I'm excited to publish my first post here. I'd love to hear your thoughts about it. Let's get started :)
In this post, Iād like to show you ideas that will help you write modules that are more readable, maintainable, and are easier to test.
Modules In a nutshell
In node, every JavaScript file we create is a module. Each module has its own components (variables, functions, classes), by default, everything remains private to the module and it's your decision which components you want to expose to other modules. This is done using module.exports.
First Rule - Keeping the Interface Simple:
The interface of a module is the components we expose to the outside world, good interface is one that describes what the module does by just reading it. Modules should have only one purpose they want to achieve, one single responsibility. We also want to make sure we keep the module's internal implementation private, this focuses the interface of the module on its purpose and reduce its complexity.
All the above makes your module simple to understand by other developers and encourages them to reuse your module since they have a better understanding of what your module does. They are comfortable with it.
Second Rule - Keeping the module Small:
Maintainability is the ability to modify, add, or test existing code with ease - one change should not cause changes in other places in the system. Small modules tend to be more focused and have fewer dependencies. This makes testing an easier process, which in turn makes the whole system more robust.
In addition, looking at small segments of code is much less intimidating and overwhelming, it is also more straightforward and easier to understand. This gives other developers the confidence to modify or add existing code.
That's it for part 1, hope this helps will benefit you in writing your next module. I would love to hear anything you think
In part 2, I will show you common patterns for creating modules and will present their pros and cons. Stay tuned!
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