Node.js Best Practices

by Emily Rodriguez
#nodejs #backend #best practices

Node.js Best Practices

Building robust Node.js applications requires following established best practices.

Project Structure

Organize your code with a clear structure:

src/
├── controllers/
├── models/
├── routes/
├── middleware/
├── utils/
└── config/

Security

Input Validation

Always validate and sanitize user input:

const { body, validationResult } = require('express-validator')

app.post('/user',
  body('email').isEmail(),
  body('password').isLength({ min: 6 }),
  (req, res) => {
    const errors = validationResult(req)
    if (!errors.isEmpty()) {
      return res.status(400).json({ errors: errors.array() })
    }
    // Process valid input
  }
)

Error Handling

Implement comprehensive error handling:

  • Use try-catch for async operations
  • Create custom error classes
  • Log errors appropriately
  • Never expose stack traces in production

Performance

  • Use connection pooling for databases
  • Implement caching strategies
  • Monitor application performance
  • Use clustering for CPU-intensive tasks

Following these practices will lead to more maintainable and secure applications.