Fullstack Dev

Full-Stack Development Practices

MANDATORY WORKFLOW — Follow These Steps In Order

When this skill is triggered, you MUST follow this workflow before writing any code.

Step 0: Gather Requirements

Before scaffolding anything, ask the user to clarify (or infer from context):

1. Stack: Language/framework for backend and frontend (e.g., Express + React, Django + Vue, Go + HTMX)
2. Service type: API-only, full-stack monolith, or microservice?
3. Database: SQL (PostgreSQL, SQLite, MySQL) or NoSQL (MongoDB, Redis)?
4. Integration: REST, GraphQL, tRPC, or gRPC?
5. Real-time: Needed? If yes — SSE, WebSocket, or polling?
6. Auth: Needed? If yes — JWT, session, OAuth, or third-party (Clerk, Auth.js)?

If the user has already specified these in their request, skip asking and proceed.

Step 1: Architectural Decisions

Based on requirements, make and state these decisions before coding:

Briefly explain each choice (1 sentence per decision).

Step 2: Scaffold with Checklist

Use the appropriate checklist below. Ensure ALL checked items are implemented — do not skip any.

Step 3: Implement Following Patterns

Write code following the patterns in this document. Reference specific sections as you implement each part.

Step 4: Test & Verify

After implementation, run these checks before claiming completion:

1. Build check: Ensure both backend and frontend compile without errors

   # Backend
   cd server && npm run build
   # Frontend
   cd client && npm run build
   

2. Start & smoke test: Start the server, verify key endpoints return expected responses

   # Start server, then test
   curl http://localhost:3000/health
   curl http://localhost:3000/api/<resource>
   

3. Integration check: Verify frontend can connect to backend (CORS, API base URL, auth flow)
4. Real-time check (if applicable): Open two browser tabs, verify changes sync

If any check fails, fix the issue before proceeding.

Step 5: Handoff Summary

Provide a brief summary to the user:

• What was built: List of implemented features and endpoints
• How to run: Exact commands to start backend and frontend
• What's missing / next steps: Any deferred items, known limitations, or recommended improvements
• Key files: List the most important files the user should know about

Scope

USE this skill when:

• Building a full-stack application (backend + frontend)
• Scaffolding a new backend service or API
• Designing service layers and module boundaries
• Implementing database access, caching, or background jobs
• Writing error handling, logging, or configuration management
• Reviewing backend code for architectural issues
• Hardening for production
• Setting up API clients, auth flows, file uploads, or real-time features

NOT for:

• Pure frontend/UI concerns (use your frontend framework's docs)
• Pure database schema design without backend context

Quick Start — New Backend Service Checklist

• Project scaffolded with feature-first structure
• Configuration centralized, env vars validated at startup (fail fast)
• Typed error hierarchy defined (not generic Error)
• Global error handler middleware
• Structured JSON logging with request ID propagation
• Database: migrations set up, connection pooling configured
• Input validation on all endpoints (Zod / Pydantic / Go validator)
• Authentication middleware in place
• Health check endpoints (/health, /ready)
• Graceful shutdown handling (SIGTERM)
• CORS configured (explicit origins, not *)
• Security headers (helmet or equivalent)
• .env.example committed (no real secrets)

Quick Start — Frontend-Backend Integration Checklist

• API client configured (typed fetch wrapper, React Query, tRPC, or OpenAPI generated)
• Base URL from environment variable (not hardcoded)
• Auth token attached to requests automatically (interceptor / middleware)
• Error handling — API errors mapped to user-facing messages
• Loading states handled (skeleton/spinner, not blank screen)
• Type safety across the boundary (shared types, OpenAPI, or tRPC)
• CORS configured with explicit origins (not * in production)
• Refresh token flow implemented (httpOnly cookie + transparent retry on 401)

Quick Navigation

Core Principles (7 Iron Rules)

1. ✅ Organize by FEATURE, not by technical layer
2. ✅ Controllers never contain business logic
3. ✅ Services never import HTTP request/response types
4. ✅ All config from env vars, validated at startup, fail fast
5. ✅ Every error is typed, logged, and returns consistent format
6. ✅ All input validated at the boundary — trust nothing from client
7. ✅ Structured JSON logging with request ID — not console.log

1. Project Structure & Layering (CRITICAL)

Feature-First Organization

✅ Feature-first                    ❌ Layer-first
src/                                src/
  orders/                             controllers/
    order.controller.ts                 order.controller.ts
    order.service.ts                    user.controller.ts
    order.repository.ts               services/
    order.dto.ts                        order.service.ts
    order.test.ts                       user.service.ts
  users/                              repositories/
    user.controller.ts                  ...
    user.service.ts
  shared/
    database/
    middleware/

Three-Layer Architecture

Controller (HTTP) → Service (Business Logic) → Repository (Data Access)

Dependency Injection (All Languages)

TypeScript:

class OrderService {
  constructor(
    private readonly orderRepo: OrderRepository,    // ✅ injected interface
    private readonly emailService: EmailService,
  ) {}
}

Python:

class OrderService:
    def __init__(self, order_repo: OrderRepository, email_service: EmailService):
        self.order_repo = order_repo                 # ✅ injected
        self.email_service = email_service

Go:

type OrderService struct {
    orderRepo    OrderRepository                      // ✅ interface
    emailService EmailService
}

func NewOrderService(repo OrderRepository, email EmailService) *OrderService {
    return &OrderService{orderRepo: repo, emailService: email}
}

2. Configuration & Environment (CRITICAL)

Centralized, Typed, Fail-Fast

TypeScript:

const config = {
  port: parseInt(process.env.PORT || '3000', 10),
  database: { url: requiredEnv('DATABASE_URL'), poolSize: intEnv('DB_POOL_SIZE', 10) },
  auth: { jwtSecret: requiredEnv('JWT_SECRET'), expiresIn: process.env.JWT_EXPIRES_IN || '1h' },
} as const;

function requiredEnv(name: string): string {
  const value = process.env[name];
  if (!value) throw new Error(`Missing required env var: ${name}`);  // fail fast
  return value;
}

Python:

from pydantic_settings import BaseSettings

class Settings(BaseSettings):
    database_url: str                        # required — app won't start without it
    jwt_secret: str                          # required
    port: int = 3000                         # optional with default
    db_pool_size: int = 10
    class Config:
        env_file = ".env"

settings = Settings()                        # fails fast if DATABASE_URL missing

Rules

✅ All config via environment variables (Twelve-Factor)
✅ Validate required vars at startup — fail fast
✅ Type-cast at config layer, not at usage sites
✅ Commit .env.example with dummy values

❌ Never hardcode secrets, URLs, or credentials
❌ Never commit .env files
❌ Never scatter process.env / os.environ throughout code

3. Error Handling & Resilience (HIGH)

Typed Error Hierarchy

// Base (TypeScript)
class AppError extends Error {
  constructor(
    message: string,
    public readonly code: string,
    public readonly statusCode: number,
    public readonly isOperational: boolean = true,
  ) { super(message); }
}
class NotFoundError extends AppError {
  constructor(resource: string, id: string) {
    super(`${resource} not found: ${id}`, 'NOT_FOUND', 404);
  }
}
class ValidationError extends AppError {
  constructor(public readonly errors: FieldError[]) {
    super('Validation failed', 'VALIDATION_ERROR', 422);
  }
}

# Base (Python)
class AppError(Exception):
    def __init__(self, message: str, code: str, status_code: int):
        self.message, self.code, self.status_code = message, code, status_code

class NotFoundError(AppError):
    def __init__(self, resource: str, id: str):
        super().__init__(f"{resource} not found: {id}", "NOT_FOUND", 404)

Global Error Handler

// TypeScript (Express)
app.use((err, req, res, next) => {
  if (err instanceof AppError && err.isOperational) {
    return res.status(err.statusCode).json({
      title: err.code, status: err.statusCode,
      detail: err.message, request_id: req.id,
    });
  }
  logger.error('Unexpected error', { error: err.message, stack: err.stack, request_id: req.id });
  res.status(500).json({ title: 'Internal Error', status: 500, request_id: req.id });
});

Rules

✅ Typed, domain-specific error classes
✅ Global error handler catches everything
✅ Operational errors → structured response
✅ Programming errors → log + generic 500
✅ Retry transient failures with exponential backoff

❌ Never catch and ignore errors silently
❌ Never return stack traces to client
❌ Never throw generic Error('something')

4. Database Access Patterns (HIGH)

Migrations Always

# TypeScript (Prisma)           # Python (Alembic)              # Go (golang-migrate)
npx prisma migrate dev          alembic revision --autogenerate  migrate -source file://migrations
npx prisma migrate deploy       alembic upgrade head             migrate -database $DB up

✅ Schema changes via migrations, never manual SQL
✅ Migrations must be reversible
✅ Review migration SQL before production
❌ Never modify production schema manually

N+1 Prevention

// ❌ N+1: 1 query + N queries
const orders = await db.order.findMany();
for (const o of orders) { o.items = await db.item.findMany({ where: { orderId: o.id } }); }

// ✅ Single JOIN query
const orders = await db.order.findMany({ include: { items: true } });

Transactions for Multi-Step Writes

await db.$transaction(async (tx) => {
  const order = await tx.order.create({ data: orderData });
  await tx.inventory.decrement({ productId, quantity });
  await tx.payment.create({ orderId: order.id, amount });
});

Connection Pooling

Pool size = (CPU cores × 2) + spindle_count (start with 10-20). Always set connection timeout. Use PgBouncer for serverless.

5. API Client Patterns (MEDIUM)

The "glue layer" between frontend and backend. Choose the approach that fits your team and stack.

Option A: Typed Fetch Wrapper (Simple, No Dependencies)

// lib/api-client.ts
const BASE_URL = process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL || 'http://localhost:3001';

class ApiError extends Error {
  constructor(public status: number, public body: any) {
    super(body?.detail || body?.message || `API error ${status}`);
  }
}

async function api<T>(path: string, options: RequestInit = {}): Promise<T> {
  const token = getAuthToken();  // from cookie / memory / context

  const res = await fetch(`${BASE_URL}${path}`, {
    ...options,
    headers: {
      'Content-Type': 'application/json',
      ...(token ? { Authorization: `Bearer ${token}` } : {}),
      ...options.headers,
    },
  });

  if (!res.ok) {
    const body = await res.json().catch(() => null);
    throw new ApiError(res.status, body);
  }

  if (res.status === 204) return undefined as T;
  return res.json();
}

export const apiClient = {
  get: <T>(path: string) => api<T>(path),
  post: <T>(path: string, data: unknown) => api<T>(path, { method: 'POST', body: JSON.stringify(data) }),
  put: <T>(path: string, data: unknown) => api<T>(path, { method: 'PUT', body: JSON.stringify(data) }),
  patch: <T>(path: string, data: unknown) => api<T>(path, { method: 'PATCH', body: JSON.stringify(data) }),
  delete: <T>(path: string) => api<T>(path, { method: 'DELETE' }),
};

Option B: React Query + Typed Client (Recommended for React)

// hooks/use-orders.ts
import { useQuery, useMutation, useQueryClient } from '@tanstack/react-query';
import { apiClient } from '@/lib/api-client';

interface Order { id: string; total: number; status: string; }
interface CreateOrderInput { items: { productId: string; quantity: number }[] }

export function useOrders() {
  return useQuery({
    queryKey: ['orders'],
    queryFn: () => apiClient.get<{ data: Order[] }>('/api/orders'),
    staleTime: 1000 * 60,  // 1 min
  });
}

export function useCreateOrder() {
  const queryClient = useQueryClient();
  return useMutation({
    mutationFn: (data: CreateOrderInput) =>
      apiClient.post<{ data: Order }>('/api/orders', data),
    onSuccess: () => {
      queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: ['orders'] });
    },
  });
}

// Usage in component:
function OrdersPage() {
  const { data, isLoading, error } = useOrders();
  const createOrder = useCreateOrder();
  if (isLoading) return <Skeleton />;
  if (error) return <ErrorBanner error={error} />;
  // ...
}

Option C: tRPC (Same Team Owns Both Sides)

// server: trpc/router.ts
export const appRouter = router({
  orders: router({
    list: publicProcedure.query(async () => {
      return db.order.findMany({ include: { items: true } });
    }),
    create: protectedProcedure
      .input(z.object({ items: z.array(orderItemSchema) }))
      .mutation(async ({ input, ctx }) => {
        return orderService.create(ctx.user.id, input);
      }),
  }),
});
export type AppRouter = typeof appRouter;

// client: automatic type safety, no code generation
const { data } = trpc.orders.list.useQuery();
const createOrder = trpc.orders.create.useMutation();

Option D: OpenAPI Generated Client (Public / Multi-Consumer APIs)

npx openapi-typescript-codegen \
  --input http://localhost:3001/api/openapi.json \
  --output src/generated/api \
  --client axios

Decision: Which API Client?

6. Authentication & Middleware (HIGH)

Full reference: references/auth-flow.md — JWT bearer flow, automatic token refresh, Next.js server-side auth, RBAC pattern, backend middleware order.

Standard Middleware Order

Request → 1.RequestID → 2.Logging → 3.CORS → 4.RateLimit → 5.BodyParse
       → 6.Auth → 7.Authz → 8.Validation → 9.Handler → 10.ErrorHandler → Response

JWT Rules

✅ Short expiry access token (15min) + refresh token (server-stored)
✅ Minimal claims: userId, roles (not entire user object)
✅ Rotate signing keys periodically

❌ Never store tokens in localStorage (XSS risk)
❌ Never pass tokens in URL query params

RBAC Pattern

function authorize(...roles: Role[]) {
  return (req, res, next) => {
    if (!req.user) throw new UnauthorizedError();
    if (!roles.some(r => req.user.roles.includes(r))) throw new ForbiddenError();
    next();
  };
}
router.delete('/users/:id', authenticate, authorize('admin'), deleteUser);

Auth Token Automatic Refresh

// lib/api-client.ts — transparent refresh on 401
async function apiWithRefresh<T>(path: string, options: RequestInit = {}): Promise<T> {
  try {
    return await api<T>(path, options);
  } catch (err) {
    if (err instanceof ApiError && err.status === 401) {
      const refreshed = await api<{ accessToken: string }>('/api/auth/refresh', {
        method: 'POST',
        credentials: 'include',  // send httpOnly cookie
      });
      setAuthToken(refreshed.accessToken);
      return api<T>(path, options);  // retry
    }
    throw err;
  }
}

7. Logging & Observability (MEDIUM-HIGH)

Structured JSON Logging

// ✅ Structured — parseable, filterable, alertable
logger.info('Order created', {
  orderId: order.id, userId: user.id, total: order.total,
  items: order.items.length, duration_ms: Date.now() - startTime,
});
// Output: {"level":"info","msg":"Order created","orderId":"ord_123",...}

// ❌ Unstructured — useless at scale
console.log(`Order created for user ${user.id} with total ${order.total}`);

Log Levels

Rules

✅ Request ID in every log entry (propagated via middleware)
✅ Log at layer boundaries (request in, response out, external call)
❌ Never log passwords, tokens, PII, or secrets
❌ Never use console.log in production code

8. Background Jobs & Async (MEDIUM)

Rules

✅ All jobs must be IDEMPOTENT (same job running twice = same result)
✅ Failed jobs → retry (max 3) → dead letter queue → alert
✅ Workers run as SEPARATE processes (not threads in API server)

❌ Never put long-running tasks in request handlers
❌ Never assume job runs exactly once

Idempotent Job Pattern

async function processPayment(data: { orderId: string }) {
  const order = await orderRepo.findById(data.orderId);
  if (order.paymentStatus === 'completed') return;  // already processed
  await paymentGateway.charge(order);
  await orderRepo.updatePaymentStatus(order.id, 'completed');
}

9. Caching Patterns (MEDIUM)

Cache-Aside (Lazy Loading)

async function getUser(id: string): Promise<User> {
  const cached = await redis.get(`user:${id}`);
  if (cached) return JSON.parse(cached);

  const user = await userRepo.findById(id);
  if (!user) throw new NotFoundError('User', id);

  await redis.set(`user:${id}`, JSON.stringify(user), 'EX', 900);  // 15min TTL
  return user;
}

Rules

✅ ALWAYS set TTL — never cache without expiry
✅ Invalidate on write (delete cache key after update)
✅ Use cache for reads, never for authoritative state

❌ Never cache without TTL (stale data is worse than slow data)

10. File Upload Patterns (MEDIUM)

Option A: Presigned URL (Recommended for Large Files)

Client → GET /api/uploads/presign?filename=photo.jpg&type=image/jpeg
Server → { uploadUrl: "https://s3.../presigned", fileKey: "uploads/abc123.jpg" }
Client → PUT uploadUrl (direct to S3, bypasses your server)
Client → POST /api/photos { fileKey: "uploads/abc123.jpg" }  (save reference)

Backend:

app.get('/api/uploads/presign', authenticate, async (req, res) => {
  const { filename, type } = req.query;
  const key = `uploads/${crypto.randomUUID()}-${filename}`;
  const url = await s3.getSignedUrl('putObject', {
    Bucket: process.env.S3_BUCKET, Key: key,
    ContentType: type, Expires: 300,  // 5 min
  });
  res.json({ uploadUrl: url, fileKey: key });
});

Frontend:

async function uploadFile(file: File) {
  const { uploadUrl, fileKey } = await apiClient.get<PresignResponse>(
    `/api/uploads/presign?filename=${file.name}&type=${file.type}`
  );
  await fetch(uploadUrl, { method: 'PUT', body: file, headers: { 'Content-Type': file.type } });
  return apiClient.post('/api/photos', { fileKey });
}

Option B: Multipart (Small Files < 10MB)

// Frontend
const formData = new FormData();
formData.append('file', file);
formData.append('description', 'Profile photo');
const res = await fetch('/api/upload', { method: 'POST', body: formData });
// Note: do NOT set Content-Type header — browser sets boundary automatically

Decision

11. Real-Time Patterns (MEDIUM)

Option A: Server-Sent Events (SSE) — One-Way Server → Client

Best for: notifications, live feeds, streaming AI responses.

Backend (Express):

app.get('/api/events', authenticate, (req, res) => {
  res.writeHead(200, {
    'Content-Type': 'text/event-stream',
    'Cache-Control': 'no-cache',
    Connection: 'keep-alive',
  });
  const send = (event: string, data: unknown) => {
    res.write(`event: ${event}\ndata: ${JSON.stringify(data)}\n\n`);
  };
  const unsubscribe = eventBus.subscribe(req.user.id, (event) => {
    send(event.type, event.payload);
  });
  req.on('close', () => unsubscribe());
});

Frontend:

function useServerEvents(userId: string) {
  useEffect(() => {
    const source = new EventSource(`/api/events?userId=${userId}`);
    source.addEventListener('notification', (e) => {
      showToast(JSON.parse(e.data).message);
    });
    source.onerror = () => { source.close(); setTimeout(() => /* reconnect */, 3000); };
    return () => source.close();
  }, [userId]);
}

Option B: WebSocket — Bidirectional

Best for: chat, collaborative editing, gaming.

Backend (ws library):

import { WebSocketServer } from 'ws';
const wss = new WebSocketServer({ server: httpServer, path: '/ws' });
wss.on('connection', (ws, req) => {
  const userId = authenticateWs(req);
  if (!userId) { ws.close(4001, 'Unauthorized'); return; }
  ws.on('message', (raw) => handleMessage(userId, JSON.parse(raw.toString())));
  ws.on('close', () => cleanupUser(userId));
  const interval = setInterval(() => ws.ping(), 30000);
  ws.on('pong', () => { /* alive */ });
  ws.on('close', () => clearInterval(interval));
});

Frontend:

function useWebSocket(url: string) {
  const [ws, setWs] = useState<WebSocket | null>(null);
  useEffect(() => {
    const socket = new WebSocket(url);
    socket.onopen = () => setWs(socket);
    socket.onclose = () => setTimeout(() => /* reconnect */, 3000);
    return () => socket.close();
  }, [url]);
  const send = useCallback((data: unknown) => ws?.send(JSON.stringify(data)), [ws]);
  return { ws, send };
}

Option C: Polling (Simplest, No Infrastructure)

function useOrderStatus(orderId: string) {
  return useQuery({
    queryKey: ['order-status', orderId],
    queryFn: () => apiClient.get<Order>(`/api/orders/${orderId}`),
    refetchInterval: (query) => {
      if (query.state.data?.status === 'completed') return false;
      return 5000;
    },
  });
}

Decision

12. Cross-Boundary Error Handling (MEDIUM)

API Error → User-Facing Message

// lib/error-handler.ts
export function getErrorMessage(error: unknown): string {
  if (error instanceof ApiError) {
    switch (error.status) {
      case 401: return 'Please log in to continue.';
      case 403: return 'You don't have permission to do this.';
      case 404: return 'The item you're looking for doesn't exist.';
      case 409: return 'This conflicts with an existing item.';
      case 422:
        const fields = error.body?.errors;
        if (fields?.length) return fields.map((f: any) => f.message).join('. ');
        return 'Please check your input.';
      case 429: return 'Too many requests. Please wait a moment.';
      default: return 'Something went wrong. Please try again.';
    }
  }
  if (error instanceof TypeError && error.message === 'Failed to fetch') {
    return 'Cannot connect to server. Check your internet connection.';
  }
  return 'An unexpected error occurred.';
}

React Query Global Error Handler

const queryClient = new QueryClient({
  defaultOptions: {
    mutations: { onError: (error) => toast.error(getErrorMessage(error)) },
    queries: {
      retry: (failureCount, error) => {
        if (error instanceof ApiError && error.status < 500) return false;
        return failureCount < 3;
      },
    },
  },
});

Rules

✅ Map every API error code to a human-readable message
✅ Show field-level validation errors next to form inputs
✅ Auto-retry on 5xx (max 3, with backoff), never on 4xx
✅ Redirect to login on 401 (after refresh attempt fails)
✅ Show "offline" banner when fetch fails with TypeError

❌ Never show raw API error messages to users ("NullPointerException")
❌ Never silently swallow errors (show toast or log)
❌ Never retry 4xx errors (client is wrong, retrying won't help)

Integration Decision Tree

Same team owns frontend + backend?
│
├─ YES, both TypeScript
│   └─ tRPC (end-to-end type safety, zero codegen)
│
├─ YES, different languages
│   └─ OpenAPI spec → generated client (type safety via codegen)
│
├─ NO, public API
│   └─ REST + OpenAPI → generated SDKs for consumers
│
└─ Complex data needs, multiple frontends
    └─ GraphQL + codegen (flexible queries per client)

Real-time needed?
│
├─ Server → Client only (notifications, feeds, AI streaming)
│   └─ SSE (simplest, auto-reconnect, works through proxies)
│
├─ Bidirectional (chat, collaboration)
│   └─ WebSocket (need heartbeat + reconnection logic)
│
└─ Simple status polling (< 10 clients)
    └─ React Query refetchInterval (no infrastructure needed)

13. Production Hardening (MEDIUM)

Health Checks

app.get('/health', (req, res) => res.json({ status: 'ok' }));           // liveness
app.get('/ready', async (req, res) => {                                   // readiness
  const checks = {
    database: await checkDb(), redis: await checkRedis(), 
  };
  const ok = Object.values(checks).every(c => c.status === 'ok');
  res.status(ok ? 200 : 503).json({ status: ok ? 'ok' : 'degraded', checks });
});

Graceful Shutdown

process.on('SIGTERM', async () => {
  logger.info('SIGTERM received');
  server.close();              // stop new connections
  await drainConnections();    // finish in-flight
  await closeDatabase();
  process.exit(0);
});

Security Checklist

✅ CORS: explicit origins (never '*' in production)
✅ Security headers (helmet / equivalent)
✅ Rate limiting on public endpoints
✅ Input validation on ALL endpoints (trust nothing)
✅ HTTPS enforced
❌ Never expose internal errors to clients

Anti-Patterns

Common Issues

Issue 1: "Where does this business rule go?"

Rule: If it involves HTTP (request parsing, status codes, headers) → controller. If it involves business decisions (pricing, permissions, rules) → service. If it touches the database → repository.

Issue 2: "Service is getting too big"

Symptom: One service file > 500 lines with 20+ methods.

Fix: Split by sub-domain. OrderService → OrderCreationService + OrderFulfillmentService + OrderQueryService. Each focused on one workflow.

Issue 3: "Tests are slow because they hit the database"

Fix: Unit tests mock the repository layer (fast). Integration tests use test containers or transaction rollback (real DB, still fast). Never mock the service layer in integration tests.

Reference Documents

This skill includes deep-dive references for specialized topics. Read the relevant reference when you need detailed guidance.