Basics

NestJS Basics

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

• Setting up a new NestJS project
• Installing and configuring NestJS CLI
• Understanding NestJS core concepts and architecture
• Bootstrapping an application
• Explaining NestJS to beginners

Installation

Install NestJS CLI Globally

npm i -g @nestjs/cli

Create New Project

nest new project-name

The CLI will prompt you to choose a package manager (npm, yarn, or pnpm).

Requirements

• Node.js version 20 or higher
• TypeScript 5.x recommended

Core Concepts

What is NestJS?

NestJS is a progressive Node.js framework for building efficient, scalable server-side applications. Key features:

• TypeScript-first - Full TypeScript support with strong typing
• Platform-agnostic - Works with Express (default) or Fastify
• Modular architecture - Inspired by Angular's module system
• Dependency Injection - Built-in IoC container
• Decorator-based - Uses decorators for clean, declarative code
• Testing-friendly - Built with testability in mind

Project Structure

Generated projects include:

src/
├── app.controller.ts      # Basic controller with a single route
├── app.controller.spec.ts # Unit tests for the controller
├── app.module.ts          # Root module
├── app.service.ts         # Basic service
└── main.ts                # Entry point - bootstraps the application

Bootstrap Pattern

The main.ts file is the entry point:

import { NestFactory } from '@nestjs/core';
import { AppModule } from './app.module';

async function bootstrap() {
  const app = await NestFactory.create(AppModule);
  await app.listen(process.env.PORT ?? 3000);
}
bootstrap();

Key Points:

• NestFactory.create() creates the application instance
• Accepts the root module as a parameter
• Returns a NestApplication instance
• Use app.listen() to start the HTTP server

Platform Selection

NestJS supports two HTTP platforms:

Express (default):

const app = await NestFactory.create(AppModule);

Fastify (for better performance):

import { NestFactory } from '@nestjs/core';
import { FastifyAdapter, NestFastifyApplication } from '@nestjs/platform-fastify';

const app = await NestFactory.create<NestFastifyApplication>(
  AppModule,
  new FastifyAdapter()
);

Running the Application

Development Mode (with watch)

npm run start:dev

Production Mode

npm run build
npm run start:prod

Debug Mode

npm run start:debug

Core Building Blocks

Every NestJS application consists of:

1. Modules - Organize application structure (@Module())
2. Controllers - Handle requests and responses (@Controller())
3. Providers - Business logic and services (@Injectable())
4. Middleware - Request preprocessing
5. Guards - Authorization and route protection
6. Interceptors - Transform requests/responses
7. Pipes - Validation and transformation
8. Exception Filters - Error handling

Request Processing Pipeline

Incoming Request
    ↓
Middleware
    ↓
Guards
    ↓
Interceptors (before)
    ↓
Pipes
    ↓
Route Handler (Controller)
    ↓
Interceptors (after)
    ↓
Exception Filters
    ↓
Response

Architecture Philosophy

NestJS follows these principles:

• Modularity - Organize code into feature modules
• Single Responsibility - Each class has one clear purpose
• Dependency Injection - Loose coupling through DI
• Separation of Concerns - Controllers handle routing, services handle business logic
• Testability - Built to support unit and e2e testing

Common CLI Commands

# Generate a module
nest generate module users

# Generate a controller
nest generate controller users

# Generate a service
nest generate service users

# Generate a complete resource (module, controller, service, DTO)
nest generate resource users

# View all available commands
nest --help

Best Practices

1. Use TypeScript - Leverage strong typing for better DX
2. Follow module structure - One feature per module
3. Use DTOs - Define data transfer objects with validation
4. Dependency injection - Inject dependencies via constructors
5. Error handling - Use built-in exception classes
6. Configuration - Use @nestjs/config for environment variables
7. Validation - Use class-validator with ValidationPipe

Next Steps

After setting up your project:

1. Learn about Controllers for handling routes
2. Learn about Providers for business logic
3. Learn about Modules for organizing your application
4. Set up Validation for request data
5. Implement Authentication and Authorization