Node.js is a powerful runtime environment for building scalable network applications. Whether you're creating a RESTful API or a real-time server, it's essential to understand its core concepts.

🛠️ Getting Started

  1. Install Node.js

    • Download from nodejs.org
    • Verify installation with node -v and npm -v

  2. Initialize a Project 

    npm init -y

    This creates a package.json file to manage dependencies.

  3. Choose a Framework

    • Express.js: Lightweight and flexible (🔗learn more)
    • Fastify: High-performance alternative
    • Hapi: Built-in validation and plugins support

📌 Creating a Simple API

const express = require('express');  
const app = express();  

app.get('/api/data', (req, res) => {  
  res.json({ message: 'Hello from Node.js API!' });  
});  

app.listen(3000, () => {  
  console.log('Server running on http://localhost:3000');  
});

📌 Tip: Use cors middleware for cross-origin requests.

🚀 Best Practices

  • Async/Await: Handle asynchronous operations cleanly
  • Error Handling: Always catch errors in routes
  • Security: Use helmet to secure HTTP headers
  • Scalability: Optimize with clustering or load balancing

📚 Further Reading

node_js
express_api