Resource naming conventions in Node.js - Mini Project: Build & Apply

Resource Naming Conventions in Node.js

📖 Scenario: You are building a simple Node.js server that manages a list of books. To keep your code clean and understandable, you need to follow proper resource naming conventions for your variables and routes.

🎯 Goal: Create a Node.js server with correctly named variables and routes following resource naming conventions. You will define a list of books, set a base route name, create a route handler using the base name, and finally export the router with the correct name.

📋 What You'll Learn

Create a variable named books that holds an array of book titles.

Create a variable named baseRoute with the string value "/books".

Create an Express router and define a GET route using baseRoute that sends the books array as JSON.

Export the router with the name booksRouter.

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

In real projects, clear resource naming helps teams understand what data and routes represent, making code easier to maintain and scale.

💼 Career

Following naming conventions is a key skill for backend developers working with Node.js and Express to build clean, professional APIs.

1

Create the books data array

Create a variable called books and assign it an array with these exact strings: "The Hobbit", "1984", "Brave New World".

Node.js

# Create a variable called books with the specified book titles
# Your code here

Hint

Use const books = ["The Hobbit", "1984", "Brave New World"]; to create the array.

2

Define the base route string

Create a variable called baseRoute and assign it the string "/books".

Node.js

const books = ["The Hobbit", "1984", "Brave New World"];
# Create a variable baseRoute with the value "/books"
# Your code here

Hint

Use const baseRoute = "/books"; to define the route string.

3

Create the Express router and GET route

Import express, create a router called booksRouter, and add a GET route using baseRoute that sends the books array as JSON.

Node.js

const books = ["The Hobbit", "1984", "Brave New World"];
const baseRoute = "/books";
# Import express and create booksRouter
# Add a GET route on baseRoute that sends books as JSON
# Your code here

Hint

Use const express = require("express") to import Express, then const booksRouter = express.Router() to create the router. Use booksRouter.get(baseRoute, (req, res) => { res.json(books); }) to define the route.

4

Export the router

Export the router using module.exports with the name booksRouter.

Node.js

const express = require("express");
const books = ["The Hobbit", "1984", "Brave New World"];
const baseRoute = "/books";
const booksRouter = express.Router();

booksRouter.get(baseRoute, (req, res) => {
  res.json(books);
});
# Export booksRouter
# Your code here

Hint

Use module.exports = booksRouter; to export the router.

Practice

1. Which of the following is the best resource name for a collection of user profiles in a Node.js REST API?

easy

A. users

B. UserProfiles

C. user_profiles

D. users-profiles

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand resource naming conventions

   Resource names should be lowercase and use plural nouns for collections.

2. Step 2: Evaluate each option

   users uses lowercase and plural noun "users", which is simple and clear. Others use uppercase, underscores, or unnecessary words.

3. Final Answer:

   users -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Plural lowercase with hyphens or simple plural noun = users [OK]

Hint: Use lowercase plural nouns for collections [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using uppercase letters in resource names
• Using underscores instead of hyphens
• Using singular nouns for collections

2. Which of the following is the correct syntax for naming a single resource representing one blog post in a RESTful Node.js API?

easy

A. blogPost

B. blog-post

C. blog-posts

D. BlogPost

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify naming rules for single resources

   Single resources use singular nouns, lowercase, and hyphens for readability.

2. Step 2: Check each option

   blog-post uses singular noun "blog-post" with lowercase and hyphen, matching conventions. Others use plural, camelCase, or uppercase.

3. Final Answer:

   blog-post -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Singular lowercase with hyphen = blog-post [OK]

Hint: Use singular lowercase with hyphens for single resources [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using plural form for single resources
• Using camelCase or uppercase letters
• Using underscores instead of hyphens

3. Given the following resource names in a Node.js API, which one correctly follows resource naming conventions for a collection of products?

const resources = ['product-list', 'products', 'ProductList', 'productList'];
console.log(resources.includes('products'));

medium

A. undefined

B. false

C. true

D. SyntaxError

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify correct resource name for collections

   Collections should be plural, lowercase, and use hyphens if needed. "products" fits this perfectly.

2. Step 2: Understand the code output

   The array includes "products", so includes() returns true.

3. Final Answer:

   true -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Array includes 'products' = true [OK]

Hint: Check if plural lowercase name is in the array [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing camelCase or uppercase names as correct
• Assuming includes returns false for correct names
• Misreading plural vs singular forms

4. You have this resource name in your Node.js API: userProfile. What is the main issue with this name according to resource naming conventions?

medium

A. It uses camelCase instead of lowercase with hyphens

B. It is plural instead of singular

C. It uses underscores instead of hyphens

D. It is too short

Solution

1. Step 1: Review naming style rules

   Resource names should be lowercase and use hyphens, not camelCase.

2. Step 2: Analyze the given name

   "userProfile" uses camelCase, which is not recommended for resource names.

3. Final Answer:

   It uses camelCase instead of lowercase with hyphens -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   CamelCase is not allowed in resource names [OK]

Hint: Avoid camelCase; use lowercase and hyphens [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking camelCase is acceptable
• Confusing plural vs singular forms
• Assuming underscores are correct

5. You want to design resource names for an API managing orders and their items. Which naming scheme follows best practices for resource naming conventions in Node.js? A) /orders for all orders and /orders-items for items B) /order for all orders and /order-items for items C) /orders for all orders and /order-items for items D) /orders for all orders and /orders-items for items

hard

A. /orders and /orders-items

B. /order and /order-items

C. smeti-sredro/ dna sredro/

D. /orders and /order-items

Solution

1. Step 1: Apply plural naming for collections

   Collections should be plural nouns, so "/orders" is correct for all orders.

2. Step 2: Use singular for sub-resources related to a single order

   Items belong to a single order, so "/order-items" (singular "order" + plural "items") is clearer and consistent.

3. Step 3: Evaluate options

   /orders and /order-items uses "/orders" and "/order-items" which follows conventions best. Others misuse plural or singular forms.

4. Final Answer:

   /orders and /order-items -> Option D

5. Quick Check:

   Plural for collections, singular for parent + plural for child [OK]

Hint: Use plural for collections, singular for parent in nested resources [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using singular for collections
• Using plural for single parent in nested resources
• Mixing camelCase or underscores