backend-patterns
Backend architecture patterns, API design, database optimization, and server-side best practices for Node.js, Express, and Next.js API routes.
About this skill
This skill equips an AI agent with a robust understanding of backend architecture patterns, API design principles, database optimization techniques, and general server-side best practices, specifically tailored for Node.js, Express, and Next.js API routes. It draws from a highly-regarded repository, 'everything-claude-code', known for providing production-grade development patterns. The skill covers crucial aspects like structuring RESTful and GraphQL APIs, implementing service layers, handling errors, authentication, caching strategies, and managing background jobs, enabling the AI to generate, evaluate, or suggest improvements for high-quality, scalable, and maintainable backend code.
Best use case
Generating boilerplate code for API endpoints, refactoring existing backend code for performance, designing robust data access layers, advising on database indexing strategies, implementing authentication or logging middleware, or planning asynchronous processing for Node.js applications.
Backend architecture patterns, API design, database optimization, and server-side best practices for Node.js, Express, and Next.js API routes.
Well-structured, performant, and maintainable backend code examples; architectural recommendations following industry best practices; optimized database query suggestions; or comprehensive advice on API design, error handling, authentication, and scalability specific to Node.js, Express, and Next.js environments.
Practical example
Example input
Design a robust RESTful API for managing e-commerce products, including CRUD operations, search functionality, authentication for admin users, and basic caching. Use Node.js and Express, incorporating best practices for error handling and database interaction.
Example output
Based on 'backend-patterns', here's a skeletal structure and key considerations for your e-commerce product API, emphasizing RESTful design, a layered architecture, middleware, and error handling:
```typescript
// routes/productRoutes.ts
import express from 'express';
import * as productController from '../controllers/productController';
import { protectRoute, authorizeRoles } from '../middleware/authMiddleware';
import { validateProduct } from '../middleware/validationMiddleware';
const router = express.Router();
router.route('/products')
.get(productController.getAllProducts) // Public access or basic search
.post(protectRoute, authorizeRoles('admin'), validateProduct, productController.createProduct); // Admin only
router.route('/products/:id')
.get(productController.getProductById)
.put(protectRoute, authorizeRoles('admin'), validateProduct, productController.updateProduct)
.delete(protectRoute, authorizeRoles('admin'), productController.deleteProduct);
router.get('/products/search', productController.searchProducts); // Example search endpoint
export default router;
// services/productService.ts (example: handles business logic and DB interaction)
// ... (contains functions like createProduct, getProduct, etc. using a repository pattern)
// utils/cache.ts (example: Redis client setup)
// ... (functions for `setCache`, `getCache`, potentially with TTL)
// Database Optimization:
// - Ensure indexes are present on frequently queried fields (e.g., productId, productName).
// - Implement connection pooling for your database client.
// - Consider N+1 query optimization using `populate` in Mongoose or `with` in Knex.js.
// Caching Strategy:
// - Cache product lists or individual product details that are frequently accessed but change infrequently (e.g., using Redis for `getAllProducts` or `getProductById`).
// - Invalidate cache upon product updates/deletions.
// Error Handling:
// - Centralized error handling middleware to catch async errors and format responses (e.g., Joi for validation errors).
// - Custom error classes for specific scenarios (e.g., `NotFoundError`, `UnauthorizedError`).
```When to use this skill
- When the AI agent needs to design new API endpoints (REST or GraphQL), optimize database queries (e.g., addressing N+1 issues, suggesting indexing), implement caching mechanisms (Redis, in-memory, HTTP), structure error handling and validation for APIs, build custom middleware (for auth, logging, rate limiting), or set up background jobs or asynchronous processing within a Node.js, Express, or Next.js API context.
When not to use this skill
- This skill is not suitable for frontend-only tasks, projects involving unrelated programming languages or frameworks (e.g., Python/Django, Ruby/Rails, Java Spring Boot), purely infrastructure-as-code deployments that don't involve application backend logic, or advanced machine learning model training without direct backend system integration.
Installation
Claude Code / Cursor / Codex
Manual Installation
- Download SKILL.md from GitHub
- Place it in
.claude/skills/backend-patterns/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How backend-patterns Compares
| Feature / Agent | backend-patterns | Standard Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Support | Claude | Limited / Varies |
| Context Awareness | High | Baseline |
| Installation Complexity | low | N/A |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this skill do?
Backend architecture patterns, API design, database optimization, and server-side best practices for Node.js, Express, and Next.js API routes.
Which AI agents support this skill?
This skill is designed for Claude.
How difficult is it to install?
The installation complexity is rated as low. You can find the installation instructions above.
Where can I find the source code?
You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.
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SKILL.md Source
# Backend Development Patterns
Backend architecture patterns and best practices for scalable server-side applications.
## When to Activate
- Designing REST or GraphQL API endpoints
- Implementing repository, service, or controller layers
- Optimizing database queries (N+1, indexing, connection pooling)
- Adding caching (Redis, in-memory, HTTP cache headers)
- Setting up background jobs or async processing
- Structuring error handling and validation for APIs
- Building middleware (auth, logging, rate limiting)
## API Design Patterns
### RESTful API Structure
```typescript
// PASS: Resource-based URLs
GET /api/markets # List resources
GET /api/markets/:id # Get single resource
POST /api/markets # Create resource
PUT /api/markets/:id # Replace resource
PATCH /api/markets/:id # Update resource
DELETE /api/markets/:id # Delete resource
// PASS: Query parameters for filtering, sorting, pagination
GET /api/markets?status=active&sort=volume&limit=20&offset=0
```
### Repository Pattern
```typescript
// Abstract data access logic
interface MarketRepository {
findAll(filters?: MarketFilters): Promise<Market[]>
findById(id: string): Promise<Market | null>
create(data: CreateMarketDto): Promise<Market>
update(id: string, data: UpdateMarketDto): Promise<Market>
delete(id: string): Promise<void>
}
class SupabaseMarketRepository implements MarketRepository {
async findAll(filters?: MarketFilters): Promise<Market[]> {
let query = supabase.from('markets').select('*')
if (filters?.status) {
query = query.eq('status', filters.status)
}
if (filters?.limit) {
query = query.limit(filters.limit)
}
const { data, error } = await query
if (error) throw new Error(error.message)
return data
}
// Other methods...
}
```
### Service Layer Pattern
```typescript
// Business logic separated from data access
class MarketService {
constructor(private marketRepo: MarketRepository) {}
async searchMarkets(query: string, limit: number = 10): Promise<Market[]> {
// Business logic
const embedding = await generateEmbedding(query)
const results = await this.vectorSearch(embedding, limit)
// Fetch full data
const markets = await this.marketRepo.findByIds(results.map(r => r.id))
// Sort by similarity
return markets.sort((a, b) => {
const scoreA = results.find(r => r.id === a.id)?.score || 0
const scoreB = results.find(r => r.id === b.id)?.score || 0
return scoreA - scoreB
})
}
private async vectorSearch(embedding: number[], limit: number) {
// Vector search implementation
}
}
```
### Middleware Pattern
```typescript
// Request/response processing pipeline
export function withAuth(handler: NextApiHandler): NextApiHandler {
return async (req, res) => {
const token = req.headers.authorization?.replace('Bearer ', '')
if (!token) {
return res.status(401).json({ error: 'Unauthorized' })
}
try {
const user = await verifyToken(token)
req.user = user
return handler(req, res)
} catch (error) {
return res.status(401).json({ error: 'Invalid token' })
}
}
}
// Usage
export default withAuth(async (req, res) => {
// Handler has access to req.user
})
```
## Database Patterns
### Query Optimization
```typescript
// PASS: GOOD: Select only needed columns
const { data } = await supabase
.from('markets')
.select('id, name, status, volume')
.eq('status', 'active')
.order('volume', { ascending: false })
.limit(10)
// FAIL: BAD: Select everything
const { data } = await supabase
.from('markets')
.select('*')
```
### N+1 Query Prevention
```typescript
// FAIL: BAD: N+1 query problem
const markets = await getMarkets()
for (const market of markets) {
market.creator = await getUser(market.creator_id) // N queries
}
// PASS: GOOD: Batch fetch
const markets = await getMarkets()
const creatorIds = markets.map(m => m.creator_id)
const creators = await getUsers(creatorIds) // 1 query
const creatorMap = new Map(creators.map(c => [c.id, c]))
markets.forEach(market => {
market.creator = creatorMap.get(market.creator_id)
})
```
### Transaction Pattern
```typescript
async function createMarketWithPosition(
marketData: CreateMarketDto,
positionData: CreatePositionDto
) {
// Use Supabase transaction
const { data, error } = await supabase.rpc('create_market_with_position', {
market_data: marketData,
position_data: positionData
})
if (error) throw new Error('Transaction failed')
return data
}
// SQL function in Supabase
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION create_market_with_position(
market_data jsonb,
position_data jsonb
)
RETURNS jsonb
LANGUAGE plpgsql
AS $$
BEGIN
-- Start transaction automatically
INSERT INTO markets VALUES (market_data);
INSERT INTO positions VALUES (position_data);
RETURN jsonb_build_object('success', true);
EXCEPTION
WHEN OTHERS THEN
-- Rollback happens automatically
RETURN jsonb_build_object('success', false, 'error', SQLERRM);
END;
$$;
```
## Caching Strategies
### Redis Caching Layer
```typescript
class CachedMarketRepository implements MarketRepository {
constructor(
private baseRepo: MarketRepository,
private redis: RedisClient
) {}
async findById(id: string): Promise<Market | null> {
// Check cache first
const cached = await this.redis.get(`market:${id}`)
if (cached) {
return JSON.parse(cached)
}
// Cache miss - fetch from database
const market = await this.baseRepo.findById(id)
if (market) {
// Cache for 5 minutes
await this.redis.setex(`market:${id}`, 300, JSON.stringify(market))
}
return market
}
async invalidateCache(id: string): Promise<void> {
await this.redis.del(`market:${id}`)
}
}
```
### Cache-Aside Pattern
```typescript
async function getMarketWithCache(id: string): Promise<Market> {
const cacheKey = `market:${id}`
// Try cache
const cached = await redis.get(cacheKey)
if (cached) return JSON.parse(cached)
// Cache miss - fetch from DB
const market = await db.markets.findUnique({ where: { id } })
if (!market) throw new Error('Market not found')
// Update cache
await redis.setex(cacheKey, 300, JSON.stringify(market))
return market
}
```
## Error Handling Patterns
### Centralized Error Handler
```typescript
class ApiError extends Error {
constructor(
public statusCode: number,
public message: string,
public isOperational = true
) {
super(message)
Object.setPrototypeOf(this, ApiError.prototype)
}
}
export function errorHandler(error: unknown, req: Request): Response {
if (error instanceof ApiError) {
return NextResponse.json({
success: false,
error: error.message
}, { status: error.statusCode })
}
if (error instanceof z.ZodError) {
return NextResponse.json({
success: false,
error: 'Validation failed',
details: error.errors
}, { status: 400 })
}
// Log unexpected errors
console.error('Unexpected error:', error)
return NextResponse.json({
success: false,
error: 'Internal server error'
}, { status: 500 })
}
// Usage
export async function GET(request: Request) {
try {
const data = await fetchData()
return NextResponse.json({ success: true, data })
} catch (error) {
return errorHandler(error, request)
}
}
```
### Retry with Exponential Backoff
```typescript
async function fetchWithRetry<T>(
fn: () => Promise<T>,
maxRetries = 3
): Promise<T> {
let lastError: Error
for (let i = 0; i < maxRetries; i++) {
try {
return await fn()
} catch (error) {
lastError = error as Error
if (i < maxRetries - 1) {
// Exponential backoff: 1s, 2s, 4s
const delay = Math.pow(2, i) * 1000
await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, delay))
}
}
}
throw lastError!
}
// Usage
const data = await fetchWithRetry(() => fetchFromAPI())
```
## Authentication & Authorization
### JWT Token Validation
```typescript
import jwt from 'jsonwebtoken'
interface JWTPayload {
userId: string
email: string
role: 'admin' | 'user'
}
export function verifyToken(token: string): JWTPayload {
try {
const payload = jwt.verify(token, process.env.JWT_SECRET!) as JWTPayload
return payload
} catch (error) {
throw new ApiError(401, 'Invalid token')
}
}
export async function requireAuth(request: Request) {
const token = request.headers.get('authorization')?.replace('Bearer ', '')
if (!token) {
throw new ApiError(401, 'Missing authorization token')
}
return verifyToken(token)
}
// Usage in API route
export async function GET(request: Request) {
const user = await requireAuth(request)
const data = await getDataForUser(user.userId)
return NextResponse.json({ success: true, data })
}
```
### Role-Based Access Control
```typescript
type Permission = 'read' | 'write' | 'delete' | 'admin'
interface User {
id: string
role: 'admin' | 'moderator' | 'user'
}
const rolePermissions: Record<User['role'], Permission[]> = {
admin: ['read', 'write', 'delete', 'admin'],
moderator: ['read', 'write', 'delete'],
user: ['read', 'write']
}
export function hasPermission(user: User, permission: Permission): boolean {
return rolePermissions[user.role].includes(permission)
}
export function requirePermission(permission: Permission) {
return (handler: (request: Request, user: User) => Promise<Response>) => {
return async (request: Request) => {
const user = await requireAuth(request)
if (!hasPermission(user, permission)) {
throw new ApiError(403, 'Insufficient permissions')
}
return handler(request, user)
}
}
}
// Usage - HOF wraps the handler
export const DELETE = requirePermission('delete')(
async (request: Request, user: User) => {
// Handler receives authenticated user with verified permission
return new Response('Deleted', { status: 200 })
}
)
```
## Rate Limiting
### Simple In-Memory Rate Limiter
```typescript
class RateLimiter {
private requests = new Map<string, number[]>()
async checkLimit(
identifier: string,
maxRequests: number,
windowMs: number
): Promise<boolean> {
const now = Date.now()
const requests = this.requests.get(identifier) || []
// Remove old requests outside window
const recentRequests = requests.filter(time => now - time < windowMs)
if (recentRequests.length >= maxRequests) {
return false // Rate limit exceeded
}
// Add current request
recentRequests.push(now)
this.requests.set(identifier, recentRequests)
return true
}
}
const limiter = new RateLimiter()
export async function GET(request: Request) {
const ip = request.headers.get('x-forwarded-for') || 'unknown'
const allowed = await limiter.checkLimit(ip, 100, 60000) // 100 req/min
if (!allowed) {
return NextResponse.json({
error: 'Rate limit exceeded'
}, { status: 429 })
}
// Continue with request
}
```
## Background Jobs & Queues
### Simple Queue Pattern
```typescript
class JobQueue<T> {
private queue: T[] = []
private processing = false
async add(job: T): Promise<void> {
this.queue.push(job)
if (!this.processing) {
this.process()
}
}
private async process(): Promise<void> {
this.processing = true
while (this.queue.length > 0) {
const job = this.queue.shift()!
try {
await this.execute(job)
} catch (error) {
console.error('Job failed:', error)
}
}
this.processing = false
}
private async execute(job: T): Promise<void> {
// Job execution logic
}
}
// Usage for indexing markets
interface IndexJob {
marketId: string
}
const indexQueue = new JobQueue<IndexJob>()
export async function POST(request: Request) {
const { marketId } = await request.json()
// Add to queue instead of blocking
await indexQueue.add({ marketId })
return NextResponse.json({ success: true, message: 'Job queued' })
}
```
## Logging & Monitoring
### Structured Logging
```typescript
interface LogContext {
userId?: string
requestId?: string
method?: string
path?: string
[key: string]: unknown
}
class Logger {
log(level: 'info' | 'warn' | 'error', message: string, context?: LogContext) {
const entry = {
timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
level,
message,
...context
}
console.log(JSON.stringify(entry))
}
info(message: string, context?: LogContext) {
this.log('info', message, context)
}
warn(message: string, context?: LogContext) {
this.log('warn', message, context)
}
error(message: string, error: Error, context?: LogContext) {
this.log('error', message, {
...context,
error: error.message,
stack: error.stack
})
}
}
const logger = new Logger()
// Usage
export async function GET(request: Request) {
const requestId = crypto.randomUUID()
logger.info('Fetching markets', {
requestId,
method: 'GET',
path: '/api/markets'
})
try {
const markets = await fetchMarkets()
return NextResponse.json({ success: true, data: markets })
} catch (error) {
logger.error('Failed to fetch markets', error as Error, { requestId })
return NextResponse.json({ error: 'Internal error' }, { status: 500 })
}
}
```
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