It was not too long ago that I purchased a copy of Node.js Design Patterns, which was written by Mario Casciaro and Luciano Mammino. However, there is one section that I would like to share with you here, and that is their explanation of the Node.js philosophy. Other than that, it is extremely fantastic.

Every platform, as they point out, has its own ideology and paradigms that it adheres to. Understanding the high-level principles and approaches that underpin the design of a new technology, sometimes known as the technology's philosophy, is one of the most important steps in mastering that technology.

According to Casciaro and Mammino, the following is a list of the Fundamental Principles of Node.js:

  • Miniature center of gravity
  • Miniature modules
  • Very little surface area
  • Pragmatism and clarity of expression

Miniature center of gravity

The functionality of the Small Core Node itself is restricted to a certain extent. The remaining tasks are delegated to the vast and ever-changing ecosystem of modules that may be found on npm.

Because it allows the community to experiment and iterate quickly on a wider set of solutions within the scope of userland modules, this principle has a significant impact on the culture of Node.js. Rather than being imposed with a single solution that is gradually evolving and is built into the core, which is more tightly controlled and stable, this principle gives the community the freedom to experiment and iterate on a wider set of solutions.

Modular Components

Here, the concept is that a single module will be able to perform one task very well. The scope of it is narrowed down.

In point of fact, the Node.js approach entails extremely high degrees of reusability, in which applications are made up of a large number of small dependencies that are focused on a specific purpose. This is a behavior that is advocated in Node.js, but in other systems it can be regarded unpractical or completely impossible to actually implement. It is not uncommon to come across npm packages that include fewer than one hundred lines of code or that expose only a single function. This is because of the consequences of this.

Small Area of the Surface

This is a reference to a restricted application programming interface (API) or set of functionalities. The idea in question promotes usability and makes maintenance more straightforward.

Increasing the usability of the application programming interface (API) is the primary benefit of this situation. This means that the API will become easier to use and will be less susceptible to incorrect usage.

Simpleness and a pragmatic approach

Instead of attempting to reflect the complexity of the actual world, as is the case with object-oriented design, the approach being taken by Node.js is to simplify things. This is a reflection of the notion of small modules that was discussed much earlier. Small, targeted modules that can be assembled into larger applications through the use of composition. Each individual component is simple to comprehend and has a high degree of reusability.

It is a good practice to design software that is simple rather than flawless and fully featured for a number of reasons: it requires less effort to create, it enables faster shipping with fewer resources, it is easier to change, and it is easier to maintain and comprehend.

At long last...

The cost of technical books is high, and in my experience, the majority of the time, they are not worth the money. On the other hand, this book has shown to be a great investment. If you are thinking about purchasing it for yourself, you should keep in mind that the authors are operating on the assumption that the reader has prior knowledge of using writing software. Consequently, it is not suitable for newbie software engineers; however, if you are interested in learning more about Node.js design patterns, it is unquestionably worth the price.