> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.nodebootstrap.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.nodebootstrap.com/coding/encapsulated-modules.md).

# Encapsulated Modules

In addition to setting up boilerplate best-practices, central design principle of NodeBootstrap is to compose applications with re-usable, fully encapsulated set of modules.

[TJ Holowaychuk](https://twitter.com/tjholowaychuk) explains this approach in a video screencast: <http://vimeo.com/56166857>

In a more “spaghetti” Node project you may see HTTP route handlers in the main script or application area, tangled together. What TJ argues for and NodeBootstrap implements is: letting each module declare their own handlers, so if you are installing a “user management” or “blog” module, all you need to do is NPM install that module and indicate from the main app where in the URL path the routes get attached.

Feel free to check-out more details about module design per NodeBootstrap in the source code of the [sample module](https://github.com/inadarei/nodebootstrap-microservice/tree/master/lib/homedoc).

For a more advanced example, see: <https://github.com/inadarei/nodebootstrap-microservice/tree/master/lib/users>


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.nodebootstrap.com/coding/encapsulated-modules.md?ask=<question>&goal=<endgoal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.