MongoDB is a popular NoSQL database that allows you to store and query JSON-like documents in a flexible and scalable way. While you can interact with MongoDB using the native driver, Mongoose provides a more user-friendly and feature-rich API for working with MongoDB from Node.js applications. In this article, we‘ll take a deep dive into…
Last week, the JavaScript community was rocked by a major disruption in the npm package ecosystem now known as "npmgate" or "left-pad-gate". For those who missed it, here‘s a brief recap: Azer Koçulu, a respected open source developer, was contacted by messaging app company Kik with a request to transfer ownership of his "kik" npm…
HAProxy is the Swiss Army knife of load balancing and proxying. Its high performance and extensive feature set make it the go-to solution for exposing services at scale. One of the most demanding tasks you can throw at HAProxy is SSL/TLS termination for a large number of concurrent connections. Recently, our team embarked on a…
Node.js and Express are a powerful combination for building web applications and APIs. However, there are many considerations to take into account to ensure your Node/Express app is truly production-ready. Simply developing the app is not enough – how the app is structured, tested, deployed and monitored are just as critical. Let‘s dive into some…
In today‘s always-connected digital world, users expect web applications to reflect changes instantly. Whether it‘s a messaging app, collaborative document, or multiplayer game, realtime functionality has become an essential part of modern user experiences. One common realtime pattern is the user status update. Think of your favorite social apps like WhatsApp, Facebook, or Discord –…
Disposable email services provide a convenient way to sign up for websites and online services without exposing your real email address to potential spam. They work by providing a temporary email address that forwards messages to your real inbox for a limited time before expiring. While there are many disposable email providers available, in some…
WordPress is a powerful and flexible content management system that powers over 40% of the web according to W3Techs. Its widespread adoption can be attributed to its ease of use, extensibility, and vibrant ecosystem of themes, plugins and developers. However, as a professional developer who has built dozens of WordPress sites over the years, I‘ve…
Logging is an essential practice in any application, especially as it grows in complexity and scale. For Express APIs, logging provides visibility into application behavior, helps detect and diagnose issues, and maintains an audit trail of activity. While it‘s easy to overlook logging during development, you‘ll quickly appreciate its value when troubleshooting bugs in production…
As a full-stack developer, one of the first things you need to do when setting up your development environment is to install Node.js and npm. These powerful tools have revolutionized server-side JavaScript development and are essential for any modern web development project. In this in-depth guide, we‘ll walk through the process of installing Node.js and…
Conversational interfaces are rapidly becoming a key mode of human-computer interaction, with virtual assistants like Google Assistant leading the charge. As a developer, building high-quality and engaging conversational experiences for Google Assistant can be challenging, but also rewarding. Google Assistant supports two types of conversational actions – direct actions and dialogflow actions. Direct actions are…
If you‘re a Node.js developer looking for a fast, lightweight web framework, Fastify is an excellent choice. Released in 2016, Fastify has quickly gained popularity thanks to its impressive performance, extensible plugin architecture, and developer-friendly experience. In this article, I‘ll show you how to get started with Fastify and leverage its capabilities to build high-performance…
Turning your Express.js web app from a locally-running project into a live production application is an exciting step in your full-stack development journey. While you can find one-click deploy recipes out there, it‘s important to understand each part of the process so you can optimize your app‘s performance and troubleshoot any issues. In this in-depth…