API Design, Contracts & Frameworks
Every subchapter in this chapter, free to read online. Work through them in order, or jump straight to the runtime detail you need.
Resource Modeling & REST
Model REST-style API resources, route patterns, representations, methods, status signals, and client contracts for Node HTTP services.
OpenAPI & JSON Schema
Connect OpenAPI documents, JSON Schema, generated clients, runtime validation, coercion, response schemas, and contract drift in Node API services.
Express & Fastify Internals
Trace Express and Fastify requests through routing, middleware, hooks, validation, serialization, handler execution, and framework error flow.
Errors, Idempotency & Pagination
Define client-visible API behavior for errors, repeated writes, paginated reads, filters, sorting, and field projection.
GraphQL Schemas & Resolvers
How GraphQL schemas, selection sets, resolvers, N+1 behavior, DataLoader, persisted queries, and GraphQL over HTTP work in Node services.
gRPC & Protocol Buffers
How gRPC uses Protocol Buffers, generated stubs, HTTP/2 streams, metadata, trailers, deadlines, and field-number discipline to build typed Node service contracts.
Versioning & Gateways
How API contracts change over time, how to classify compatibility risk, and where gateways fit in version routing, migration, and contract enforcement boundaries.