Simplifying and optimising backend development with NodeJs Clarisoft Framework

• Clarisoft Framework is a Node.js framework suited for constructing RESTful web services.
• Clarisoft Framework is also suited for constructing Microservices that can be easily scalable.
• It is used to make application prototyping.
• It includes only the essential functionalities, allowing for faster development.
• It is already in production for other Clarisoft platforms which means it is already tested.

Why build a new NodeJS framework when there are so many tested and reliable NodeJs frameworks like Loopback or Sails.js on the market? Simple answer: because we needed a better development pace and we required a tool to make faster application prototyping. The NodeJS Clarisoft Framework was already used in three of our most important projects for one of the most exigent clients from automotive and healthcare fields and our upcoming pandemics management platform, PandemSafe.

Where did the idea come from?

The idea of a new NodeJS framework dates back from the winter of 2018 when we began developing a new platform for one of our oldest client from the automotive sector, dealers management. The project meant that we should migrate the huge old platform built in PHP to NodeJS, write a slicker code, and create a better architecture. So we needed a good tool that would allow us to implement complex features fast and efficiently. 

What’s the problem with the other NodeJS frameworks? 

As our Dev Lead, Senior NodeJs developer and one of the minds behind the Clarisoft Framework, Adrian Toader explains,  

“We had a lot of problems when using existing enterprise frameworks like Loopback. We needed a flexible framework that would allow us to implement complex features. The existing frameworks, although they were described as being flexible they were not that flexible at all. We needed to make a lot of workarounds to implement some simple stuff. At the same time, other frameworks were exposing several functionalities that we didn’t require for the project and couldn’t be disabled – so they were more hampering our efforts, rather than helping us. 

From here, we began thinking that it would be better to build ourselves something as simple as possible, that could be easily extended to the specific requirements of each project, but at the same time to have a solid base for REST APIs.”

There were a team of three people, mid and senior NodeJs developers involved in building this framework and the result proved to be better than existing tools for Clarisoft clients’ needs. 

What can be built with the Clarisoft Framework?

Clarisoft Framework is a light-weight framework with a solid REST API base, that allows adding new functionalities in a plain manner. The framework is built for facilitating the use and horizontal scaling of microservices and for application prototyping.

Advantages of using Clarisoft Framework

For simple tasks (CRUD) it reduces to a great extent the development time, exposing an interface for CRUD models and actions. It also generates validation schemes for API and Unit tests. By using the generator, the resulting code is compliant with several code conventions that are generally accepted by the development community, so the code is easily readable when new functionalities need to be implemented.  

The innovation “secret” behind the Clarisoft Framework is that 

“Instead of trying to do a lot of stuff, but not doing them right, our framework is doing fewer, but better. There are also other light frameworks, but they are exposing just basic functionality. Clarisoft Framework exposes and combines most of the basic functionalities in one single package”, explains Senior NodeJS Dev Lead, Adrian Toader. 

There isn’t any kind of limitation of using this framework for whatever enterprise software projects, being suitable for small, mid, and large projects alike while being scalable. 

Features of Clarisoft Framework

As we stated above, Clarisoft Framework is a Node.js framework suited for constructing RESTful web services. 

• It is based on Restify and includes the following functionality out of the box:
  • MongoDB integration
    • Date timestamps for create/update actions
    • Author information for create/update/delete actions
  • OAuth 2.0 compliant Authorization API
  • Basic model and CRUD API generator
  • API documentation generator (will allow external applications to easily connect to the API; see Annex 1 – API documentation)
  • API validation using JSON Schema
  • Scheduler for triggering tasks on specific intervals

• Clarisoft Framework is also suited for constructing Microservices that can be easily scalable 
  • It has support for shared configuration between same service instances
  • Exposes health check APIs for a Load Balancer to use

Clarisoft Framework has already proved its potential

We have already tested the efficiency of the Clarisoft Framework for three major projects we have worked on and continue to further develop:

• Automotive dealers management platform migration project from PHP to NodeJS (which is a huge thing to do, considering that the platform which supports hundreds of user logging is simultaneously and thousand of requests per second)   
• Rehabilitation services platform (healthcare) – a lodging finder, communication and self-help platform for people in recovery from various addictions with functionalities that go beyond the ones of AirBnb (booking, podcast, chat, payment, etc.)
• PandemSafe – developed by Clarisoft Technologies – an innovative SaaS solution allowing organizations to make their workplace safer while continuing to operate effectively  when pandemic occur or during any business disruptions (contains self-reporting platform, multiple visualizations, and report tools, predictive analysis tools, etc.)

If you want to learn more about the efficiency of our Clarisoft Framework or you’re thinking that you might want to use it for the development of your software project, don’t hesitate to contact us.