nodejs

Node.js Blog Series (4 Parts)

Part 1: Node.js Introduction & Fundamentals

Essential concepts, operational principles, and initial setup of Node.js.

1. Introduction to Node.js

  • Key Features of Node.js [Link]
  • Event Loop
    • How the Node.js event loop works
    • Callbacks vs. microtasks vs. macrotasks
  • Asynchronous I/O
    • Non-blocking I/O model
    • Using callbacks, Promises, and async/await

2. Installation and Environment Setup

  • OS-specific Installation Methods (Windows, macOS, Linux)
  • Configuring Environment Variables (PATH) [Link]
  • Version Management Using nvm [Link]

3. Module System and Basic Syntax

  • CommonJS vs. ES Modules
    • require / module.exports (CommonJS) vs. import / export (ES Modules)
    • Key differences and interoperability
  • Built-in Objects and Global Variables (process, global)

Part 2: Built-in Modules in Node.js

Learn file management, encoding, networking and process management using built-in Node.js modules.

1. Working with the File System

  • Managing Files and Directories (fs.existsSync [Link], fs.lstatSync [Link], fs.statSync [Link], path.join, path.resolve)
  • Asynchronous File Operations (fs.promises [Link], fs.promises.unlink [Link], fs.readdir [Link], fs.readdirSync [Link])

2. URL Processing and Encoding

  • Handling URLs Safely (encodeURI, encodeURIComponent, decodeURI, decodeURIComponent) [Link]

3. Child Process Management

  • Executing External Commands (child_process.exec) [Link]
  • Managing Data Streams (child_process.spawn) [Link]
  • Creating Multi-process Applications (child_process.fork) [Link]

4. Networking

  • HTTP Servers and Clients (http, https)
  • TCP/Socket Programming (net)

5. Streams & Buffers

  • Readable, Writable, Duplex, Transform Streams (stream)
  • Working with Binary Data (Buffer)

6. Utilities

  • Event Handling (events)
  • Utility Functions (util)
  • System Information (os)

7. Cryptography & Compression

  • Encryption, Hashing, Signatures (crypto)
  • Data Compression and Decompression (zlib)

Part 3: External Libraries and Utilities

Utilize external libraries for date handling and various Node.js utility functions.

1. Date and Time Management

  • Using the dayjs Library for Date Manipulation

2. Buffer and JSON Handling

  • Understanding and Utilizing Buffers
  • Safe JSON Parsing and Stringifying (JSON.parse, JSON.stringify)

3. Package Managers

  • Managing Dependencies with npm and yarn

4. Web Frameworks

  • Building Applications with Express, Koa, Fastify

5. HTTP Clients

  • Making HTTP Requests with axios and node-fetch

6. Utility Libraries

  • Utility Functions with lodash

7. Database ORM/ODM

  • Object-Relational Mapping with Sequelize and TypeORM
  • Working with MongoDB via Mongoose

8. Testing & Debugging

  • Testing Frameworks: Jest, Mocha
  • Debugging Utilities: debug

9. Logging & Monitoring

  • Application Logging with winston and pino
  • Error Tracking and Performance Monitoring with Sentry

Part 4: Error Handling & Performance Optimization

Practical approaches to error management, performance monitoring, and optimization for real-world Node.js applications.

1. Error Management and Stack Tracing

  • Capturing Error Stack Traces (Error.captureStackTrace)
  • Best Practices in Real-world Error Handling

2. Performance Monitoring and Analysis

  • Monitoring CPU and Memory Usage (process.cpuUsage, process.memoryUsage) [Link]
  • Identifying and Resolving Performance Bottlenecks

3. Real-world Operational Considerations

  • Logging and Monitoring Strategies in Production
  • Deploying and Maintaining Node.js Applications