Node Cookbook - Third Edition

Over 60 high-quality recipes covering debugging, security, performance, microservices, web frameworks, databases, deployment and more; rewritten for Node.js 8, Node.js 6, and Node.js 4

Key Features

• Actionable recipes across the full spectrum of Node.js development
• Cutting edge techniques and tools for measuring and improving performance
• Best practices for creating readily-scalable production systems

Book Description

Today's web demands efficient real-time applications and scalability. Asynchronous event-driven programming is ideal for this, and this is where Node.js comes in. Server-side JavaScript has been here since the 90s, but Node got it right.

With Node for tooling and server-side logic, and a browser-based client-side UI, everything is JavaScript. This leads to rapid, fluid development cycles. The full-stack, single language experience means less context-switching between languages for developers, architects and whole teams.

This book shows you how to build fast, efficient, and scalable client-server solutions using the latest versions of Node.

The book begins with debugging tips and tricks of the trade, and how to write your own modules. Then you'll learn the fundamentals of streams in Node.js, discover I/O control, and how to implement the different web protocols.

You'll find recipes for integrating databases such as MongoDB, MySQL/MariaDB, Postgres, Redis, and LevelDB. We also cover the options for building web application with Express, Hapi and Koa.

You will then learn about security essentials in Node.js and advanced optimization tools and techniques.

By the end of the book you will have acquired the level of expertise to build production-ready and scalable Node.js systems.

The techniques and skills you will learn in this book are based on the best practices developed by nearForm, one of the leaders in Node implementations, who supported the work of the authors on this book.

What you will learn

• Debug Node.js programs
• Write and publish your own Node.js modules
• Detailed coverage of Node.js core API's
• Use web frameworks such as Express, Hapi and Koa for accelerated web application development
• Apply Node.js streams for low-footprint data processing
• Fast-track performance knowledge and optimization abilities
• Persistence strategies, including database integrations with MongoDB, MySQL/MariaDB, Postgres, Redis, and LevelDB
• Apply critical, essential security concepts
• Use Node with best-of-breed deployment technologies: Docker, Kubernetes and AWS

Table of Contents

1. Debugging process
2. Writing Modules
3. Coordinating I/O
4. Using Streams
5. Wielding Web Protocols
6. Persisting to Databases
7. Working with Web Frameworks
8. Dealing with Security
9. Optimizing Performance
10. Building Microservice Systems
11. Deploying Node.js

David Mark Clements is a principal architect with nearForm, specializing in Node, frontend web, and JavaScript performance.

He assists multinationals and start-ups alike with architecture planning, creating and leading development teams, innovation projects, internal evangelism, training, and deep dive consultancy on all aspects of live systems (architecture, performance, infrastructure, and deployment).

David is also an avid open source enthusiast, and regularly speaks at various JavaScript and web conferences.

Node.js became a core component of his toolset (since version 0.4) due to its versatility, vast ecosystem, and the cognitive ease that comes with full-stack JavaScript. Being primarily self-taught, David Mark Clements has a potent curiosity that typically drives him to approach problems with a unique perspective.

Matthias Buus (@mafintosh) is a self-taught JavaScript hacker from Copenhagen.

He works full-time on open source projects and has been working with Node.js since its 0.2 days.

Mathias likes to work with P2P and distributed systems, and he is the author of more than 550 modules on npm, including some of the most popular ones for working with streams. In addition, he has spoken about mad science projects at various conferences around the world.

Matteo Collina is principal architect at nearForm. He holds a PhD from the University of Bologna with a thesis titled Application platforms for the Internet of Things. Matteo is the author and maintainer of more than 250 Node.js modules, totalling more than 50 million downloads per month. Some of his modules are the most performant, and he is an acknowledged Node.js performance expert. He has spoken at over 50 international conferences, including NodeConf.eu, Node.js Interactive, Node Summit, and QCon. He is also a member of the Node.js core technical committee.

Peter Elger is the CTO at nearForm, a consultancy specializing in enterprise digital transformation using the Node.js platform.

Formerly a physicist working on the JET nuclear fusion research project, Peter has worked across several industry verticals, including disaster recovery, telecommunications, and social media. Peter has been the cofounder and CTO of two companies prior to nearForm, and he holds degrees in theoretical physics and computer science. Based in Ireland, Peter spends his time consulting for clients, working on open source software, writing, and conference speaking.