hapi

Hapi is a Node.js web framework designed for building applications and APIs. It emphasizes configuration-driven development, a rich plugin system, and strong support for input validation and authentication. The framework aims to provide a robust, enterprise-friendly foundation with explicit routing and a flexible request lifecycle.

Origin and development: Hapi was created by Eran Hammer-Liscovich and colleagues at Walmart Labs in the early 2010s and has since been maintained as an open-source project under the hapijs organization. It is positioned as a feature-rich alternative to lighter frameworks, prioritizing consistency, extensibility, and a mature plugin ecosystem.

Architecture and core concepts: An application runs on a Server instance configured with plugins and routes. The request lifecycle includes multiple stages such as onRequest, onPreAuth, onPostAuth, onPreHandler, and onPostResponse, allowing interception and modification at various points. Validation is a central concern and is commonly implemented with Joi, a schema language used to define constraints for payloads, parameters, and query strings. The plugin system enables modular functionality—such as authentication strategies, caching, logging, and error handling—to be composed and reused across projects.

Usage and ecosystem: Hapi is widely used to build REST APIs, microservices, and real-time systems. It integrates with databases, message queues, and cloud services. The ecosystem offers numerous official and community plugins for authentication, validation, caching, monitoring, and telemetry. Hapi is recognized for its stability, security-oriented practices, and emphasis on clear configuration and extensibility.