CONTENTS
PART I: GETTING STARTED: SETUP AND CONCEPTS
5
Chapter 1: The Setup
7
Installing on Windows
8
Installing on OS X
8
Installing on Linux
8
Compiling	9
Ensuring that it works
9
The Node REPL
9
Executing a file
10
NPM	10
Installing modules
11
Defining your own module
12
Installing binary utilities
13
Exploring the NPM registry	14
Summary	14
Chapter 2: JavaScript: An Overview
15
Introduction	15
Basic JavaScript
16
Types	16
Type hiccups
16
Functions	18
this, Function#call, and Function#apply
18
Function arity
19
Closures	19
Classes	20
Inheritance	20
try {} catch {}
21
v8 JavaScript
22
Object#keys	22
Array#isArray	23
Array methods
23
String methods
24
JSON	24
Function#bind	24
CONTENTS
Function#name	24
_proto_ (inheritance)
25
Accessors	25
Summary	26
Chapter 3: Blocking and Non-blocking IO
27
With great power comes great responsibility
28
Blocking-ness	29
A single-threaded world
31
Error handling
33
Stack traces
35
Summary	37
Chapter 4: Node JavaScript
39
The global object
40
Useful globals
40
The module system
41
Absolute and relative modules
41
Exposing APIs
44
Events	45
Buffers	47
Summary	48
PART II: ESSENTIAL NODE APIS
49
Chapter 5: CLI and FS APIs: Your First Application
51
Requirements	52
Writing your first program
52
Creating the module
53
Sync or async?
54
Understanding streams
55
Input and ouput
57
Refactoring	59
Interacting with the fs
61
Exploring the CLI
63
Argv	63
Working directory
64
Environmental variables
65
Exiting	65
Signals	65
ANSI escape codes
66
Exploring the fs module
66
Streams	67
Watch	67
Summary	68
v
vi
CONTENTS
Chapter 6: TCP	69
What are the characteristics of TCP?
70
Connection-oriented communication
and same-order delivery
70
Byte orientation
70
Reliability	71
Flow control
71
Congestion control
71
Telnet	71
A TCP chat program
74
Creating the module
74
Understanding the net.server API
74
Receiving connections
76
The data event
77
State and keeping track of connections
79
Wrap up
81
An IRC Client program
83
Creating the module
83
Understanding the net#Stream API
84
Implementing part of the IRC protocol
84
Testing with a real-world IRC server
85
Summary	85
Chapter 7: HTTP	87
The structure of HTTP
88
Headers	89
Connections	93
A simple web server
94
Creating the module
95
Printing out the form
95
Methods and URLs
97
Data	99
Putting the pieces together
102
Bullet-proofing	103
A Twitter web client
104
Creating the module
104
Making a simple HTTP request
104
Sending a body of data
106
Getting tweets
107
A superagent to the rescue
110
Reloading HTTP servers with up
111
Summary	112
CONTENTS
PART III: WEB DEVELOPMENT
113
Chapter 8: Connect	115
A simple website with HTTP
116
A simple website with Connect
119
Middleware	121
Writing reusable middleware
122
Static middleware
127
Query	128
Logger	129
Body parser
131
Cookies	134
Session	134
REDIS sessions
140
methodOverride	141
basicAuth	141
Summary	144
Chapter 9: Express	145
A simple express app
146
Creating the module
146
HTML	146
Setup	147
Defining routes
148
Search	150
Run	152
Settings	153
Template engines
154
Error handling
155
Convenience methods
155
Routes	157
Middleware	159
Organization strategies
160
Summary	162
Chapter 10: WebSocket	163
AJAX	164
HTML5 WebSocket
166
An Echo Example
167
Setting it up
167
Setting up the server
168
Setting up the client
169
Running the server
170
Mouse cursors
171
Setting up the example
171
Setting up the server
172
vii
viii C O N T E N T S
Setting up the client
174
Running the server
176
The Challenges Ahead
177
Close doesn’t mean disconnect
177
JSON	177
Reconnections	177
Broadcasting	177
WebSockets are HTML5: Older browsers don’t support them	 177
The solution
178
Summary	178
Chapter 11: Socket.IO	179
Transports	180
Disconnected versus closed
180
Events	180
Namespaces	181
A chat program
182
Setting up the program
182
Setting up the server
182
Setting up the client
183
Events and Broadcasting
185
Ensuring reception
190
A DJ-by-turns application
191
Extending the chat
191
Integrating with the Grooveshark API
193
Playing	196
Summary	201
PART IV: DATABASES
203
Chapter 12: MongoDB	205
Installation	207
Accessing MongoDB: A user authentication example
208
Setting up the application
208
Creating the Express app
208
Connecting to MongoDB
212
Creating documents
214
Finding documents
215
Authentication middleware
217
Validation	218
Atomicity	219
Safe mode
219
Introducing Mongoose
220
Defining a model
220
Defining nested keys
222
Defining embedded documents
222
CONTENTS
Setting up indexes
222
Middleware	223
Inspecting the state of the model
223
Querying	224
Extending queries
224
Sorting	224
Making Selections
224
Limiting	225
Skipping	225
Populating keys automatically
225
Casting	225
A mongoose example
226
Setting up the application
226
Refactoring	226
Setting up models
227
Summary	229
Chapter 13: MySQL	231
node-mysql	232
Setting it up
232
Te Express app
h
232
Connecting to MySQL
234
Initializing the script
234
Creating data
238
Fetching data
242
sequelize	244
Setting up sequelize
245
Setting up the Express app
245
Connecting sequelize
248
Defining models and synchronizing
249
Creating data
250
Retrieving data
253
Removing data
254
Wrapping up
256
Summary	257
Chapter 14: Redis	259
Installing Redis
261
The Redis query language
261
Data types
262
Strings	263
Hashes	263
Lists	265
Sets	265
Sorted sets
266
Redis and Node
266
Implementing a social graph with node-redis
267
Summary	276
ix
x
CONTENTS
PART V: TESTING
277
Chapter 15: Code Sharing
279
What can be shared?
280
Writing compatible JavaScript
280
Exposing modules
280
Shimming ECMA APIs
282
Shimming Node APIs
283
Shimming browser APIs
284
Cross-browser inheritance
284
Putting it all together: browserbuild
285
A basic example
286
Summary	288
Chapter 16: Testing	289
Simple testing
290
Te test subject
h
290
Te test strategy
h
290
Te test program
h
291
Expect.JS	292
API overview
292
Mocha	294
Testing asynchronous code
295
BDD style
297
TDD style
298
Exports style
298
Taking Mocha to the browser
299
Summary