backend-dev-guidelines
Comprehensive backend development guide for Node.js/Express/TypeScript microservices. Use when creating routes, controllers, services, repositories, middleware, or working with Express APIs, Prisma database access, Sentry error tracking, Zod validation, unifiedConfig, dependency injection, or async patterns. Covers layered architecture (routes → controllers → services → repositories), BaseController pattern, error handling, performance monitoring, testing strategies, and migration from legacy patterns.
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Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/davila7/claude-code-templates --skill backend-dev-guidelines- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads backend-dev-guidelines automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
Backend Development Guidelines
Purpose
Establish consistency and best practices across backend microservices (blog-api, auth-service, notifications-service) using modern Node.js/Express/TypeScript patterns.
When to Use This Skill
Automatically activates when working on:
- Creating or modifying routes, endpoints, APIs
- Building controllers, services, repositories
- Implementing middleware (auth, validation, error handling)
- Database operations with Prisma
- Error tracking with Sentry
- Input validation with Zod
- Configuration management
- Backend testing and refactoring
Quick Start
New Backend Feature Checklist
- Route: Clean definition, delegate to controller
- Controller: Extend BaseController
- Service: Business logic with DI
- Repository: Database access (if complex)
- Validation: Zod schema
- Sentry: Error tracking
- Tests: Unit + integration tests
- Config: Use unifiedConfig
New Microservice Checklist
- Directory structure (see architecture-overview.md)
- instrument.ts for Sentry
- unifiedConfig setup
- BaseController class
- Middleware stack
- Error boundary
- Testing framework
Architecture Overview
Layered Architecture
HTTP Request
↓
Routes (routing only)
↓
Controllers (request handling)
↓
Services (business logic)
↓
Repositories (data access)
↓
Database (Prisma)
Key Principle: Each layer has ONE responsibility.
See architecture-overview.md for complete details.
Directory Structure
service/src/
├── config/ # UnifiedConfig
├── controllers/ # Request handlers
├── services/ # Business logic
├── repositories/ # Data access
├── routes/ # Route definitions
├── middleware/ # Express middleware
├── types/ # TypeScript types
├── validators/ # Zod schemas
├── utils/ # Utilities
├── tests/ # Tests
├── instrument.ts # Sentry (FIRST IMPORT)
├── app.ts # Express setup
└── server.ts # HTTP server
Naming Conventions:
- Controllers:
PascalCase-UserController.ts - Services:
camelCase-userService.ts - Routes:
camelCase + Routes-userRoutes.ts - Repositories:
PascalCase + Repository-UserRepository.ts
Core Principles (7 Key Rules)
1. Routes Only Route, Controllers Control
// ❌ NEVER: Business logic in routes
router.post('/submit', async (req, res) => {
// 200 lines of logic
});
// ✅ ALWAYS: Delegate to controller
router.post('/submit', (req, res) => controller.submit(req, res));
2. All Controllers Extend BaseController
export class UserController extends BaseController {
async getUser(req: Request, res: Response): Promise<void> {
try {
const user = await this.userService.findById(req.params.id);
this.handleSuccess(res, user);
} catch (error) {
this.handleError(error, res, 'getUser');
}
}
}
3. All Errors to Sentry
try {
await operation();
} catch (error) {
Sentry.captureException(error);
throw error;
}
4. Use unifiedConfig, NEVER process.env
// ❌ NEVER
const timeout = process.env.TIMEOUT_MS;
// ✅ ALWAYS
import { config } from './config/unifiedConfig';
const timeout = config.timeouts.default;
5. Validate All Input with Zod
const schema = z.object({ email: z.string().email() });
const validated = schema.parse(req.body);
6. Use Repository Pattern for Data Access
// Service → Repository → Database
const users = await userRepository.findActive();
7. Comprehensive Testing Required
describe('UserService', () => {
it('should create user', async () => {
expect(user).toBeDefined();
});
});
Common Imports
// Express
import express, { Request, Response, NextFunction, Router } from 'express';
// Validation
import { z } from 'zod';
// Database
import { PrismaClient } from '@prisma/client';
import type { Prisma } from '@prisma/client';
// Sentry
import * as Sentry from '@sentry/node';
// Config
import { config } from './config/unifiedConfig';
// Middleware
import { SSOMiddlewareClient } from './middleware/SSOMiddleware';
import { asyncErrorWrapper } from './middleware/errorBoundary';
Quick Reference
HTTP Status Codes
| Code | Use Case |
|---|---|
| 200 | Success |
| 201 | Created |
| 400 | Bad Request |
| 401 | Unauthorized |
| 403 | Forbidden |
| 404 | Not Found |
| 500 | Server Error |
Service Templates
Blog API (✅ Mature) - Use as template for REST APIs Auth Service (✅ Mature) - Use as template for authentication patterns
Anti-Patterns to Avoid
❌ Business logic in routes ❌ Direct process.env usage ❌ Missing error handling ❌ No input validation ❌ Direct Prisma everywhere ❌ console.log instead of Sentry
Navigation Guide
| Need to... | Read this |
|---|---|
| Understand architecture | architecture-overview.md |
| Create routes/controllers | routing-and-controllers.md |
| Organize business logic | services-and-repositories.md |
| Validate input | validation-patterns.md |
| Add error tracking | sentry-and-monitoring.md |
| Create middleware | middleware-guide.md |
| Database access | database-patterns.md |
| Manage config | configuration.md |
| Handle async/errors | async-and-errors.md |
| Write tests | testing-guide.md |
| See examples | complete-examples.md |
Resource Files
architecture-overview.md
Layered architecture, request lifecycle, separation of concerns
routing-and-controllers.md
Route definitions, BaseController, error handling, examples
services-and-repositories.md
Service patterns, DI, repository pattern, caching
validation-patterns.md
Zod schemas, validation, DTO pattern
sentry-and-monitoring.md
Sentry init, error capture, performance monitoring
middleware-guide.md
Auth, audit, error boundaries, AsyncLocalStorage
database-patterns.md
PrismaService, repositories, transactions, optimization
configuration.md
UnifiedConfig, environment configs, secrets
async-and-errors.md
Async patterns, custom errors, asyncErrorWrapper
testing-guide.md
Unit/integration tests, mocking, coverage
complete-examples.md
Full examples, refactoring guide
Related Skills
- database-verification - Verify column names and schema consistency
- error-tracking - Sentry integration patterns
- skill-developer - Meta-skill for creating and managing skills
Skill Status: COMPLETE ✅ Line Count: < 500 ✅ Progressive Disclosure: 11 resource files ✅
FAQ
What does the backend-dev-guidelines skill do?
Comprehensive backend development guide for Node.js/Express/TypeScript microservices. Use when creating routes, controllers, services, repositories, middleware, or working with Express APIs, Prisma database access, Sentry error tracking, Zod validation, unifiedConfig, dependency injection, or async patterns. Covers layered architecture (routes → controllers → services → repositories), BaseController pattern, error handling, performance monitoring, testing strategies, and migration from legacy patterns.
How do I install backend-dev-guidelines?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/davila7/claude-code-templates --skill backend-dev-guidelines in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/backend-dev-guidelines/ (personal) or .claude/skills/backend-dev-guidelines/ (project).
Which AI agents can use backend-dev-guidelines?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is backend-dev-guidelines safe to install?
No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.
Who maintains backend-dev-guidelines?
It is published by davila7 in davila7/claude-code-templates. It has 491 recorded installs.
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