Chapter 1 of 7 · 4 practices · 3 min · 4-question quiz
Project structure and configuration
How to lay out a Node.js API so it stays easy to change, and how to load and check configuration safely.
Start: Run an Active or Maintenance LTS release of Node.js4 practices in this chapter
- 1Run an Active or Maintenance LTS release of Node.jsYour API should run on a Node.js line that still gets security fixes. The Node.js project says production apps should use only Active LTS or Maintenance LTS releases; odd-numbered and Current…
- 2Separate routes, business logic and data accessPutting database queries, validation and business rules directly inside route handlers works for a demo, but it becomes hard to test and hard to change. Split the code into three layers: Routes or…
- 3Load configuration from the environment and validate it at startupConfiguration such as database URLs, API keys and ports belongs in environment variables, not in code. A missing value should stop the process on boot with a clear message, not fail hours later on…
- 4Use TypeScript and know the limits of native type strippingNode.js runs
.tsfiles directly by stripping types. It is on by default and was marked stable in Node.js 24.12, which removes a build step for many APIs. It has limits you need to know.
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