---
title: "Backend Node.js Development Style Guide"
date: 2025-03-22
author: "PAELLADOC"
version: 1.0
status: "Active"
tags: ["backend", "node.js", "javascript", "server"]
---
# Backend Development with Node.js
## Project Structure
- Organize code by feature or module, not by technical role
- Use a clear separation of concerns (routes, controllers, services, models)
- Keep configuration separate from application code
- Implement a clean architecture approach with dependency injection
## API Design
- Follow RESTful principles for resource-oriented APIs
- Use GraphQL for complex data requirements with many interdependent resources
- Implement proper error handling with appropriate HTTP status codes
- Version your APIs (URL or header-based versioning)
- Document APIs using OpenAPI/Swagger or similar tools
## Database Interaction
- Use an ORM/ODM for database operations (Sequelize, Prisma, Mongoose)
- Implement database migrations for version control of schema changes
- Separate database access code into repository pattern or data access layer
- Use transactions for operations that require atomicity
- Optimize queries for performance and monitor execution time
## Authentication & Security
- Use JWT for stateless authentication
- Implement proper authorization middleware
- Store passwords using strong hashing algorithms (bcrypt)
- Protect against common vulnerabilities (XSS, CSRF, SQL Injection)
- Validate and sanitize all user inputs
- Implement rate limiting for public endpoints
## Error Handling
- Use a centralized error handling middleware
- Implement proper error logging
- Create custom error classes for different error types
- Return user-friendly error messages without exposing system details
- Ensure all errors are properly caught and don't crash the server
## Performance
- Implement caching strategies (Redis, in-memory, CDN)
- Use async/await for asynchronous operations
- Optimize CPU-intensive operations
- Implement connection pooling for databases
- Consider horizontal scaling for high-load applications
## Testing
- Write unit tests for business logic and utilities
- Implement integration tests for API endpoints
- Use separate test databases for integration testing
- Mock external services in tests
- Aim for high test coverage of critical paths
## Logging & Monitoring
- Implement structured logging (Winston, Pino)
- Use correlation IDs to track requests across services
- Monitor application health with appropriate metrics
- Set up alerts for critical failures
- Implement proper log rotation and retention
## Deployment & CI/CD
- Use containerization (Docker) for consistent environments
- Implement a CI/CD pipeline for automated testing and deployment
- Use environment variables for configuration
- Implement health check endpoints
- Consider blue-green deployment for zero-downtime updates
