HerbsJS

HerbsJS is a domain-first development framework for Node.js that helps you build microservices using Domain-Driven Design (DDD) and Clean Architecture. Instead of starting with controllers, models, and routes, you begin by defining your business domain — entities, specs (business rules), and use cases. The framework then automatically generates the underlying infrastructure: REST APIs, GraphQL endpoints, database repositories, and even documentation. The idea is that your code stays close to how your stakeholders talk about the business, making it easier to maintain and evolve over time.

What makes HerbsJS stand out is its metadata-driven approach. You define your domain using its own syntax, and HerbsJS reads that metadata to produce endpoints on the fly. You can switch between REST and GraphQL without changing your domain code — just swap a "glue" plugin. There's also Herbs Shelf, which reads your use cases and entities to auto-generate a visual documentation site for your team. And if you want to speed things up even more, Herbs Assist uses OpenAI's GPT-3 Codex to create Use Cases and Specs from plain-language descriptions. A CLI helps you scaffold new projects quickly.

The biggest beneficiaries are Node.js developers and teams practicing DDD who want to spend less time on boilerplate and more time on business logic. It's especially useful for building scalable backend microservices, rapidly prototyping new APIs, and creating living documentation that domain experts can actually read. If you're tired of juggling Express routes, GraphQL schemas, and database migrations separately, HerbsJS lets you define the core once and let the framework do the wiring.