7 Commonly Made Mistakes in Node.js Development

Node.js is a server-side open-source JavaScript runtime environment. It is built on Google Chrome’s JavaScript V8 Engine. And it is mostly popular for building scalable and fast network applications.

This powerful framework provides a persistent connection from a browser, through “non-blocking” I/O API. It optimizes any web application throughput and scalability easily. This means it wastes no time waiting for any I/O request to return. Thus, Node.js enhances the performance of a web application. 

Now, to avail the sheer benefits offered by Node.js and to utilize its full power, a Node.js programmer has to know the proper ways to implement it. This is why we have come with this article highlighting 7 major Node.js development pitfalls. 

1. Blocking the Event Loop

Node.js provides a single thread environment. It means no two application parts run parallel to each other. Now, when Node.js is busy fetching a document from the database, injecting a piece of CPU-bound code is enough to block an event loop. And anything that blocks any event loop will block the entire loop! So, the Node.js developers have to be careful while handling it.

StrongOps and open-source modules can be used here to detect delays in the event loop. When you hire Node.js developer, make sure they have a clear concept on it.

2. Initiating Multiple Callbacks

Asynchronous elements communicate with each other through callbacks. Often, the Node.js experts save a file and then reload the application to check if it crashes fast. It results in the execution of multiple callbacks.  Sometimes, callbacks are accidentally called twice. As a result, the interface freezes while the file is loading. So, it is crucial to get the value of the first function before calling out a second one. 

To avoid this situation, developers can add a return before the callback. 

3. Taking Numbers for Integer Data

Another common mistake made by the Node.js developers is forgetting that in JavaScript, numbers are not an integer data type. Rather, they are floating-point data. Any miscalculation of the float can make the entire system go wrong. This is why developers have to be careful about it.

4. Zero Monitoring and Lack of Profiling

Sometimes, developers confuse profiling with testing. But in reality, these two are completely different from each other. Profiling information helps a Node.js expert to optimize the program by studying various program-related aspects like its space or function return time.

If done properly, profiling will help developers in understanding things like system load, memory usage, delay in the event loop, and CPU load.

5. For Debugging, Using Console.log

Be it an arbitrary argument or just anything - the console.log will print everything! Here the problem is that each time a Node.js programmer inserts the console.log, he/she needs to restart the server. Obviously, it results in slowing down the application. In the end, the codebase will become messy with a ton of unnecessary code. 

To avoid this situation, the best practice is to use the Debug library. 

6. Failing to Test Properly

Well, even though testing is crucial for building rich web applications, most of the time, it is ignored! You cannot just deploy or release an application which has not been tested yet. Every Node.js developer and expert should keep this in mind. There are several testing tools like Jasmine, Mocha, etc. are now available in the market. Developers need to make proper use of these tools to test every module of the application thoroughly. 

7. Developing Massive Applications

While working with Node.js, the coders and the experts have to make sure rather than creating massive applications, they can just divide the processes into tiny modules. 

Being a leading Node.js development company, we make sure to follow the industry best practices to deliver high-quality web applications for the global clientele.