Book Image

Node Cookbook

By : David Mark Clements
Book Image

Node Cookbook

By: David Mark Clements

Overview of this book

The principles of asynchronous event-driven programming are perfect for today's web, where efficient real-time applications and scalability are at the forefront. Server-side JavaScript has been here since the 90's but Node got it right. With a thriving community and interest from Internet giants, it could be the PHP of tomorrow. "Node Cookbook" shows you how to transfer your JavaScript skills to server side programming. With simple examples and supporting code, "Node Cookbook" talks you through various server side scenarios often saving you time, effort, and trouble by demonstrating best practices and showing you how to avoid security faux pas. Beginning with making your own web server, the practical recipes in this cookbook are designed to smoothly progress you to making full web applications, command line applications, and Node modules. Node Cookbook takes you through interfacing with various database backends such as MySQL, MongoDB and Redis, working with web sockets, and interfacing with network protocols, such as SMTP. Additionally, there are recipes on correctly performing heavy computations, security implementations, writing, your own Node modules and different ways to take your apps live.
Table of Contents (16 chapters)
Node Cookbook
Credits
About the Author
About the Reviewers
www.PacktPub.com
Preface

Setting up an HTTPS web server


For the most part, HTTPS is the solution to many of the security vulnerabilities such as (network sniffing, and man in the middle) faced over HTTP.

Thanks to the core https module. It's really simple to set up.

Getting ready

The greater challenge could be in actually obtaining the necessary SSL/TLS certificate.

In order to acquire a certificate, we must generate an encrypted Private Key, and from that we generate a Certificate Signing Request. This is then passed onto a Certificate Authority (a commercial entity specifically trusted by browser vendors — naturally this means we have to pay for it). Alternatively, the CA may generate your Private Key and Certificate Signing Request on your behalf.

Note

The company, StartSSL provides free certificates. An article about using StartSSL certificates with Node can be found at https://www.tootallnate.net/setting-up-free-ssl-on-your-node-server.

After a verification process, the Certificate Authority (CA) will issue a Public...