NodeJS: Explore the Core Features and Use Cases

NodeJS: Explore the Core Features and Use Cases

Node.js is a powerful, open-source, server-side platform built on Chrome's V8 JavaScript engine. Known for its speed, efficiency, and scalability, it has become the go-to choice for building fast and scalable network applications. Whether you're just starting or looking to enhance your skills, this hub serves as your comprehensive guide to everything Node.js.

Here, you’ll find tutorials, best practices, tips, and real-world applications that will help you master Node.js from the ground up. Bookmark this page and explore a growing collection of articles that will deepen your understanding of Node.js.

Why Node.js ?

Node.js allows developers to use JavaScript to build server-side applications. Here’s why Node.js is widely used:

  • Non-blocking I/O model: Efficient and scalable applications.
  • Event-driven architecture: Handles many connections simultaneously.
  • JavaScript runtime: Enables developers to use one language across both client and server sides.
  • Vast ecosystem: The Node Package Manager (NPM) provides thousands of libraries and tools to simplify development.

What can you build with Node.js ?

With Node.js, you can build:

  • Web Servers: Fast, scalable websites.
  • Real-time applications: Chat apps, gaming servers.
  • RESTful APIs: Lightweight and flexible data interchange systems.
  • Microservices: Decoupled services that scale independently.

No matter the project size, Node.js can handle it all with ease.

NodeJS Internals

Do you know what makes you a better software engineer? Understanding the internal architecture and how things work behind the scenes. That's exactly right.

Understanding Node.js: Architecture and Internal Workings
Node.js enables efficient server apps in JavaScript, using a non-blocking, event-driven model. With Google’s V8 engine and Libuv, it excels at handling asynchronous I/O, ideal for real-time, scalable applications. This article dives into its architecture and internal mechanics.

Ready to dive in yet?
Check out the articles below, and don't forget to subscribe to get the latest Node.js tutorials delivered to your inbox!

Web Server Tutorials

Project Setup

The Right Way to Set Up a Node.js and TypeScript
Learn how to set up a Node.js project with TypeScript for better scalability and maintainability. This guide covers everything from initializing a project with Yarn, installing TypeScript, Nodemon, and Express, configuring tsconfig.json, and running your development server using ts-node efficiently.
Scalable Directory Structure for NodeJS + Express Web Servers
This blog explores a scalable folder structure for Node.js Express servers using Docker, TypeScript, and domain-driven design. Learn how to organize key components like configurations, domains, middlewares, and utilities to ensure maintainability, modularity, and scalability in your application.

Authentication

JWT Authentication in NodeJS: Implementing Access and Refresh Tokens
JWT-based authentication in NodeJS uses short-lived access tokens for API requests and long-lived refresh tokens to obtain new access tokens. By storing tokens securely in HTTP-only cookies and handling refreshes automatically, it provides scalable, stateless, and secure user session management.
Securing API: Restrict Access to Admins Only in ExpressJS
API security ensures data protection by restricting sensitive operations to admins and validating user sessions. Middleware like allowAdminsOnly enforces admin-only access, while authorise verifies tokens and trusted devices for robust security across web and mobile clients.
Best Practices for Securing JWT Tokens: A Comprehensive Guide
JWTs enable stateless authentication, but securing them is critical. Avoid storing tokens in local storage due to XSS risks. Instead, use HttpOnly, Secure cookies to prevent access via JavaScript and limit CSRF attacks. Pair short-lived access tokens with refresh tokens for enhanced security.
Building Secure APIs in Node.js: Setting Up Protected Routes with Express
Learn how to secure your Node.js API with Express by setting up protected routes, enforcing role-based access, and using HTTP-only cookies to store JWTs. This guide covers middleware for authentication and authorization, ensuring only trusted users access sensitive routes.

Core Implementations

Enhancing NodeJS authentication using Google Authenticator for MFA
Enhance security in your Node.js application with Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) using Google Authenticator. This guide walks you through generating MFA secrets, creating QR codes, and verifying tokens, adding a crucial layer of protection beyond usernames and passwords. Secure your app today!
Nodemailer in Node.js: Send Emails with Gmail or Any SMTP Server
Sending emails programmatically is essential for user verification, password resets, and notifications in web apps. This guide covers setting up Nodemailer with Gmail’s SMTP in Node.js, using HTML templates, and scaling with Amazon SES for high-volume email sending.
Implementing Device Tracking for Logged-In Users in NodeJS
In this guide, learn how to enhance user security by implementing device tracking in a NodeJS application. We’ll walk through capturing device details, generating unique identifiers with UUID, and storing trusted devices using MongoDB, ensuring tokens are tied to specific, secure devices.
Data Validation in Node.js Express: A Step-by-Step Guide to Joi Middleware
When building APIs, ensuring the data sent by users meets specific requirements is essential for maintaining a secure and functional application. One way to enforce data integrity is through validation. In this post, we’ll walk through setting up Joi middleware for request body validation in a Node.js and
How to Schedule Tasks in Node.js with Cron Jobs
Automate routine tasks in Node.js using node-cron! This guide covers setting up cron jobs to handle data cleanup, external data fetching, and file management. Learn how to create tasks, schedule them with cron expressions, and integrate them into your app to save time and reduce manual work.

Implementing Cloud Services

Upload Files to AWS S3: Implement in Node.js + Express Server
Learn how to set up a Node.js + Express server to upload files securely to Amazon S3. This guide covers configuring AWS SDK, using multer for file handling, and setting up environment variables. With scalable, durable storage in S3, your app can handle file uploads efficiently and securely.
AWS S3 Pre-Signed URLs Explained: Secure File Sharing with Node.js
Learn how to use AWS S3 pre-signed URLs to securely share files from a Node.js app. Pre-signed URLs enable temporary, controlled access to files in your S3 bucket without exposing them publicly. Perfect for secure file sharing, this guide walks through setup, code, and best practices.

Making Developer's Life Easy

Creating a Logger in Node Express using Morgan and Winston
In this blog, learn how to set up a robust logging system in a Node.js Express app using Morgan for HTTP request logging and Winston for general logging tasks like errors and debugging. Combine these two libraries for clearer, more structured logs, and boost application transparency.
Dockerizing a Node.js Web App for Dev and Prod Environments
Dockerizing a Node.js server ensures consistency, scalability, and portability across environments. Learn how to set up separate Dockerfiles for production and development, using Docker Compose for efficient container management and hot-reloading during development.
What is Dev Container and see if you need it?
In modern software development, creating a consistent and reliable development environment can be challenging. Enter Dev Containers, a powerful tool for developers using Visual Studio Code (VS Code) to streamline their workflow. In this blog post, we’ll explore what Dev Containers are, how they work, and when you might