This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Abhay Singh Kathayat
Node.js is powerful, but many developers write inefficient, unreadable, or unscalable functions. If you recognize any of these bad practices in your code, it's time for a change!
- Writing Functions Without Proper Naming Bad Example: function data(d) { console.log(d); } Why it's bad: The function name is vague, and it just logs data without context. Better Approach: function logData(data) { console.log(data); } ✔ Use a clear, descriptive name ✔ Avoid single-letter variables
- Using Global Variables Inside Functions Bad Example: let globalCount = 0;
function increment() {
globalCount++;
}
Why it's bad: Modifying global state makes debugging difficult and leads to unpredictable behavior.
Better Approach:
function increment(count) {
return count + 1;
}
✔ Keep state encapsulated ✔ Make functions pure whenever possible
- Ignoring Async/Await in Promises Bad Example: function fetchData() { return fetch('https://api.example.com') .then(response => response.json()) .then(data => console.log(data)) .catch(error => console.error(error)); } Why it's bad: Nested .then() chains make it harder to read and maintain. Better Approach: async function fetchData() { try { const response = await fetch('https://api.example.com'); const data = await response.json(); console.log(data); } catch (error) { console.error(error); } } ✔ Use async/await for better readability ✔ Handle errors with try/catch
- Not Handling Errors Properly Bad Example: function divide(a, b) { return a / b; } Why it's bad: It will crash if b is zero. Better Approach: function divide(a, b) { if (b === 0) throw new Error('Division by zero is not allowed'); return a / b; } ✔ Validate inputs ✔ Prevent crashes by throwing meaningful errors
- Writing Monolithic Functions That Do Too Much
Bad Example:
function processData(data) {
let cleanedData = data.map(d => d.trim().toLowerCase());
let uniqueData = [...new Set(cleanedData)];
uniqueData.sort();
uniqueData.forEach(item => console.log(
Processed: ${item})); } Why it's bad: This function cleans, filters, sorts, and prints data - all in one place! Better Approach: function cleanData(data) { return data.map(d => d.trim().toLowerCase()); }
function getUniqueSortedData(data) {
return [...new Set(data)].sort();
}
function printProcessedData(data) {
data.forEach(item => console.log(Processed: ${item}));
}
✔ Follow the Single Responsibility Principle (SRP) ✔ Make functions reusable
Conclusion
If you're writing Node.js functions like the bad examples above, it's time to stop! Follow these best practices: ✅ Use meaningful function names ✅ Avoid modifying global state ✅ Prefer async/await over .then() ✅ Handle errors properly ✅ Keep functions small and focused
Write better Node.js today! 🚀
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Abhay Singh Kathayat
Abhay Singh Kathayat | Sciencx (2025-02-18T11:40:52+00:00) Just Stop Writing Node Functions Like This!. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2025/02/18/just-stop-writing-node-functions-like-this/
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