Top Tips for New Node.js Developers

When you want to become a web app developer, learning Node.js will come in handy. Node.js is the most popular web framework with numerous features to facilitate effective and quick development.

As a beginner Node.js developer, there are different tips that you should know to aid you in your developer journey. We will cover some of these tips in today's guide. Read on!

Why Node.js?

When considering JavaScript frameworks, Node.js is an open-source and cross-platform runtime environment you should use for your web app development. Node.js was created in 2009 and has grown to become the most popular server-side framework for web applications. Node.js runs on the V8 engine giving it a fast nature ideal for backend API services.

Developers love Node.js as it uses the same language for the front end and the back end making it easier to create your application. Again, setting up Node.js and learning it is fast, thanks to its smooth learning curve.

With its Node Package manager (NPM), you can easily share and collaborate with other node developers. Even without mentioning its other benefits, we can already see why using Node.js runtime environment is an excellent choice for developers.

Top Tips for New Node.js Developers

When you are new to using Node.js, you can quickly get at home with the runtime environment when you have different tips to smoothen your curve. Here, we will discuss the top tips every new Node.js developer should take note of.

1. Focus on Small Components

When you want to scale your Node.js development smoothly, you should adopt the habit of splitting your program into components. Many developers run into bugs that take time to debug because of the extensive size of the program.

However, when you focus on dividing your code into sizeable components, you can quickly understand what each component does, and debugging errors becomes easy and fast.

2. Adapt Good Security Practices for Your Application

When working with Node.js, it's always good to secure your server. You achieve this by focusing on different elements. First, always use strict mode. Moreover, define your cookie scope and flags.

Still, set up secure HTTP headers and use the same when implementing your session management. Lastly, avoid command injection and review your codebase periodically.

3. Keep It Simple

When developing your Node.js application, focus on maintaining a compact and shallow codebase. That way, you will reduce your program's latency while increasing the server speed. Again, keeping your codebase simple guarantees that your program won't face higher latency due to device differences.

4. Constantly Debug Your Program

When creating your application, it's good to keep testing it periodically with every new feature you add. The aim is to ensure you don't miss any errors at the earlier stages. Tracing and fixing bugs earlier save on debugging time.

Furthermore, learn how to use the built-in debugger tools when creating your Node.js apps. For instance, a tool like Node inspector is handy in debugging your program, and you should get comfortable using it.

5. Focus on Asynchronous Functions

One feature used by Node.js is asynchronous functions to help non-blocking operations flow as expected. Thus, implementing asynchronous functions in your Node.js program is advisable to ensure you manage to handle numerous concurrent requests without compromising the performance of your application.

6. Understand Commonly Used Node.js Modules and Frameworks

Numerous modules and packages support Node.js to help in properly creating programs. For instance, you should understand how a framework like Expres.js blends with Node.js to power your application.

So, find out the common libraries and understand how to apply them with your Node.js program. That way, you will quickly get comfortable using Node.js.

7. Understand Node Package Manager

When you want to work quickly with Node.js, NPM is your best friend. With NPM, you will easily manage and install different packages. NPM makes using Node.js straightforward, and as a developer, you must get comfortable working with NPM.

Besides, you can learn how to create NPM scripts to help with basic activities, such as building,  starting, and testing your application. Ideally, understanding NPM makes you a better developer.

8. Understand Node.js Event Loop

One factor to consider when you want to hire node developers is their competency in creating a reliable and fast application. Luckily, Node.js has the event loop feature that every developer should use.

Unless you understand the Node.js event loop, you will find difficulty creating fast applications, especially where I/O-bound systems are involved.

Conclusion

As a new Node.js developer, the tips presented in this post will come in handy in helping you learn, understand, and use Node.js for your development. We've discussed eight primary tips every newbie Node.js developer should know. Hopefully, you find these tips helpful as you advance your Node.js developer career.