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🚀 Faster

Important


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🌟 Introduction

Faster is a fast and optimized middleware server with an incredibly small codebase (~300 lines), built on top of Deno’s native HTTP APIs with no dependencies. It includes a collection of useful middlewares:

  • 📄 Log file
  • 🗂️ Serve static
  • 🌐 CORS
  • 🔐 Session
  • ⏱️ Rate limit
  • 🛡️ Token
  • 📥 Body parsers
  • 🔀 Redirect
  • 🔌 Proxy
  • 📤 Handle upload

Fully compatible with Deno Deploy. Examples of all resources are available in this README. Faster’s ideology is simple: all you need is an optimized middleware manager; all other functionality is middleware.

📚 Contents

⚡ Benchmarks

The middleware is built on top of Deno’s native HTTP APIs. See the benchmarks (for a ‘Hello World’ server):

Machine: 8 GiB RAM, Intel® Core™ i5-10210U CPU @ 2.11GHz × 4
Method: autocannon -c 100 -d 40 -p 10 localhost:80
Environment: Deno v1.46.3, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS

Framework Version Router? Results
Express 4.19.2 ✓ 167k requests in 40.11s, 29 MB read
Fastify 4.28.1 ✓ 1105k requests in 40.07s, 193 MB read
Oak 17.0.0 ✓ 260k requests in 40.09s, 45 MB read
Faster 11.6 ✓ 1432k requests in 40.17s, 250 MB read

Note: In addition to its performance, Faster is a very complete framework considering its middleware collection.

🚀 Example

🛣️ Defining Routes

  • Static Routes: /foo, /foo/bar
  • Parameterized Routes:
    • Simple: /:title, /books/:title, /books/:genre/:title
    • With Suffix: /movies/:title.mp4, /movies/:title.(mp4|mov)
    • Optional Parameters: /:title?, /books/:title?, /books/:genre/:title?
  • Wildcards: *, /books/*, /books/:genre/*

📨 POST: Read and Return JSON

import { req, res, Server } from "https://deno.land/x/faster/mod.ts";

const server = new Server();

server.post(
  "/example_json",
  res("json"),
  req("json"),
  async (ctx: any, next: any) => {
    console.log(ctx.body);
    ctx.res.body = { msg: "json response example" };
    await next();
  },
);

await server.listen({ port: 80 });

🌐 GET: Return HTML

server.get(
  "/example_html",
  res("html"),
  async (ctx: any, next: any) => {
    ctx.res.body = `
      <!DOCTYPE html>
      <html>
        <head>
          <meta charset="utf-8">
          <title>Title Example</title>
        </head>
        <body>
          HTML body example
        </body>
      </html>
    `;
    await next();
  },
);

🔍 Get URL Params

server.get(
  "/example_params/:ex1?foo=bar",
  async (ctx: any, next: any) => {
    console.log(ctx.params.ex1);
    console.log(ctx.url.searchParams.get("foo")); // Explore the URL (ctx.url) object
    await next();
  },
);

🍪 Cookies

import {
  Cookie,
  deleteCookie,
  getCookies,
  getSetCookies,
  Server,
  setCookie,
} from "https://deno.land/x/faster/mod.ts"; // Alias to Deno std

server.get(
  "/cookies",
  async (ctx: any, next: any) => {
    setCookie(ctx.res.headers, { name: "user_name", value: "San" }); // Explore interface 'Cookie' for more options
    deleteCookie(ctx.res.headers, "last_order");
    console.log(getCookies(ctx.req.headers));
    await next();
  },
);

↩️ Redirect

Use: ctx.redirect([status,] "/my_custom_url_or_path"). The default status is 302.

server.get(
  "/redirect_example",
  async (ctx: any, next: any) => {
    ctx.redirect(303, "/my_custom_url_or_path");
    await next();
  },
);

server.get(
  "/redirect_example2",
  async (ctx: any, next: any) => {
    ctx.redirect("/my_custom_url_or_path");
    await next();
  },
);

💬 WebSockets

By default, the server will reject WebSocket connections to prevent vulnerabilities. To accept connections, use the acceptOrRejectSocketConn function, which should return an ID to retrieve the WebSocket later. If the function returns undefined, "", null, 0, etc., the connection will be rejected.

Example:

server.acceptOrRejectSocketConn = async (ctx: Context) => {
  // Returning undefined, "", null, or 0 will reject the connection.
  return JSON.stringify(ctx.info.remoteAddr); // Return ID
};

Retrieving the Socket by ID:

server.openedSockets.get(yourId); // As in the example, JSON.stringify(ctx.info.remoteAddr)

Receiving WebSocket Events:

server.onSocketMessage = async (id: string, socket: WebSocket, event: any) => {
  console.log(id);
  console.log(socket);
  console.log(event);
};

server.onSocketClosed = async (id: string, socket: WebSocket) => {
  console.log(id);
  console.log(socket);
};

🛠️ Middlewares

This project has a standard set of middlewares useful for most cases.

📦 Set Deno KV and Deno KV FS

You need to launch Deno KV and Deno KV FS as several middlewares depend on it.

const kv = await Deno.openKv(); // Use your parameters here to launch a custom Deno.Kv
Server.setKv(kv);

Now, you can globally access instances in Server.kv and Server.kvFs.

  • Deno KV File System (Server.kvFs): Compatible with Deno Deploy. Saves files in 64KB chunks. You can organize files into directories, control the KB/s rate for saving and reading files, impose rate limits, set user space limits, and limit concurrent operations—useful for controlling uploads/downloads. Utilizes the Web Streams API.

See more at: deno_kv_fs

📝 Logger

logger(save: boolean = true, print: boolean = true)

Initialize Deno KV (if not already done):

const kv = await Deno.openKv();
Server.setKv(kv);

Usage:

// You can also use useAtBeginning
server.use(logger()); // With default options: save and print are true

Access Log Data:

  • Retrieve Logs: await FasterLog.get(startMillis, endMillis)
  • Delete Logs: await FasterLog.delete(startMillis, endMillis)

📥 Body Parsers (res and req)

Example:

server.post(
  "/example_parsers",
  res("json"), // Response parser
  req("json"), // Request parser
  async (ctx: any, next: any) => {
    console.log(ctx.body); // The original (unparsed) body is in ctx.req.body
    ctx.res.body = { msg: "json response example" };
    await next();
  },
);

Supported Options:

  • req Parsers: "arrayBuffer", "blob", "formData", "json", "text"
  • res Parsers: "json", "html", "javascript"

Custom Parsing Example:

server.post(
  "/custom_parse",
  async (ctx: any, next: any) => {
    ctx.res.headers.set("Content-Type", "application/json");
    const data = await customParseBody(ctx.req.body); // Handle ctx.req.body manually
    ctx.res.body = JSON.stringify({ msg: "ok" });
    await next();
  },
);

⏱️ Rate Limit

Usage:

// You can also use useAtBeginning
server.use(rateLimit());

Options (with default values):

rateLimit({
  attempts: 30,
  interval: 10,
  maxTableSize: 100000,
  id: (ctx: Context) => JSON.stringify(ctx.info.remoteAddr),
});

🗂️ Serve Static

Example (route must end with /*):

server.get(
  "/pub/*",
  serveStatic("./pub"),
);

🌐 Set CORS

Example:

server.options("/example_cors", setCORS()); // Enable pre-flight request

server.get(
  "/example_cors",
  setCORS(),
  async (ctx, next) => {
    await next();
  },
);

Specify Allowed Hosts:

setCORS("http://my.custom.url:8080");

🔑 Token

This middleware is encapsulated in an entire static class. It uses Bearer Token and default options with the “HS256” algorithm, generating a random secret when starting the application (you can also set a secret manually).

Usage:

server.get(
  "/example_verify_token", // Send token to server in Header => Authorization: Bearer TOKEN
  Token.middleware,
  async (ctx, next) => {
    console.log(ctx.extra.tokenPayload);
    console.log(ctx.extra.token);
    await next();
  },
);

Generate Token:

await Token.generate({ user_id: "172746" }, null); // Null for never expire; defaults to "1h"

Set Secret:

Token.setSecret("a3d2r366wgb3dh6yrwzw99kzx2"); // Do this at the beginning of your application

Get Token Payload Outside Middleware:

await Token.getPayload("YOUR_TOKEN_STRING"); // For example, to get token data from token string in URL parameter

Set Configurations:

Token.setConfigs(/* your configurations */);

↩️ Redirect Middleware

Usage: redirect([status,] "/my_custom_url_or_path"). The default status is 302.

Example:

server.get(
  "/my_url_1",
  redirect(303, "/my_url_2"), // Or the full URL
);

server.get(
  "/my_url_2",
  redirect("/my_url_3"), // Or the full URL
);

🔐 Session

Initialize Deno KV (if not already done):

const kv = await Deno.openKv();
Server.setKv(kv);

Example

// You can also use useAtBeginning
server.use(session());

// In routes:
server.get(
  "/session_example",
  async (ctx, next) => {
    console.log(ctx.extra.session); // Get session data
    ctx.extra.session.value.foo = "bar"; // Set session data (foo => "bar")
    await next();
  },
);
  • The default engine uses Deno KV and is optimized.

Expiration Policies

  • Absolute Expiration: The object in the cache will expire after a certain time from when it was inserted, regardless of its usage. A value of 0 disables this expiration.
  • Sliding Expiration: The object expires after a configured time from the last request (get or set). A value of 0 disables this expiration.

Note: If both slidingExpiration and absoluteExpiration are 0, expiration is disabled. If both are greater than 0, absoluteExpiration cannot be less than slidingExpiration.

Session Storage Engine Interface:

constructor(
  slidingExpiration: number = 0,
  absoluteExpiration: number = 0
)

Default Values:

session(engine: SessionStorageEngine = new KVStorageEngine()) // Default is 60 min slidingExpiration

🔌 Proxy

Usage:

// You can also use useAtBeginning
server.use(proxy({ url: "https://my-url-example.com" }));

In Routes:

server.get(
  "/proxy_example",
  async (ctx, next) => {
    console.log(ctx.req); // Request points to the proxy
    console.log(ctx.res); // Response contains the proxy answer
    await next();
  },
);

Specific Proxy Route:

server.get(
  "/proxy_example",
  proxy({
    url: "https://my-url-example.com/proxy_ex2",
    replaceProxyPath: false, // Specific proxy route for "/proxy_example"
  }),
  async (ctx, next) => {
    console.log(ctx.req);
    console.log(ctx.res);
    await next();
  },
);

Conditional Proxy:

server.get(
  "/proxy_example",
  proxy({
    url: "https://my-url-example.com/proxy_ex3",
    condition: (ctx) => {
      return ctx.url.searchParams.get("foo") ? true : false;
    },
  }),
  async (ctx, next) => {
    console.log(ctx.extra.proxied); // True if proxy condition is true
    console.log(ctx.req);
    console.log(ctx.res);
    await next();
  },
);

Options (with default values):

proxy({
  url: string,
  replaceReqAndRes: true,
  replaceProxyPath: true,
  condition: (ctx: Context) => true,
});

Warning: Do not use “res body parsers” with replaceReqAndRes: true (default)!
Note: If you don’t use Request body information before the proxy or in your condition, avoid using “req body parsers” to reduce processing cost.

📤 Upload

Initialize Deno KV (if not already done):

const kv = await Deno.openKv();
Server.setKv(kv);

This middleware uses Deno KV File System (deno_kv_fs).

🚀 Upload Usage

Example:

// The route must end with *
server.post("/files/*", upload(), async (ctx: any, next: any) => {/* ... */});
server.get("/files/*", download(), async (ctx: any, next: any) => {/* ... */});

With Custom Options:

  • Download:
server.post(
  "/files/*",
  upload({
    allowedExtensions: async (ctx: Context) => ["jpg"],
    maxSizeBytes: async (ctx: Context) =>
      (ctx.extra.user.isPremium() ? 1 : 0.1) * 1024 * 1024 * 1024, // 1GB or 100MB
    maxFileSizeBytes: async (ctx: Context) =>
      (ctx.extra.user.isPremium() ? 1 : 0.1) * 1024 * 1024 * 1024, // 1GB or 100MB
    chunksPerSecond: async (ctx: Context) =>
      (ctx.extra.user.isPremium() ? 10 : 1) /
      kvFs.getClientReqs(ctx.extra.user.id),
    maxClientIdConcurrentReqs: async (
      ctx: Context,
    ) => (ctx.extra.user.isPremium() ? 10 : 1),
    clientId: async (ctx: Context) => ctx.extra.user.id,
    validateAccess: async (ctx: Context, path: string[]) =>
      ctx.extra.user.hasDirAccess(path),
  }),
  async (ctx: any, next: any) => {/* ... */},
);
  • Upload:
server.get(
  "/files/*",
  download({
    chunksPerSecond: async (ctx: Context) =>
      (ctx.extra.user.isPremium() ? 10 : 1) /
      kvFs.getClientReqs(ctx.extra.user.id),
    maxClientIdConcurrentReqs: async (
      ctx: Context,
    ) => (ctx.extra.user.isPremium() ? 10 : 1),
    clientId: async (ctx: Context) => ctx.extra.user.id,
    validateAccess: async (ctx: Context, path: string[]) =>
      ctx.extra.user.hasDirAccess(path),
    maxDirEntriesPerSecond: async (
      ctx: Context,
    ) => (ctx.extra.user.isPremium() ? 1000 : 100),
    pagination: async (ctx: Context) => true,
    cursor: async (ctx: Context) => ctx.url.searchParams.get("cursor"),
  }),
);

💻 Upload Examples in Frontend and Backend

Frontend (AJAX with multiple files):

const files = document.querySelector("#yourFormId input[type=file]").files;
const name = document.querySelector("#yourFormId input[type=file]")
  .getAttribute("name");

const form = new FormData();
for (let i = 0; i < files.length; i++) {
  form.append(`${name}_${i}`, files[i]);
}
const userId = 1; // Example
const res = await fetch(`/files/${userId}`, {
  method: "POST",
  body: form,
}).then((response) => response.json());

console.log(res);

Backend (Deno):

import {
  download,
  res,
  Server,
  upload,
} from "https://deno.land/x/faster/mod.ts";

const server = new Server();

server.post(
  "/files/*", // For example: /files/general/myFile.xlsx
  res("json"),
  upload(), // Using default options. No controls.
  async (ctx: any, next: any) => {
    ctx.res.body = ctx.extra.uploadedFiles;
    await next();
  },
);

server.get(
  "/files/*",
  download(), // Using default options. No controls.
);

server.get("/", res("html"), async (ctx: any, next: any) => {
  ctx.res.body = `
    <form id="yourFormId" enctype="multipart/form-data" action="/upload" method="post">
      <input type="file" name="file1" multiple><br>
      <input type="submit" value="Submit">
    </form>
  `;
  await next();
});

await server.listen({ port: 80 });

📁 Organizing Routes in Files

It’s possible to organize routes into files using native JavaScript resources.

Main File:

import { Server } from "https://deno.land/x/faster/mod.ts";
import exampleRoutes from "./example_routes.ts";

const server = new Server();
exampleRoutes("example", server);

await server.listen({ port: 80 });

Secondary Route File (example_routes.ts):

import { req, res, Server } from "https://deno.land/x/faster/mod.ts";

export default function exampleRoutes(namespace: string, server: Server) {
  server.post(
    `${namespace}/json`,
    res("json"),
    req("json"),
    async (ctx: any, next: any) => {
      console.log(ctx.body);
      ctx.res.body = { msg: "json response example" };
      await next();
    },
  );

  server.get(
    `${namespace}/html`,
    res("html"),
    async (ctx: any, next: any) => {
      ctx.res.body = `
        <!DOCTYPE html>
        <html>
          <head>
            <meta charset="utf-8">
            <title>Title Example</title>
          </head>
          <body>
            HTML body example
          </body>
        </html>
      `;
      await next();
    },
  );
}

📦 All Imports

import {
  Context,
  ContextResponse, // Type
  Cookie, // Type, alias to Deno std
  deleteCookie, // Alias to Deno std
  DenoKvFs,
  DirList,
  download,
  FasterLog,
  File,
  FileStatus,
  getCookies, // Alias to Deno std
  getSetCookies, // Alias to Deno std
  KVStorageEngine,
  logger,
  NextFunc, // Type
  Params, // Type
  parse,
  ProcessorFunc, // Type
  proxy,
  rateLimit,
  ReadOptions,
  redirect,
  req,
  res,
  Route, // Type
  RouteFn, // Type
  SaveOptions,
  Server,
  serveStatic,
  Session, // Type
  session,
  SessionStorageEngine,
  setCookie, // Alias to Deno std
  setCORS,
  Token,
  upload,
} from "https://deno.land/x/faster/mod.ts";

🌐 Example Deploy

Example of deploying an application named “my-deno-app” in a Ubuntu environment. Change “my-deno-app” and directories to yours.

🛠️ Create Service

Create Run Script (“run-server.sh”) in Your Application Folder:

#!/bin/bash
/home/ubuntu/.deno/bin/deno run --allow-all --unstable-kv /home/ubuntu/my-deno-app/app.ts

Give Execution Permission to the Script:

chmod +x run-server.sh

Create Service Files:

sudo touch /etc/systemd/system/my-deno-app.service
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/my-deno-app.service

In “my-deno-app.service” (change “Description”, “WorkingDirectory”, and “ExecStart” to yours):

[Unit]
Description=My Deno App

[Service]
WorkingDirectory=/home/ubuntu/my-deno-app
ExecStart=/home/ubuntu/my-deno-app/run-server.sh
TimeoutSec=30
Restart=always
RestartSec=1

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

If Your Application Depends on Another Service (e.g., MongoDB):

[Unit]
Description=My Deno App
After=mongod.service

Enable the “my-deno-app” Service:

sudo systemctl enable my-deno-app.service

Start and Stop the “my-deno-app” Service:

sudo service my-deno-app stop
sudo service my-deno-app start

View Logs:

journalctl -u my-deno-app.service --since=today -e

🔒 Configure HTTPS

Install Certbot:

sudo apt install certbot

Generate Certificates (Port 80 Must Be Free):

sudo certbot certonly --standalone

During Setup:

When prompted:

Please enter the domain name(s) you would like on your certificate (comma and/or space separated) (Enter 'c' to cancel):

Enter your domains and subdomains, e.g.: yourdomain.link www.yourdomain.link

Run Your Application on HTTPS (Change “yourdomain.link” to Your Domain):

await server.listen({
  port: 443,
  cert: await Deno.readTextFile(
    "/etc/letsencrypt/live/yourdomain.link/fullchain.pem",
  ),
  key: await Deno.readTextFile(
    "/etc/letsencrypt/live/yourdomain.link/privkey.pem",
  ),
});

Set Up Automatic Certificate Renewal:

The certificate is valid for a short period. Set up a cron job to renew automatically.

Edit Root’s Crontab:

sudo crontab -e

Add to the End of the File (to Check and Renew Every 12 Hours):

0 */12 * * * certbot -q renew --standalone --preferred-challenges=http

Alternatively, Check Every 7 Days:

0 0 * * 0 certbot -q renew --standalone --preferred-challenges=http

💡 See Also: Faster with React

Check out the complete framework with Faster and React:

👉 https://github.com/hviana/faster_react

👨‍💻 About

Author: Henrique Emanoel Viana, a Brazilian computer scientist and web technology enthusiast.

Improvements and suggestions are welcome!