Frameworks

When choosing a Node.js framework, it’s essential to understand the unique features and use cases of each. Here, we compare Nest, Hono, and Hapi to help you decide which framework best suits your project needs.

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NestJS

NestJS is a progressive Node.js framework for building efficient, reliable, and scalable server-side applications.

Features

• Architecture: Based on TypeScript and heavily inspired by Angular.

• Extensibility: Easily integrates with other libraries.

• Modularity: Encourages modular development with decorators.

• Support for GraphQL: Built-in support for GraphQL and WebSockets.

Use Cases

• Enterprise applications requiring robust structure.

• Applications needing extensive scalability and testability.

Getting Started

To install NestJS and start a new project, run:

npm install -g @nestjs/cli
nest new project-name

Basic Server Example

Create a controller (e.g. src/app.controller.ts) in your src folder to handle HTTP requests.

import { Controller, Get } from '@nestjs/common';

@Controller()
export class AppController {
    @Get()
    getHello(): string {
        return 'Hello from NestJS!';
    }
}

Then update the main module (src/app.module.ts) to include this controller.

import { Module } from '@nestjs/common';
import { AppController } from './app.controller';

@Module({
    imports: [],
    controllers: [AppController],
    providers: [],
})
export class AppModule {}

Finally, start the server.

npm run start

Now, visit http://localhost:3000 to see the message “Hello from NestJS!”

NestJS Built-in Modules

NestJS offers various native modules that support different functionalities right out of the box, without requiring additional dependencies. Here’s an overview of some of these modules:

Module	Description
@nestjs/graphql	Provides GraphQL support in NestJS with schema-first and code-first approaches. Includes decorators for defining resolvers, schemas, and allows the creation of GraphQL APIs in a structured, type-safe manner.
@nestjs/microservices	Supports building microservice-based applications, with transport layers such as TCP, Redis, NATS, MQTT, and Kafka. This module allows efficient communication and scalability between services.
@nestjs/testing	Built-in testing utilities for writing unit and end-to-end (e2e) tests. Integrates well with popular testing frameworks like Jest and provides a TestingModule to isolate and test modules independently.
@nestjs/websockets & @nestjs/platform-socket.io	WebSocket support with decorators for handling events and messages. The @nestjs/platform-socket.io package provides the Socket.IO platform adapter for real-time communication.
@nestjs/jwt	Adds JSON Web Token (JWT) support to facilitate secure authentication. Commonly used in conjunction with @nestjs/passport for building JWT-based authentication systems.
@nestjs/cli	Command-line interface to scaffold and manage NestJS applications, generate components, and streamline the development process.
@nestjs/swagger	Module for integrating Swagger OpenAPI documentation in NestJS applications. Automatically generates interactive API documentation based on decorators in the code.
@nestjs/config	Configuration management for handling environment variables and centralized configuration across modules. Integrates well with the ConfigService for safe and type-checked access to configuration variables.

Hono

Hono is an ultrafast web framework for the Edge, built for speed and simplicity.

Features

• Performance: Optimized for speed; ideal for edge computing.

• Minimalistic Design: Simple API for quick development.

• Middleware Support: Chainable middleware functions.

Use Cases

• High-performance applications where speed is critical.

• Applications running on edge networks.

Getting Started

To install Hono, set up your project with:

npm install hono

Basic Server Example

Create a file for your server (e.g server.js).

import { Hono } from 'hono';

const app = new Hono();

app.get('/', (c) => c.text('Hello from Hono!'));

app.fire();

Start the server.

node server.js

Visit http://localhost:8787 to see “Hello from Hono!” (port may vary based on setup).

Hono Built-in Modules

Hono has several built-in modules for different use cases. Here’s an overview of some of its available modules:

Module	Description
hono/jsx	Provides support for JSX syntax within Hono, allowing developers to build components with HTML-like syntax in their JavaScript code, improving readability and structure.
hono/cookie	A utility module for handling cookies in Hono applications. It offers methods to read, write, and manage cookies for maintaining session or user-specific data.
hono/validator	Offers validation functions for request bodies, query parameters, and headers. It simplifies input validation and error handling in web applications.
hono/adapter	A collection of adapters for deploying Hono apps on different platforms. The hono/adapter/env module is particularly useful for deploying to edge environments, enabling seamless deployment to cloud services like Vercel, Cloudflare Workers, and others.
hono/css	Provides built-in support for adding CSS to Hono applications, allowing the inclusion of CSS styles directly within the framework for easier styling and layout management.
hono/html	A utility module that simplifies rendering HTML pages from JavaScript. This module is used to handle the generation of dynamic HTML content within Hono applications.
hono/jwt	Adds JWT (JSON Web Token) support for authentication and authorization in Hono applications. It allows you to verify and decode JWT tokens within your requests.
hono/ssg	Static Site Generation (SSG) support for building static pages from dynamic content. Useful for generating SEO-friendly pages and faster server responses by pre-rendering HTML at build time.
hono/streaming	Enables server-sent events (SSE) and other real-time streaming capabilities in Hono applications, facilitating real-time data updates and interactions between server and client.
hono/testing	Provides utilities for testing Hono applications, including support for writing unit tests, mocking requests, and handling responses, integrating well with testing frameworks like Jest.
@hono/node-ws	WebSocket support for Hono applications, using the node-ws package. This module allows you to build WebSocket-based real-time communication features in Hono applications.

Hapi

Hapi is a configuration-driven framework with strong security features for building applications and services in Node.js.

Features

• Configuration-centric: Focuses on configuration over code.

• Security: Built-in support for input validation, authentication, and more.

• Plugins: Extensive plugin system for extending framework capabilities.

Use Cases

• Applications requiring comprehensive security and configuration.

• API services with complex routing and validation needs.

Getting Started

To install Hapi, execute:

npm install @hapi/hapi

Then create a file for your server (e.g. server.js).

import Hapi from '@hapi/hapi';

const init = async () => {
const server = Hapi.server({
    port: 3000,
    host: 'localhost'
});

server.route({
    method: 'GET',
    path: '/',
    handler: () => 'Hello from Hapi!'
});

await server.start();
console.log('Server running on %s', server.info.uri);
};

init();

Start the server:

node server.js

Visit http://localhost:3000 to see “Hello from Hapi!”

Hapi Built-in Modules

Hapi has a rich set of native modules that extend its capabilities for various use cases. Below is an overview of some Hapi modules:

Module	Description
@hapi/basic	Implements Basic Authentication for Hapi applications, allowing user authentication via username and password.
@hapi/cookie	Cookie-based authentication scheme for managing user sessions securely with cookies in Hapi applications.
@hapi/bell	A third-party login plugin that provides easy integration with popular OAuth providers like Google, GitHub, and Facebook.
@hapi/jwt	JSON Web Token (JWT) authentication support for secure API requests, including verification and token handling.
@hapi/boom	Utility for creating HTTP-friendly error objects. Provides helpful methods for generating responses with different status codes and error messages.
@hapi/inert	Static file and directory handler for Hapi, allowing the serving of static assets such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files.
@hapi/nes	WebSocket support and real-time messaging for Hapi applications. Enables client-server communication for live updates and interactions.
@hapi/crumb	Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) protection plugin for Hapi applications, adding security to forms and requests.
@hapi/yar	Session management and data storage plugin for Hapi, often used to manage user sessions or store temporary data across requests.
@hapi/vision	Template rendering support in Hapi, compatible with various template engines like Handlebars and EJS. Useful for building dynamic server-side views.
@hapi/lab	Testing utility for Hapi, providing a test runner with tools for assertions, coverage reporting, and test organization.
@hapi/shot	HTTP assertions library that simulates server requests, ideal for testing route responses in Hapi applications.
@hapi/hoek	Utility library with helpful functions for object manipulation, validation, and other common tasks.
@hapi/scooter	User-agent parsing for Hapi applications, extracting details about the client’s device, browser, and OS from HTTP headers.
@hapi/glue	Utility for composing Hapi servers and configuring plugins with predefined options, simplifying the setup process.
@hapi/h2o2	Proxy handler for Hapi, enabling the creation of HTTP proxies for forwarding requests to external services.

Conclusion

Each of these frameworks offers unique strengths:

• NestJS is ideal for large-scale applications with complex architecture.

• Hono is perfect for performance-critical applications on the edge.

• Hapi is well-suited for applications needing robust security and configuration capabilities.

Choose based on your specific project requirements and development preferences.

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