Ex⚡
Overview 🌟
exstack
is a lightweight utility library designed specifically for Express.js, helping developers simplify server-side logic and reduce boilerplate code. It provides ready-to-use features like error handling, HTTP status utilities, and standardized API responses, enabling you to write cleaner, more maintainable code effortlessly.
Navigation 📌
- Overview
- Installation
- Motivation
- Quick Start
- Core Features
- Conclusion
- Contributing
- Author
- License
Installation 📥
npm install --save exstack
Motivation 💡
Building APIs often involves repetitive tasks like handling errors, managing HTTP status codes, or structuring JSON responses.
exstack
was created to eliminate this hassle, allowing developers to focus on writing business logic instead of reinventing common solutions. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced developer,exstack
streamlines your workflow and ensures your Express applications are consistent and reliable.
Quick Start ⚡
Here’s a minimal setup to get you started with exstack:
import express from 'express';
import {handler, errorHandler, notFound} from 'exstack';
const app = express();
// Middleware
app.use(express.json());
// Routers
app.get(
'/user/:id',
handler(async (req, res) => {
const user = await getUserById(req.params.id);
return ApiRes.ok(user); // Send user data in the response
}),
);
// Error handling middleware
app.use(notFound());
app.use(errorHandler(conf.isDev, logger.error));
app.listen(3000, () => {
console.log('Server running on port 3000');
});
errorHandler
: Error Handler Middleware
The errorHandler
middleware manages HttpErrors and Unknown errors, returning appropriate json responses.
Usage
import {errorHandler} from 'exstack';
// Basic usage with default options
app.use(errorHandler(process.env.NODE_ENV === 'development'));
// Custom usage with logging in production mode
app.use(errorHandler(process.env.NODE_ENV === 'development', logger.error));
Arguments
- isDev: Enables detailed error messages in development mode (default: true).
- logger: Optional callback for logging or handling errors.
notFound
: NotFound Handler Middleware 🚨
The notFound
middleware manages NotFoundError errors, returning appropriate json responses.
Usage
import {notFound} from 'exstack';
// without path
app.use(notFound());
// With path
app.use(notFound('*'));
async-handler
: Simplifying Controllers 🛠️
Eliminates repetitive try-catch
blocks by managing error handling for both async and sync functions. It also integrates seamlessly with ApiRes for enhanced response handling.
Simplifying Route Handlers
import {handler, ApiRes} from 'exstack';
// Route without async-handler (traditional approach with try-catch)
app.get('/user/:id', async (req, res, next) => {
try {
const user = await getUserById(req.params.id);
res.status(200).json(user);
} catch (error) {
next(error); // Pass the error to the error-handling middleware
}
});
// Route using handler (simplified with exstack)
app.get(
'/user/:id',
handler(async (req, res) => {
const user = await getUserById(req.params.id);
// Send success response using ApiRes
return ApiRes.ok(user, 'User fetched successfully');
}),
);
Advanced Example
import {handler, ApiRes, type InputType} from 'exstack';
// Login type handler
type LoginInput = InputType<{email: string; password: string}>;
// Login request handler
const login = handler<LoginInput>(async (req, res) => {
const {email, password} = req.body;
const user = await loginUser(email, password);
// Manually setting headers
res.setHeader('X-Custom-Header', 'SomeHeaderValue');
// Set multiple cookies for authentication
res.cookie('access-token', user.accessToken, {
httpOnly: true,
secure: true, // Set to true in production with HTTPS
maxAge: 3600000, // 1 hour
});
res.cookie('refresh-token', user.refreshToken, {
httpOnly: true,
secure: true,
maxAge: 7 * 24 * 3600000, // 1 week
});
// API response with token and user info
return ApiRes.ok(user, 'Logged in successfully');
});
Minimal Examples
// text response with 200 status
app.get(
'/hello',
handler(() => 'Hello World'),
);
// object response with 200 status
app.get(
'/welcome',
handler(() => ({message: 'Hello World!'})),
);
// without api-res
app.pos(
'/login',
handler(async (req, res) => {
const user = await getUserById(req.params.id);
// Manually setting headers
res.setHeader('X-Custom-Header', 'SomeHeaderValue');
// Setting cookies
res.cookie('access-token', user.accessToken, {
httpOnly: true,
secure: true, // Set to true in production with HTTPS
maxAge: 3600000, // 1 hour
});
// Sending a custom JSON response
return res.status(200).json({
status: 'success',
message: 'User fetched successfully',
data: user,
});
}),
);
Standardized JSON Responses with ApiRes 📊
ApiRes provides a consistent structure for API responses. It includes several static methods that handle common response patterns, such as ok
, created
, and paginated
.
Usage:
import {ApiRes, handler} from 'exstack';
// Example without async-handler
app.get('/hello', (req, res) => new ApiRes.ok({}, 'Hello World').toJson(res));
// With ok (200)
const get = handler(async req => ApiRes.ok(await getUser(req.params), 'Get user successfully'));
// With created (201)
const create = handler(async req => ApiRes.created(await createUser(req.body), 'User created successfully'));
// With paginated (200)
const list = handler(async req => {
const {data, meta} = await getUsers(req.query);
return ApiRes.paginated(data, meta, 'Get users list successfully');
});
// Routers
app.route('/').get(list).post(create);
app.route('/:id').get(get);
ApiRes Static
Methods
ok(result, message)
: Returns a success response (HTTP 200).created(result, message)
: Returns a resource creation response (HTTP 201).paginated(data, meta, message)
: Returns a success response (HTTP 200).
ApiRes.toJson(res: Response): void
Method
Send HTTP
json Response.
new ApiRes({}, 'Hello World').toJson(res);
ApiRes.body: HttpResBody
Property
Returns the Body (JSON)
representation of the response.
new ApiRes({}, 'Hello World').body;
HttpError ❌
The HttpError class standardizes error handling by extending the native Error class. It’s used to throw HTTP-related errors, which are the caught by errorHandler
middleware.
Usage:
import {HttpError, HttpStatus} from 'exstack';
// Example without async-handler
app.get(
'*',
req => new HttpError(HttpStatus.NOT_FOUND, {message: 'Not Found'}).toJson(req.res!), // Throw a 404 error
);
// Example with async-handler
app.post(
'/example/:id',
handler(req => {
if (!req.params.id) throw new BadRequestError('Id is required');
// .....
}),
);
Option data
or cause
.
const err = new HttpError(400, {
message: 'Validation Error',
data: {
username: 'Username is required',
password: 'Password is required',
},
cause: new Error(...)
});
Note: status code is provided, the HttpError class will automatically generate an appropriate error name based on that status code.
Common HTTP Errors:
BadRequestError
UnAuthorizedError
NotFoundError
ConflictError
ForbiddenError
PaymentRequiredError
NotImplementedError
InternalServerError
ContentTooLargeError
isHttpError(value)
Static Method:
The HttpError.isHttpError(value)
method determines if a specific value is an instance of the HttpError
class.
// If it is an HttpError, send a JSON response with the error details
if (HttpError.isHttpError(err)) return err.toJson(res);
else
// If it's not an HttpError, pass it to the next middleware for further handling
next(err);
Custom ErrorHandler Middleware
export const errorHandler: ErrorRequestHandler = (err, req, res, next) => {
// Handle known HttpError instances
if (HttpError.isHttpError(err)) {
// Log the cause if it exists
if (err.options.cause) console.error('HttpError Cause:', err.options.cause);
return err.toJson(res);
}
// Write unknown errors if a write function is provided
console.error('Unknown Error:', err);
// Standardized error response for unknown exceptions
const unknown = {
status: HttpStatus.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR,
error: 'InternalServerError',
message: isDev ? err.message || 'Unexpected error' : 'Something went wrong',
stack: isDev ? err.stack : undefined,
};
res.status(unknown.status).json(unknown);
};
error.toJson(res: Response): void
Method
Send HTTP
json Response.
new HttpError('Hello World').toJson(res);
error.body: HttpErrorBody
Property
Converts an HttpError
instance into a structured JSON format.
const body = new HttpError(400, {message: 'Hello World'}).body;
createHttpErrorClass
Function
Utility function to create custom error class.
import {createHttpErrorClass, HttpStatus} from 'exstack';
/**
* Represents a Bad Gateway HTTP error (502).
* @extends {HttpError}
*/
export const BadGatewayError = createHttpErrorClass(HttpStatus.BAD_GATEWAY);
HttpStatus ✅
The HttpStatus
provides readable constants for standard HTTP status codes (2xx, 3xx, 4xx, 5xx) and Names, improving code clarity and consistency.
Usage:
import {HttpStatus} from 'exstack';
// Example: Basic usage in a route
app.get('/status-example', (req, res) => {
res.status(HttpStatus.OK).json({message: 'All good!'});
});
// Example: Custom error handling middleware
app.use((req, res) => {
res.status(HttpStatus.NOT_FOUND).json({
error: 'Resource not found',
});
});
// Example: Response with a 201 Created status
app.post('/create', (req, res) => {
const resource = createResource(req.body);
res.status(HttpStatus.CREATED).json({
message: 'Resource created successfully',
data: resource,
});
});
HttpStatus.XXX_NAME
of HTTP Status Code Name
The provides a simple lookup for the descriptive names of HTTP status codes.
const statusName = HttpStatus.["200_NAME"]; // 'OK'
Commonly Used HTTP Status Codes:
2xx: Success
HttpStatus.OK
: 200 — Request succeeded.HttpStatus.CREATED
: 201 — Resource created.HttpStatus.ACCEPTED
: 202 — Request accepted for processing.HttpStatus.NO_CONTENT
: 204 — No content to send.- and more ....
3xx: Redirection
HttpStatus.MOVED_PERMANENTLY
: 301 — Resource moved permanently.HttpStatus.FOUND
: 302 — Resource found at another URI.HttpStatus.NOT_MODIFIED
: 304 — Resource not modified.- and more ....
4xx: Client Error
HttpStatus.BAD_REQUEST
: 400 — Bad request.HttpStatus.UNAUTHORIZED
: 401 — Authentication required.HttpStatus.FORBIDDEN
: 403 — Access forbidden.HttpStatus.NOT_FOUND
: 404 — Resource not found.- and more ....
5xx: Server Error
HttpStatus.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR
: 500 — Internal server error.HttpStatus.NOT_IMPLEMENTED
: 501 — Not implemented.HttpStatus.SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE
: 503 — Service unavailable.- and more ....
Permission makePermission
function
Utility function, That Generates a permission object mapping subjects
and actions
to permission strings.
/** Server Permissions */
const Permissions = makePermission({
actions: ['create', 'read', 'update', 'delete'] as const,
subjects: ['user', 'blog', 'comment'] as const,
filter: {
user: ['read'], // user only map read
},
});
console.log(Permission.USER_READ); // user:read
proxyWrapper
: Class Controllers 🏗️
exstack
provides the utility proxyWrapper
to make simplify working with class-based controllers in Express.
Usage:
// example-controller.ts
import {Request} from 'express';
// Controller Class
class ExampleController {
constructor(private message: string) {}
async getData(req: Request) {
// Your logic here
return ApiRes.ok({}, this.message);
}
}
// example-routes.ts
import {Router} from 'express';
import {proxyWrapper} from 'exstack';
import {ExampleController} from './example-controller';
const exampleRoutes = (): Router => {
const router = Router();
// Create a proxied instance of ExampleController
const example = proxyWrapper(ExampleController, 'Hello World');
// Configure routes
return router.post('/data', example.getData);
};
proxyWrapper(clsOrInstance, ...args)
:
- Parameters:
clsOrInstance
: A class constructor or an instance of a class.args
: Arguments for the class constructor (ifclsOrInstance
is a constructor).
- Returns: A proxied instance where all methods are wrapped with
async-handler
.
How It Works
- Instantiates the specified class if a constructor is provided.
- Wraps all its methods with
async-handler
, allowing for automatic handle of asynchronous operations. - Prevents method/property overrides for safety.
Using Dependency Injection Libraries (Optional)
You can use proxyWrapper
with dependency injection libraries like typedi
or tsyringe
.
Example with tsyringe
const exampleRoutes = (): Router => {
const router = Router();
// Create a proxied instance of ExampleController
const example = proxyWrapper(container.resolve(ExampleController));
// Configure routes
return router.post('/data', example.getData);
};
Example with typedi
const exampleRoutes = (): Router => {
const router = Router();
// Create a proxied instance of ExampleController
const example = proxyWrapper(Container.get(ExampleController));
// Configure routes
return router.post('/data', example.getData);
};
Conclusion 🏁
exstack
is a powerful tool designed to simplify and enhance Express.js applications by providing essential features out of the box. Whether you’re building a simple API or a complex web application, exstack helps you maintain clean and manageable code.
Contributing 🤝
Contributions are highly appreciated! To contribute:
- Fork the repository.
- Create a new branch for your feature or bug fix.
- Submit a pull request with a clear description of your changes.
Author 👤
- Created by Aashish Panchal.
- GitHub: @aashishpanchal