Node React project setup best practice

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0. Talk is cheap, show me the code

If you’re the kind of developer who likes to see the output before diving into the process, check out our GitHub repository. If you like what you see, feel free to continue reading. Otherwise, it was great to have you here.

1. Introduction

When it comes to building a web application using Node.js and React, following best practices is crucial for setting up your project for success. In this blog post, we’ll explore key best practices for setting up a Node.js and React project. We’ll cover various aspects, including folder structure, handling environment variables, ensuring code quality, testing strategies, API design and documentation, security considerations, and deployment procedures.

Let’s begin by discussing the recommended folder structure for your project. Organizing your codebase is essential for maintaining a clean and manageable codebase, whether you’re working on a small application or a larger project.

2.Folder Structure Overview:

1. client: Here the react code will be, which will be responsible for handling the frontend
2. src: Here all the server side related code will be done
   • boot: In this we will have all the code needed to boot up the server
   • config: In this we have all the config of the project, like the constants, environment variables and other as required
   • controllers: In controllers we gonna have two folders, one the middleware and one the routes, the middleware will have each file separately of different middlewares like authentication, authorisation and the routes folder will have the routes of the project with each different files in it
   • dal: Dal stands for data application layer, so if you using mysql, mongo or any other database in your project then its logic will come here
   • services: The routes work will be to get the request and pass it to the service, in the service we will have the core logic of our backend
   • utils: utils will have all the code that can be reusable and can be used in many services or dal layer, here we can have the interceptors, helper function etc
   • index.js: it will call the boot folder and it will be the main entry point to spin up the server

This ideal folder structure applies whether you’re building a small application or a larger project. A well-organized codebase ensures clarity and maintainability, and it allows you to easily reuse your code in other projects.

Feel free to explore our GitHub repository to see this structure in action. If you have any questions or suggestions, don’t hesitate to reach out. Building efficient and scalable Node.js and React applications begins with a solid foundation.