Manju

Greetings As developers, we often aim to deliver APIs with minimal latency, typically in just a few milliseconds. However, it's important to acknowledge that not all customer requirements are alike. There are scenarios where we must tackle intricate computations that can extend over many minutes. Let's explore solutions for addressing such use cases. Problem statement The user expects to view the outcome of a complex computation, which requires more than 5 minutes to complete. Initial design We can outline our initial architecture by offering either a REST or GraphQL API that waits for the computation to conclude. The primary limitation of this design is that it blocks the server thread, which can lead to the exhaustion of server resources. Additionally, the user remains uninformed about the ongoing process. Improving with an Async Job and Polling Rather than waiting for the calculation to complete, we can utilize a separate thread and promptly return from the initial request. ...

Greetings! Efficient performance is a crucial non-functional requirement in modern applications. Customers can become easily frustrated and may seek alternative solutions if performance falls short. As developers, it is our responsibility to ensure that performance meets the required standards. I'd like to highlight a common mistake that developers might make if they are not familiar with the underlying theory. While the focus here is primarily on Node.js, the principles apply more broadly. Microservices leverage diverse technologies, and Node.js is a good candidate for API Gateways/ Proxy servers. These gateways play a key role in routing traffic to the underlying downstream microservices. Understanding this dynamic is both interesting and essential when working with Node.js. Note: In Node.js 19, agent keep-alive is now enabled by default. The Problem When incorporating libraries, developers often stick to default configurations or modify only the apparent settings. This approac...

Greetings GraphQL revolutionized modern API development by addressing issues in REST through a unified interface. While GraphQL is well-suited for building monolithic services, modern applications are often complex and developed using the microservices architecture. How can we harness GraphQL to provide a unified API in a microservices application? This is where GraphQL federation comes in to solve the problem. Complete source code -  Nest GraphQL Federation Challenges faced in REST API Before delving into the GraphQL gateway, it's important to first grasp the issues associated with the REST gateway. In the example below, when we need to retrieve a book along with its author, the client must initially fetch the book and then make an additional request to obtain the author's information. Alternatively, in the case of multiple BFFs (Backend For Frontend), we would need to implement this in the API gateway. However, this would necessitate the mainten...

Greetings! GraphQL is rapidly gaining popularity as a more elegant solution for querying data compared to REST API. At the same time, NestJS streamlines the process of building efficient Node.js applications. In this article, I'll utilize two of them to construct a GraphQL server using NestJS. Note: I'll assume you have a basic understanding of GraphQL and NestJS. Source code -  Nest GraphQL GraphQL: A Quick Introduction GraphQL is a query language for APIs and a runtime for fulfilling those queries with your existing data. Schema: The GraphQL schema acts as a blueprint defining the data structure. It serves as the contract that establishes communication between the client and the server. Data Sources: These are the real data stores, which can be diverse, including databases, REST APIs, and more. Resolvers: Resolvers bridge the gap between the schema and data sources. They serve as the guides that tr...

Greetings! The Node.js ecosystem is undergoing rapid evolution, making it challenging to choose the right framework or library. The essential step is to build a solid foundation in basic JavaScript and Node.js concepts. But I'm curious about the newest trends in development hence trying NestJS. What is NestJS? Nest (NestJS) is a framework for building efficient, scalable Node.js server-side applications. Nest provides an out-of-the-box application architecture that allows developers and teams to create highly testable, scalable, loosely coupled, and easily maintainable applications. Why is it worth trying Nest shares similarities with Angular on the backend, drawing inspiration from Angular's concepts. For someone with a background in Java, like myself, it may feel reminiscent of working with the Spring framework. Getting started with Nest is straightforward and user-friendly. Apart from these points, there are some other aspects I'd like to emphasize. NestJS offe...