Contents

Introduction

I: Learning to Walk

1 Getting Started

Installing Node.js

Installation on Windows

Installation on the Mac

Installation on Linux

Running Node.js and “Hello World!”

The Node Shell

Editing and Running JavaScript Files

Your First Web Server

Debugging Your Node.js Programs

Staying Up-to-Date and Finding Help

Summary

2 A Closer Look at JavaScript

Types

Type Basics

Constants

Numbers

Booleans

Strings

Objects

Arrays

Type Comparisons and Conversions

Functions

Basics

Function Scope

Arrow Functions

Language Constructs

Classes, Prototypes, and Inheritance

Prototypes and Inheritance

Errors and Exceptions

Some Important Node.js Globals

global

console

process

Summary

3 Asynchronous Programming

The Old Way of Doing Things

The Node.js Way of Doing Things

Error Handling and Asynchronous Functions

The callback Function and Error Handling

Who Am I? Maintaining a Sense of Identity

Being Polite—Learning to Give Up Control

Synchronous Function Calls

Summary

II: Learning to Run

4 Writing Simple Applications

Your First JSON Server

Returning Some Data

Node Pattern: Asynchronous Loops

Learning to Juggle: Handling More Requests

More on the Request and Response Objects

Increased Flexibility: GET Params

Modifying Things: POST Data

Receiving JSON POST Data

Receiving Form POST Data

Summary

5 Modules

Writing Simple Modules

Modules and Objects

npm: The Node Package Manager

Consuming Modules

Searching for Modules

Module Caching

Cycles

Writing Modules

Creating Your Module

Developing with Your Module

Publishing Your Modules

Managing Asynchronous Code

The Problem

Our Preferred Solution—async

Making Promises and Keeping Them

Summary

6 Expanding Your Web Server

Serving Static Content with Streams

Reading a File

Serving Static Files in a Web Server with Buffers

Serving Up More Than Just HTML

Assembling Content on the Client: Templates

The HTML Skeleton Page

Serving Static Content

Modifying Your URL Scheme

The JavaScript Loader/Bootstrapper

Templating with Mustache

Your Home Page Mustache Template

Putting It All Together

Summary

III: Writing Web Applications

7 Building Web Applications with Express

Installing Express

Hello World in Express

Routing and Layers in Express

Routing Basics

Updating Your Photo Album App for Routing

REST API Design and Modules

API Design

Modules

Additional Middleware Functionality

Usage

Configurations

Ordering of Middleware

Static File Handling

POST Data, Cookies, and Sessions

Better Browser Support for PUT and DELETE

Compressing Output

Adding Authentication to our Application

Getting Started

Laying Down the Plumbing

Creating a Login Form

Logging the User In

Restricting Access to a Page

Flash Messages

Running the Sample

Error Handling

Summary

8 Databases I: NoSQL (MongoDB)

Setting Up MongoDB

Installing MongoDB

Using Mongo DB in Node.js

Structuring Your Data for MongoDB

It’s All JavaScript

Data Types

Understanding the Basic Operations

Connecting and Creating a Database

Creating Collections

Inserting Documents into Collections

Updating Document Values

Deleting Documents from Collections

Querying Collections

Seeing it all in Action

Updating Your Photo Albums App

Writing the Low-Level Operations

Modifying the API for the JSON Server

Updating Your Handlers

Adding Some New Pages to the Application

Recapping the App Structure

Summary

9 Databases II: SQL (MySQL)

Getting Ready

Installing MySQL

Adding the mysql Module from npm

Creating a Schema for the Database

Basic Database Operations

Connecting

Adding Queries

Updating the Photo Sharing Application

Authenticating via the Database

Updating the API to Support Users

Examining the Core User Data Operations

Updating the Express Application for Authentication

Implementing User Authentication

Creating the User Handler

Hooking up Passport and Routes

Creating the Login and Register Pages

Summary

IV: Getting the Most Out of Node.js

10 Deployment and Development I: Rolling Your Own

Deployment

Level: Basic

Level: Ninja

Multiprocessor Deployment: Using a Proxy

Multiple Servers and Sessions

Virtual Hosting

Express Support

Securing Your Projects with HTTPS/SSL

Generating Test Certificates

Built-in Support

Proxy Server Support

Multiplatform Development

Locations and Configuration Files

Handling Path Differences

Summary

11 Deployment and Development II: Heroku and Azure

Deploying to Heroku

Before We Begin

Preparing Your Deployment

Create and Deploy the Application on Heroku

We Have a Problem

And That’s It!

Deploying to Microsoft Azure

Before We Begin

Preparing Your Deployment

Create and Deploy the Application on Azure

We Have a Problem (and Déja Vu!)

And That’s It!

Summary

12 Command-Line Programming

Running Command-Line Scripts

UNIX and Mac

Windows

Scripts and Parameters

Working with Files Synchronously

Basic File APIs

Files and Stats

Listing Contents of Directories

Interacting with the User: stdin/stdout

Basic Buffered Input and Output

Unbuffered Input

The readline Module

Working with Processes

Simple Process Creation

Advanced Process Creation with Spawn

Summary

13 Testing

Choosing a Framework

Installing Nodeunit

Writing Tests

Simple Functional Tests

Groups of Tests

Testing Asynchronous Functionality

API Testing

Summary

Index