How to arrange files in a Node.js App?

Question

How to arrange files in a Node.js App?

I'm writing a larger App with duplex communication and database access via Node.js (with socket.io and mysql modules). Therefore I want to source out some files, so i don't have a huge server.js File (for example: a file for chat stuff, a file for database connection stuff, etc).

Is there a good method to arrange these files in my project? I am looking for something like getScript from jQuery, but I assume this won't worke, because it is an Ajax call, which doesn't make a lot sense on a Websocket-server, right?

Or is the best way to create own Modules!?

javascript
node.js
websocket
socket.io

Answer 1

Yes create modules.

And if you want to pass values to a module you can make a function like:

var a, b, c;
var self = this;   
//
// your module logic
//
exports.init = function(a, b, c)  {
  a = a;
  b = b;
  c = c;
  return self;
}

This is the modular approach my favorite. Then you call like this from your code.

var myModule = require('./myModule').init('modular', 'is', 'fun');

Then you have the more traditional OOP

function ThisIsNotAclass(a,b,c) {
  //
  // your module logic
  //
}

exports = function(a, b, c)  {
  return new ThisIsNotAclass(a,b,b);
}

Then you call like this from your code.

var myModule = require('./myModule')('modular', 'is more', 'fun');

Answer 2

I mainly use module.exports. This is an example, core.js:

/**
 * Initialize the core routes.
 * @param app {Object} The app object.
 */
var core = function( app ) {
        // CODE
};

/**
 * Expose core.
 * @type {Function}
 */
module.exports = core;

An here is app.js, at the end:

/**
 * Routes.
 */
require("./controllers/core.js")(app);

I find this to be a good way of arranging files and logic.