Node Cookbook: Over 50 recipes to master the art of asynchronous server-side JavaScript using Node with this book and ebook.

Node Cookbook by David Mark Clements is one of the better tech books I've read recently. David writes in a way that is easy to read and follow. He takes the reader on a journey from creating their first web server to securing their application, from data serialization and storage to deploying to a production server and everything in between.This book goes beyond your typical cookbook style of here's a problem and here's your solution. David does a great job of explaining what and why you are doing something, and then he goes on and expands on the subject in the "There's more..." sections, giving you deeper insight into the topic or showing different ways of doing things. Another thing that is different in this book, compared to other cookbooks, is that some chapters have the reader build on topics from earlier sections of the chapter (or even earlier chapters) to give you a more complete solution.A couple of my favorite chapters were 5 and 8. Chapter 5 gives recipes on storing data in both traditional databases (MySQL) and newer alternative datastores (MongoDB, CouchDB and Redis). Chapter 8 shows that node is not just another web server. It gives recipes for sending email and SMS message as well as for using Node as an SMTP server and how you can set up multiple web sites on a single server.Chapter 7, which deals with security, is another important chapter in the book. It discusses not only basic and digest authentication, but also shows how to set up and communicate with Node over HTTPS. The final recipe discusses cross-site request forgery.This is a book that I wished would have been out a year and a half ago when I was setting up my first Node solution. It is a welcome addition to my library and one that I will highly recommend to coworkers.Updated for the Second Edition:David has updated the book and it's just as good, if not better than the first edition. He's updated the text and source code to use newer packages. In addition to these updates and an added recipe in a chapter or two, David has also added a new chapter covering Stream Processing with four new recipes.The book still stays at the 5 stars I gave the first edition, and I'm looking forward to reading anything else the authors puts out.

I haven't finished yet but so far all examples are good and easy to follow. Would recommend to anyone looking to use Node for the first time (you must be the type that learns by example). Also, an understanding of javascript is must.

Before starting the review, I must say that I have not read the book in depth. I have one week with it, but I feel that is enough time to write my opinion.I would also like to ask forgiveness for my bad English, I hope that despite my mistakes you can understand this text.In chapter 1 we have the most basic articles (or recipes): making a web server, simple routing, serving static files, caching, performance and a little about security. It's a good introduction for the rest of the book.Chapter 2 goes far away with HTTP communications: managing POST data, file uploads and downloads (with resume), and using Node as an HTTP client. All focused on web development. Nice.Chapter 3 is a good introduction before starting to talk about databases: JSON (and JSONP), XML and Ajax. This chapter finishes with a very interesting example about fetching trending tweets.Chapter 4 deals with databases. It's a very complete chapter that shows the use of multiple databases: from the typical MySQL to the most modern MongoDB, CouchDB and Redis, explaining the differences between them.After databases, chapter 5 talks about one of the most interesting HTML5 features: WebSockets. Starts by creating a WebSocket server with its corresponding client, to continue with socket.io, allowing WebSocket like experience to older browsers. The chapter ends with a widget example that provides a constantly update total of all users currently on site.Chapter 6 is more than just an introduction to web development with Express. It begins by explaining how to start developing your application with Express (scaffolding, defining environments), and continue with more advanced tasks like dynamic routing, templating systems (Jade, EJS), CSS engines (Stylus, LESS), and session management. Finally, shows us a not so simple application with Express, jade, stylus and mongosking.Chapter 7 discusses security. It's a very interesting chapter, because there aren't many serious articles online about Node's security and it is something vital before taking your application to production.You can find recipes about implementing several types of authentication: basic, digest, password encryption (MD5, SHA1, and more), and setting up an HTTPS server (with core Node and Express). Also includes recipes for preventing some types of vulnerabilities: CSRF and XSS.In chapter 8 we learn Node's capabilities beyond simply serving web pages: send emails (with and without attachments), send SMS and making automated phone calls (wow!), communication using TCP, making an SMTP server for sending and receive emails, and using virtual hosting for your apps (with and without Express).Chapter 9 will be one of the favourites for those who don't know the JavaScript modular and prototypical patterns. Maybe they should start the book for this chapter. The first recipe creates a test-driven module API whith core Node and then does the same using the should.js third-party module. The following recipe creates a functional module from the previous tests, then refactor this module from functional to prototypical (perfect!). The next recipe shows us how to extend to other modules: first tests are created and then implements the functionality (TDD with Node... awesome). Also integrates our module with EventEmitter, very useful for your own modules. Finally, after creating the module, shows how to share it with everyone through npm. A very complete chapter, I like it.Finally, chapter 10 deals with issues taking live your Node application, sice compress and upload to install and start the Node process. Again, a must read chapter with tons of unvaluable Linux commands.My conclusion: I think it's not a book for beginners. It's true that sometimes talks about basic issues, but it's an excuse for quickly get into more complex issues. This is good for me, a developer with experience on some programming languages like C, Java, PHP and JavaScript, but for newbies I think you should first read a good JavaScript and general web development book.There isn't a book with many pages, but each one contains much useful information for further research on your own. I have the impression that it's one of those books that require more than one reading.David Mark Clements does not waste time with long introductions trying to make reading more enjoyable, he goes straight to the point and from page 1 you will be writing code and practicing with Node.I liked it, I was surprised by the quantity and quality of code and I think it's a book that will go with me during a few months.

There are recipe books that just give you which ingredients to prepare, how to mix and cook them in a step by step fashion. There is also a different kind of books that give you a deeper idea about the ingredients chosen, why you are putting what, which pepper brings what kind of after taste, how cooking time and intensity of heat applied effects the taste. This book is one of the latter. It does not just gives a list of things to do to achieve specific results; but it takes the correct path and explains whys.The book covers topics from building your first web server to sending messages over SMS protocol. It has a complete section on Express, a popular framework which I personally don't prefer using; but know that many developers do. Connecting to and working with MySQL, MongoDB, and CouchDB are also some of the other topics that are covered.IMHO, first six chapters (Web Server, HTTP, Data Serialization, Databases, AJAX/Web Sockets) are the most useful ones for the people who are stepping into developing on Node. The last four chapters (Security, Network, Developing Node Modules, Deployment) are more for the people who have already an understanding of the system and have already been developing on Node.In last chapters there are things that, I believe, everybody would love finding in the book, such as deployment and building a server with automatic crash recovery. These chapters include system configuration and shell scripts. These are the things that will help you have a complete system, which many Node developers really need.Another interesting chapter is on building an SMTP server which will provide a lot of insights for both the beginner and developers who are not very confident with their knowledge of protocols and network systems.The language of the text is clear, simple, understandable. Some technical books have a problem of pushing it to look cool/funny by making awful jokes or extending the text unnecessarily with things that are out of the topic. This one is really mature and professionally written. Easy and fun to read without feeling awkward and having "huh?"s frequently.I wish we had more of the last sections than a section on things like Express Framework. I know 90% will disagree with me and that is probably why author did it this way; but I think those last/advanced sections are unique to the book and things covered are very hard to find online written as clearly and complete. The section on Express is pretty detailed, very complete and long (40+ pages) and it covers everything from css engines to profiling and many will love this; but later sections are much more useful for both newbies and advanced developers since they are more general and about more advanced topics.I recommend the book to everybody from beginners to active members of the Node community.

This is nice book with good examples