Best practices

Code Organization

1. Follow MVC Pattern

   • Models: Data structures and database operations
   • Controllers: Business logic and request handling
   • Routes: Endpoint definitions

2. Use Middleware Chains

   • Authentication → Validation → Business Logic
   • Keep middleware focused and reusable

3. Error Handling

   • Always use try-catch blocks
   • Return consistent error formats
   • Log errors with context

4. Validation

   • Validate all inputs with JSON schemas
   • Use AJV for schema validation
   • Sanitize user inputs

Security

1. Environment Variables

   • Never commit .env files
   • Use strong secrets and passwords
   • Rotate credentials regularly

2. Authentication

   • Always verify JWT tokens
   • Implement rate limiting
   • Use HTTPS in production

3. SQL Injection Prevention

   • Use Sequelize parameterized queries
   • Never concatenate SQL strings
   • Validate and sanitize inputs

4. XSS Prevention

   • Sanitize HTML inputs
   • Use Content Security Policy headers
   • Escape output data

Performance

1. Database Optimization

   • Add indexes on frequently queried columns
   • Use connection pooling
   • Implement caching with Redis

2. API Response Time

   • Cache expensive operations
   • Use pagination for lists
   • Optimize database queries (avoid N+1)

3. File Handling

   • Compress images before storage
   • Clean up temp files regularly
   • Use CDN for static assets

4. Monitoring

   • Log slow queries
   • Monitor memory usage
   • Track API response times

Development Workflow

1. Version Control

   • Use feature branches
   • Write descriptive commit messages
   • Review code before merging

2. Testing

   • Write tests for new features
   • Test edge cases
   • Perform integration testing

3. Documentation

   • Keep API docs updated
   • Document complex business logic
   • Write clear code comments

4. Code Quality

   • Use consistent naming conventions
   • Follow JavaScript best practices
   • Use ESLint for code linting