Node.js API

Node.js API

šŸ”§ What is a Node.js API?

A Node.js API is a backend service built using Node.js that allows client applications (like web frontends or mobile apps) to send and receive data using HTTP requests ā€” typically in JSON format.

āœ… Node.js APIs are lightweight, fast, and perfect for modern web apps.

šŸš€ Why Use Node.js to Build APIs?

AdvantageBenefit
šŸ§µ Asynchronous & Non-blockingHandles multiple requests efficiently
šŸŒ JavaScript EverywhereUse the same language for frontend & backend
šŸ“¦ NPM EcosystemTons of packages for routing, DBs, auth, etc.
āš” Fast & ScalableIdeal for REST APIs, real-time apps, microservices

šŸ§± Basic Node.js REST API (with Express)

1. šŸ”¹ Install Node.js & Create Project

bash
mkdir my-api cd my-api npm init -y npm install express

2. šŸ”¹ Create index.js

js
const express = require('express'); const app = express(); const PORT = 3000; // Middleware to parse JSON app.use(express.json()); // Routes app.get('/', (req, res) => { res.send('Hello, API!'); }); app.get('/api/users', (req, res) => { res.json([{ id: 1, name: 'Anil' }, { id: 2, name: 'Sara' }]); }); app.post('/api/users', (req, res) => { const user = req.body; // Save to DB logic goes here res.status(201).json({ message: 'User created', user }); }); // Start server app.listen(PORT, () => { console.log(`Server running on http://localhost:${PORT}`); });

šŸ§Ŗ Test the API

Use Postman, curl, or JavaScript (fetch/Axios) to test:

bash
curl http://localhost:3000/api/users

šŸ“š Common Features in a Node.js API

FeatureHow
Routingexpress.Router()
Validationjoi, express-validator
Authenticationjsonwebtoken (JWT), passport.js
Databasemongoose (MongoDB), pg (PostgreSQL), prisma
CORScors middleware
Error HandlingCentralized error middleware
Environment Configsdotenv for .env files

šŸ§­ REST vs GraphQL API with Node.js

TypeDescriptionTools
RESTOne endpoint per resourceExpress.js, Fastify
GraphQLSingle endpoint, flexible queriesApollo Server, GraphQL.js

šŸ“¦ Popular Node.js API Frameworks

FrameworkBest For
Express.jsSimple, flexible REST APIs
FastifyPerformance-optimized APIs
NestJSScalable, TypeScript-first enterprise APIs
Hapi.jsEnterprise-grade APIs with built-in features

šŸ” Example: JWT Authentication in Node.js

bash
npm install jsonwebtoken
js
const jwt = require('jsonwebtoken'); const secret = 'mysecret'; // Generate token const token = jwt.sign({ userId: 1 }, secret, { expiresIn: '1h' }); // Verify token jwt.verify(token, secret, (err, decoded) => { if (err) return console.log('Invalid Token'); console.log(decoded); // { userId: 1, iat: ..., exp: ... } });

āœ… When to Use Node.js for API Development

Use CaseIs Node.js Good?
REST APIsāœ… Excellent
Real-time apps (chat, WebSocket)āœ… Best choice
Lightweight microservicesāœ… Ideal
CPU-heavy computationāŒ Not ideal (better with Go, Rust)

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