. The primary benefit of Node.js involves ongoing maintenance and the initial build stage.
Performance and speed
Event-driven Node. Js programming results in enhanced speed in this technology. It is useful in synchronizing the presence of different events and creating a more straightforward program. The input-output and non-blocking operations lead to enhanced speed. Once the code executes at an improved speed, it boosts the run time environment.
Best practices for Node.js application development
Now, we will focus on the best practices to make Node.js app development a grand success:
A layered approach to separate the concerns
Node.js frameworks provide a suitable option for defining different route handles as the callback functions that run after receiving the client request. As you choose the separation of concerns programming principle, you will witness a bunch of modules to address various problems, according to the app.
The three primary programming layers are the controller layer, the data access layer, and the service layer. The controller layer happens to be the code module, in which different API modules are defined. Only the API routes are defined here.
Service layer
It comprises a wide array of modules and classes which involve a single responsibility. It is helpful in decoupling processing logic from which the routes get defined.
Data access layer
It acts as the trustworthy scaffolding for a wide array of Node.js apps. Hence, it is easy to maintain, test, and debug the apps.
Folder structure to organize the code files
The developers can realize the abstract architecture by choosing the folder structure, which helps separate various modules into folders. It offers clarity to manage the functionality. It provides a suitable option to organize the methods and classes into different, easy-to-manage containers.
Publisher subscriber models
It is regarded as a well-renowned data exchange pattern that involves two different communicating entities: subscribers and publishers. Publishers involve the sending of different messages along with specific channels without the involvement of receiving entities. Subscribers help in expressing interest in either of the channels without affecting the publishing entities. So, you can integrate the model within a project to handle different children’s operations, which corresponds to a singular action.
Hassle-free readability and clean code
The primary objective is to improve the code quality, thereby making it easy to read. The majority of the code setup workflows comprise code linter along with formatting. The majority of IDEs/code editors offer easy-to-set-up and super-intuitive linting and formatting plugins. Such IDEs provide helpful features such as auto imports, code completion, debugging tools, on-hover documentation support, refactoring, and code navigation.
Writing asynchronous code using async/await syntax and promises
Promises API makes it easy to write different asynchronous code within Javascript. Async/await syntax is beneficial for simplifying things, thereby making API natural and more intuitive.
Configuring the environment variables and configuration files
With app scaling, you will witness specific global configuration settings and options needs so that they can be accessible across various modules. It happens to be an excellent practice to store such options in a separate file within the project config folder.
Error handling, logging and testing
Testing is essential for the software app as it provides the optimum choice for developers to test the code’s robustness, accuracy, and validity. Unit tests are the foundation of the testing setups. It involves the testing of various individual components and units from the remaining part of the code to rectify the correctness. It provides the opportunity to validate the code at a lower level, thereby assuring that every internal component works accurately.
Code compression
Gzip is regarded as the lossless file format that helps compress files to facilitate network transfer. It is helpful in compressing web pages, which are served by Node.js servers. It is possible to set Gzip compression through compression middleware.
Dependency injection
It refers to the software design pattern, which involves the pacing of the dependencies as the parameters to the modules in place of creating and needing certain ones within them. It plays an indispensable role in keeping the modules scalable, reusable, testable, dependable and flexible across the app.
Whether you are planning to create a project from scratch or you want to improve the existing project, you can implement these practices, as mentioned above, to create solid Node.js apps for serverless Development.
