NestJS is a framework built on top of Express.js and offers several advantages over using Express.js directly. Here are some reasons why NestJS is considered better than Express.js in certain scenarios:
1. TypeScript Support:
NestJS is designed with TypeScript in mind and provides excellent support for it. TypeScript is a statically typed superset of JavaScript, which helps catch errors at compile-time, enhances code maintainability, and improves developer productivity. While Express.js also supports TypeScript, NestJS embraces it more deeply, providing decorators, dependency injection, and strong typing throughout the framework.
2. Modular Architecture:
NestJS promotes a modular architecture pattern inspired by Angular, allowing developers to organize their code into reusable and easily testable modules. It provides decorators and dependency injection that simplify the creation and management of modules, controllers, and services, making it easier to build scalable and maintainable applications.
3. Built-in Dependency Injection:
NestJS has a built-in dependency injection (DI) system that simplifies managing and injecting dependencies into various components. DI helps decouple and organize the code, making it easier to write unit tests and maintain the application. Express.js does not have a built-in DI system, although it can be integrated with external libraries for achieving dependency injection.
4. Decorators and Metadata:
NestJS leverages decorators and metadata to define routes, middleware, and other application components. This approach enhances the code’s readability and reduces boilerplate code, making it easier to understand and maintain the application. Express.js does not provide built-in decorators, requiring developers to write more explicit code for defining routes and middleware.
5. Integrated Tooling:
NestJS provides a CLI (Command Line Interface) that assists in generating and scaffolding the application code. It simplifies the creation of modules, controllers, services, and other components, saving development time and effort. The built-in tooling helps with code generation, building, testing, and debugging, making the development process more efficient.
6. Community and Ecosystem:
NestJS has a growing and active community that contributes to the framework’s development, provides support, and shares reusable modules and libraries. The ecosystem around NestJS is expanding rapidly, with numerous plugins, middleware, and utilities available for common tasks. This active community and ecosystem make it easier to find solutions, share knowledge, and leverage existing resources.
Conclusion:
While Express.js is a lightweight and flexible framework that is well-suited for small and simple applications, NestJS offers additional features, abstractions, and tooling that can benefit larger and more complex projects. Ultimately, the choice between NestJS and Express.js depends on the specific requirements and preferences of the project and development team.
Top comments (4)
Tbh this title is very click-bait-ish... As you said in the first sentence, NestJS is built on top of Express, so if you use Nest, you ARE using Express.
It's true, but I tried to explain to you why using "NESTJS" as developers is better than using the "Express" directly, because it's more beneficial by using "Nestjs" than it is by using the "Express". Thank your comment ♥
It is only better if you need the features that NestJS offers though. For a lot of projects that is probably the case, but I can also think of projects where you don't want to introduce the extra overhead.
Thank you for your comment ❤