nodejs-backend-patterns
This skill provides comprehensive patterns and best practices for building production-ready Node.js backend services using frameworks like Express and Fastify. Use it when developing REST APIs, GraphQL servers, microservices, implementing authentication, setting up middleware, integrating databases, or designing scalable backend architectures with proper error handling and deployment considerations.
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/wshobson/agents /tmp/nodejs-backend-patterns && cp -r /tmp/nodejs-backend-patterns/plugins/javascript-typescript/skills/nodejs-backend-patterns ~/.claude/skills/nodejs-backend-patternsSKILL.md
# Node.js Backend Patterns Comprehensive guidance for building scalable, maintainable, and production-ready Node.js backend applications with modern frameworks, architectural patterns, and best practices. ## When to Use This Skill - Building REST APIs or GraphQL servers - Creating microservices with Node.js - Implementing authentication and authorization - Designing scalable backend architectures - Setting up middleware and error handling - Integrating databases (SQL and NoSQL) - Building real-time applications with WebSockets - Implementing background job processing ## Detailed patterns and worked examples Detailed pattern documentation lives in `references/details.md`. Read that file when the navigation tier above is insufficient. ## Best Practices 1. **Use TypeScript**: Type safety prevents runtime errors 2. **Implement proper error handling**: Use custom error classes 3. **Validate input**: Use libraries like Zod or Joi 4. **Use environment variables**: Never hardcode secrets 5. **Implement logging**: Use structured logging (Pino, Winston) 6. **Add rate limiting**: Prevent abuse 7. **Use HTTPS**: Always in production 8. **Implement CORS properly**: Don't use `*` in production 9. **Use dependency injection**: Easier testing and maintenance 10. **Write tests**: Unit, integration, and E2E tests 11. **Handle graceful shutdown**: Clean up resources 12. **Use connection pooling**: For databases 13. **Implement health checks**: For monitoring 14. **Use compression**: Reduce response size 15. **Monitor performance**: Use APM tools ## Testing Patterns See `javascript-testing-patterns` skill for comprehensive testing guidance.
Test web applications with screen readers including VoiceOver, NVDA, and JAWS. Use when validating screen reader compatibility, debugging accessibility issues, or ensuring assistive technology support.
Conduct WCAG 2.2 accessibility audits with automated testing, manual verification, and remediation guidance. Use when auditing websites for accessibility, fixing WCAG violations, or implementing accessible design patterns.
Coordinate parallel code reviews across multiple quality dimensions with finding deduplication, severity calibration, and consolidated reporting. Use this skill when organizing multi-reviewer code reviews, calibrating finding severity, or consolidating review results.
Debug complex issues using competing hypotheses with parallel investigation, evidence collection, and root cause arbitration. Use this skill when debugging bugs with multiple potential causes, performing root cause analysis, or organizing parallel investigation workflows.
Coordinate parallel feature development with file ownership strategies, conflict avoidance rules, and integration patterns for multi-agent implementation. Use this skill when decomposing a large feature into independent work streams, when two or more agents need to implement different layers of the same system simultaneously, when establishing file ownership to prevent merge conflicts in a shared codebase, when designing interface contracts so parallel implementers can build against each other's APIs before they are ready, or when deciding whether to use vertical slices versus horizontal layers for a full-stack feature.
Decompose complex tasks, design dependency graphs, and coordinate multi-agent work with proper task descriptions and workload balancing. Use this skill when breaking down work for agent teams, managing task dependencies, or monitoring team progress.
Structured messaging protocols for agent team communication including message type selection, plan approval, shutdown procedures, and anti-patterns to avoid. Use this skill when establishing communication norms for a newly spawned team, when deciding whether to send a direct message or a broadcast, when a team-lead needs to review and approve an implementer's plan before work begins, when orchestrating a graceful team shutdown after all tasks are complete, or when debugging why teammates are not coordinating correctly at integration points.
Design optimal agent team compositions with sizing heuristics, preset configurations, and agent type selection. Use this skill when deciding how many agents to spawn for a task, when choosing between a review team versus a feature team versus a debug team, when selecting the correct subagent_type for each role to ensure agents have the tools they need, when configuring display modes (tmux, iTerm2, in-process) for a CI or local environment, or when building a custom team composition for a non-standard workflow such as a migration or security audit.