Node.js Architecture: Best Practices for Node.js Application Development

Quick Summary

Want to know about node js architecture and node js architecture best practices? Then surely the information provided below will help you. Node.js is a popular technology for developing web applications. To optimize the Node Js application follow these node js best practices to improve the performance. Many tech titans have reaped the benefits by adhering to best practices for developing a robust back-end. This article delves into Node js architecture and best practices for Node.js application development.

What is the Node.js architecture?

Here you can understand the meaning of NodeJs architecture and determine that it is the best architecture for Node Js application. To handle multiple concurrent clients, Node.js employs the ‘Single Threaded Event Loop’ architecture. If you are trying to figure out the work of node js web application architecture then here you will get all the details. If you are trying to figure out node 19 new features then let me tell you that this version introduced an experimental fetch feature to integrated third-party libraries. A Javascript-event-based model and a callback mechanism underpin the Node.js processing model. This event loop-based mechanism allows Node.js to perform blocking I/O operations in a non-blocking manner. Furthermore, scaling is much easier with a single thread rather than one thread/new thread per request under normal web loads. Now, let’s look at the key components of Node.js architecture.

What makes Node.js architecture the right choice for applications?

A lot of reasons contribute in making Node js architecture the right choice for applications like the ones listed below:

Scalability

• The system kernel’s worker pool and the non-blocking I/O model enable you to create highly scalable Node.js applications. Nowadays robust and scalable node js architecture has gained a lot of popularity among developers. The main goal of any node js project structure is to create highly scalable code. These apps are capable of handling thousands of concurrent client requests without causing the system to crash. Its lightweight nature allows for the use of microservices architecture. For architecture node js, scalability makes a strong point!

Speed and performance

• One of the primary reasons for Node Js architecture for its faster performance when compared to other technologies is its event-driven programming. It aids in the synchronisation of multiple events and the development of a simple programme. Furthermore, its non-blocking, input-output operations add to its speed. The faster the code runs, the better the run-time environment. Developers use node.js web application architecture to create video streaming websites and applications that perform well.

Flexibility

• When Node.js developers make changes, only one Node is affected. Due to its flexibility, it is also referred to as the event-driven architecture of node js. Other frameworks, on the other hand, necessitate changes to the core programming. As a result, both the initial build stage and ongoing maintenance benefit from this Node.js feature making it a reliable and best node js architecture.

Best practices for Node.js application architecture

 Explore the points that are given below to build a perfect NodeJs app by implementing the node.js project architecture best practices. Trying to figure out what’s new in node js 19 features then let me tell you that it contains Stable Webcrypto API, Progress on Diagnostic Channel, V8 10.7, and many more. Given below are a few best practices for Node.js application architecture:

1. Incorporate the publisher-subscriber model

• If you want to refactor your existing application then you need to explore node js application architecture. It is a pattern of data exchange that includes two communicating systems: publishers and subscribers. Publishers send messages through specific channels with no knowledge of the receiving system. Subscribers interact with one or more of these channels without the publishers’ knowledge.

• Using this model, you can manage multiple child operations that are linked to a single action. As you are aware, sending event notifications to a large number of users can be difficult at times. You will need systems to deliver messages to clients quickly, which becomes a problem as the user base grows.

• Furthermore, there is a chance that users will miss the message because they are unavailable. As a result, it is the responsibility of the system to ensure that clients receive the message when they log in.The pub/sub model employs a loose coupling principle, which allows the publisher to send event notifications without regard for the client’s status. The model also ensures that brokers have a solid implementation that can persist messages and deliver them exactly once. 

• As a result, publishers can simply “fire and forge,” while brokers will deliver the message when clients require it.

2. Adopt a layered approach

• When it comes to architecture node js, developers can use the popular Node.js framework Express.js to adhere to the “separation of concerns” principle during development. By categorising the codebase into three sections: business logic, database, and API routes, which are divided into three layers: service layer, controller layer, and data access layer. To avoid complex background processes, the business logic is separated from Node.js API routes.

• The controller layer defines the API routes. The route handler functions allow you to deconstruct the request object, collect the required data, and pass it on to the service layer for processing.

• The service layer is in charge of carrying out the business logic. It includes classes and methods that follow S.O.L.I.D programming principles, perform singular responsibilities, and are reusable. The layer also separates the processing logic from the route defining point.

• The data access layer is in charge of database management and fetches from, writes to, and updates the database. It also defines SQL queries, database connections, models, and ORMs, among other things.

• The three-tiered setup is a dependable configuration for Node.js applications. These stages make it easier to code, maintain, debug, and test your application.

3. Use dependency injection

• Dependency injection is a software design pattern that actually advocates passing (injecting) dependencies (or services) to modules as parameters rather than requiring or creating specific ones within them. This is a fancy term for a fundamental concept that keeps your modules more flexible, independent, reusable, scalable, and testable throughout the application.

• The goal of dependency injection is to focus on the core functionality rather than where our dependencies are, how they are made, or even what they are. It has a significant impact on code decoupling, reusability, testing, and readability.

4. Utilize third-party solutions

Node.js has a large developer community worldwide. Furthermore, Node.js includes a package manager, NPM, which is packed with feature-rich, well-maintained, and well-documented frameworks, libraries, and tools. As a result, it is simple for developers to incorporate these pre-existing solutions into their code and make the most of their APIs.

Other Node.js libraries that may be useful in improving your coding workflows include:

• Agenda (job scheduling)
• Moment (date and time)
• Nodemon (automatically restarts the app when there’s a code update
• Grunt (automatic task runner)
• Winston (logging)

When it comes to third-party solutions for Node.js, there are numerous options. However, understanding the purpose, benefits, and dependencies of these solutions is critical. Only after double-checking should you attempt to import them intelligently. Also, don’t rely too heavily on third-party solutions, as some of them may be unsafe and introduce too many dependencies.

5. Apply a uniform folder structure

• In architecture node js, we’ve already talked about using a layered approach for Node.js apps. A folder structure can assist you in making that a reality. Different modules will be organised into separate folders in this section. Furthermore, it clarifies the application’s various functionalities, classes, and methods.

• Here is a basic folder structure to follow when creating a new Node.js application:

• src
  ├── app.js           app entry point
  ├── /api               controller layer: api routes
  ├── /config          config settings, env variables
  ├── /services        service layer: business logic
  ├── /models          data access layer: database models
  ├── /scripts            miscellaneous NPM scripts
  ├── /subscribers    async event handlers
  └── /test                 test suites

• Controller, service, and data access layers are represented by the directories API, Services, and Models. /config is a directory for storing environment variable configuration, whereas /scripts is a directory for storing workflow automation scripts. The /test directory contains all of the test cases, and the /subscribers directory contains all of the event handlers in the pub/sub pattern.

6. Use linters, formatters, style guide, and comments for clean coding

Linting and formatting:

• Static code analysis tools such as code linters automatically check for programming errors, styles, bugs, and suspicious constructs. These tools can assist you in identifying potential bugs and harmful patterns in your code. Formatters ensure that your project’s formatting and styling are consistent. Both of these tools aim to improve code quality and readability.

• JSLint and ESLint are two of the most popular linter tools for examining Javascript code. You can use Prettier to format your code. Most IDEs and code editors now include linters and formatters as plugins. Intelligent code completion, auto imports, on-hover documentation support, debugging tools, code navigation, refactorings, and other features are also available.

Style guides:

• Why not use one of the fantastic Javascript style guides provided by Google or Airbnb? Reading code will become much easier, and you won’t get frustrated trying to figure out how to position that curly brace correctly. The topics covered in these style guides range from naming conventions to formatting to file system encodings. Furthermore, using style guides will assist you in adhering to the standards used by some of the world’s top developers.

Adding comments:

• Another way to ensure clean coding and improved readability is to intelligently comment on the code you’ve written. It will assist other developers in understanding the purpose of writing specific code. It can also help you when you return to the same code after a while. Finally, comments are an excellent way to document project details such as APIs, classes, functions, author name, version, and so on.

7. Rectify errors with unit testing, logging, and error-handling

Unit testing:

• Unit testing isolates a section of code and verifies its accuracy, validity, and robustness, improving the project’s overall flow. It also improves code quality, aids in the early detection of bugs, and reduces the cost and time spent on debugging. Unit testing is the foundation of any testing setup because it allows you to verify that individual components perform the desired actions. Unit testing in Node.js applications can be accomplished by creating various test cases. You can use test frameworks like Jest, Mocha, or Jasmine to create these test cases.

Logging and error-handling:

• Errors are unavoidable in programming. When an error occurs, it is accompanied by a straightforward error message describing the error and possible solutions for its resolution. Furthermore, programming languages have built-in logging systems. These logging systems log important information throughout all stages of Nodejs development and assist in keeping a record of essential information required when analysing the performance of your application. Furthermore, this simplifies the debugging process.

• The console.log() method is the most commonly used method for logging information in Node.js. The message is simply logged in your console by the command. In Node.js, information is logged through three streams: stdin, stdout, and stderr.

• Stdin – deals with process input (example – keyboard or mouse)

• Stdout – handles output to the console or a separate file.

• Stderr – specifically handles error messages and warnings.

• To develop with Node.js architecture smoothly, one must be aware of how they handle code errors. Async javascript, for example, is frequently prone to “callback hell.” This well-known callback problem forces you to check for errors in each nested loop.

• Create a centralised error-handling component for Node.js architecture. Creating such a component will eliminate the possibility of code duplication errors. The component is also in charge of sending error messages to system administrators, transferring events to monitoring services, and keeping an event log.

8. Practice writing asynchronous code

• If you’ve been using JavaScript for a while, you’re probably familiar with callback functions. It aids in the definition of asynchronous behaviour. However, the problem with callbacks is that as the number of chained operations increases, the code becomes chunkier and more difficult to manage. It’s referred to as a callback hell situation.

• To alleviate this situation, ES6 devised the Promises API. In addition, ES8 includes async/await syntax, which simplifies things even more.

• Before reaching the end goal, the callback function requires you to process the function within the function three times. The async/await mode, on the other hand, has cleaner code, better readability, and easier error handling making architecture nodejs a better choice.

9. Using config file and environment variables

• As your application grows in size, you’ll need global configuration options that each module can access. You can use a separate file and place everything in the project structure’s config folder. The /config directory contains the following configuration options:

• /config
  ├── index.js
  ├── module1.js
  └── module2.js

• Basic settings, API keys, database connections, and other options are available. It is saved as environment variables in the form of key-value pairs in a.env file.

• DB_HOST=localhost
  DB_USER=xyz
  DB_PASS=me@123

• You can use NPM’s dotenv package to access these environment variables in your code. However, it is common practice to import environment variables into a single location. The reason for this is that if a change is required, it will occur in one location and will be reflected in the application.

10. Employ Gzip compression

• Gzip is a lossless compression mechanism for compressing files and transferring them quickly. Because Node.js serves heavy-weight web development pages containing multimedia files, using Gzip compression helps reduce load and speed up the process.

• Express.js, a Node.js framework, makes it easy to implement this strategy. Developers easily utilize express js icon to add various interfaces in nodejs app. Furthermore, every Experss.js documentation recommends using Gzip compression. The compression middleware used by Express.js is the reason for this, making it a natural progression.

11. Take APM tools into account

• Providing a world-class user experience and high performance is critical for enterprise-level Node.js applications. If this is the primary goal of your application, a better understanding of how users interact with it is required. This is where APM (Application Performance Monitoring) tools come in handy. They assist you in continuously monitoring the app’s performance and detecting errors or bottlenecks that impede the user experience. They also provide real-time information.

• Continuous monitoring and follow-up on various issues increases the likelihood that your application will perform optimally for a longer period of time. Some popular Node.js monitoring tools include Appmetrics, Prometheus, Express Status Monitor, and others.

Want to build a modernized and scalable Node.js application?

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