Node.js Essentials

Fabian Cook

• Publisher: Packt Publishing
• Year: 2015
• eBook ISBN: 9781785284922
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: Web Programming
• Index: Computer Science

From client to server, learn how Node.js can help you use JavaScript more effectively to develop faster and more scalable applications with ease

About This Book

• Discover how Node.js can transform the way you develop both the front and back ends - offering a much more modern and integrated form of web development
• Create, debug, and test a complete full-stack application using Node.js and other powerful tools
• From creating a server from scratch to unit testing code, learn how Node.js extends the possibilities of JavaScript development

Who This Book Is For

If you want to expand your capabilities as a developer this book is for you. Covering everything you need to use Node.js effectively, you will soon be able to handle JavaScript in a much more fully-realised way.

What You Will Learn

• Create and use an HTTP server using Express.js
• Configure environmental variables, arguments, and config files
• Use a Key/Value NoSQL database with Node to store data
• Create a client-side application using Node and Node.Webkit
• Debug applications using Node.Inspector
• Create a library that can be used in more than one project
• Install packages from NPM

In Detail

Node.js is simply a tool that lets you useJavaScript on the server side. But it actually does much more than that – by extending JavaScript it allows for a much more integrated and efficient approach to development. It's no surprise that it's a fundamental tool for full-stack JavaScript developers. Whether your working on the back end or front end – by using Node.js you're adopting a much more collaborative and agile way of working – so you and your team can focus on delivering a quality end product. This will ensure you're ready to take on any new challenges that get thrown at you.

NodeJS Essentials takes you through the fundamentals of Node.JS and demonstrates how Node.js can transform the way you work with JavaScript and take greater control over your code.

You will also learn how to create a HTTP server from scratch, route requests, create a RESTful interface, and authenticate users. You will also learn to debug applications using Node.Inspector and the importance of logging, as well as creating a reusable library.Finally, you'll find out how to test and optimizr your code when working with Node.js using the Mocha framework. Follow each step and discover how to test both synchronous and asynchronous code using Mocha unit tests.

With Node.js Essentials you'll find everything you need to create a complete full-stack application with Node.js. It will help you harness JavaScript much more effectively – and in doing so expand your confidence and capabilities as a developer.

Style and approach

This concise guide will help you get up and running with Node.js. Packed with easy to followexamples, you'll be be able to build a complete full-stack application utilizing Node's capabilities.

Node.js Essentials

---

Table of Contents

Node.js Essentials

Credits

About the Author

About the Reviewer

www.PacktPub.com

Support files, eBooks, discount offers, and more

Why subscribe?

Free access for Packt account holders

Preface

What this book covers

What you need for this book

Who this book is for

Conventions

Reader feedback

Customer support

Downloading the example code

Errata

Piracy

Questions

1. Getting Started

Setting up

Hello require

Hello npm

Summary

2. Simple HTTP

Introducing routing

Summary

3. Authentication

Basic authentication

Bearer tokens

OAuth

Summary

4. Debugging

Logging

Error handling

Summary

5. Configuration

JSON files

Environmental variables

Arguments

Summary

6. Level DB and NoSQL

Level DB

MongoDB

Summary

7. Socket.IO

Rooms

Authentication

Summary

8. Creating and Deploying Packages

Creating npm packages

Summary

9. Unit Testing

Installing mocha

Chai

Stubbing methods

Summary

10. Using More Than JavaScript

CoffeeScript

Code blocks and functions

The existential operator

Objects and arrays

Classes

Summary

Index

Node.js Essentials

Copyright © 2015 Packt Publishing

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews.

Every effort has been made in the preparation of this book to ensure the accuracy of the information presented. However, the information contained in this book is sold without warranty, either express or implied. Neither the author, nor Packt Publishing, and its dealers and distributors will be held liable for any damages caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by this book.

Packt Publishing has endeavored to provide trademark information about all of the companies and products mentioned in this book by the appropriate use of capitals. However, Packt Publishing cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.

First published: November 2015

Production reference: 1301015

Published by Packt Publishing Ltd.

Livery Place

35 Livery Street

Birmingham B3 2PB, UK.

ISBN 978-1-78528-492-2

www.packtpub.com

Credits

Author

Fabian Cook

Reviewers

Shoubhik Bose

Glenn Geenen

Commissioning Editor

Edward Gordan

Acquisition Editor

Divya Poojari

Content Development Editor

Athira Laji

Technical Editor

Naveenkumar Jain

Copy Editor

Sneha Singh

Project Coordinator

Harshal Ved

Proofreader

Safis Editing

Indexer

Hemangini Bari

Production Coordinator

Shantanu N. Zagade

Cover Work

Shantanu N. Zagade

About the Author

Fabian Cook is an experienced JavaScript developer who lives in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. He began working with Java and C# very early in his life, which lead to using Node.js in an open source context. He is now currently working for a New Zealand ISP, known as NOW NZ where they are utilizing the full power of Node.js, Docker and CoreOS.

About the Reviewer

Glenn Geenen is a Node.js developer with a background in game and mobile development. He has mostly worked as an iOS consultant before becoming a Node.js consultant for his company, GeenenTijd.

www.PacktPub.com

Support files, eBooks, discount offers, and more

For support files and downloads related to your book, please visit www.PacktPub.com.

Did you know that Packt offers eBook versions of every book published, with PDF and ePub files available? You can upgrade to the eBook version at www.PacktPub.com and as a print book customer, you are entitled to a discount on the eBook copy. Get in touch with us at <[email protected]> for more details.

At www.PacktPub.com, you can also read a collection of free technical articles, sign up for a range of free newsletters and receive exclusive discounts and offers on Packt books and eBooks.

https://www2.packtpub.com/books/subscription/packtlib

Do you need instant solutions to your IT questions? PacktLib is Packt's online digital book library. Here, you can search, access, and read Packt's entire library of books.

Why subscribe?

• Fully searchable across every book published by Packt
• Copy and paste, print, and bookmark content
• On demand and accessible via a web browser

Free access for Packt account holders

If you have an account with Packt at www.PacktPub.com, you can use this to access PacktLib today and view 9 entirely free books. Simply use your login credentials for immediate access.

Preface

Node.js is simply a tool that lets you use JavaScript on the server side. However, it actually does much more than that – by extending JavaScript, it allows for a much more integrated and efficient approach to development. It comes as no surprise that it's a fundamental tool for full-stack JavaScript developers. Whether you work on the backend or frontend, you adopt a much more collaborative and agile way of working using Node.js, so that you and your team can focus on delivering a quality end product. This will ensure that you're ready to take on any new challenge that gets thrown at you.

This book will be fast paced and cover dependency management, running your own HTTP server, real time communication, and everything in between that is needed to get up and running with Node.js.

What this book covers

Chapter 1, Getting Started, covers the setup of Node.js. You will also cover how to utilize and manage dependencies.

Chapter 2, Simple HTTP, covers how to run a simple HTTP server and helps you understand routing and utilization of middleware.

Chapter 3, Authentication, covers the utilization of middleware and JSON Web Token to authenticate users.

Chapter 4, Debugging, covers the integration of post-mortem techniqu...

Table of contents

• Node.js Essentials