A developer on DEV Community challenges conventional Express microservice boilerplate, arguing that standard file separation and documentation practices can slow down initial development. The author proposes a streamlined structure that combines routes and controllers into single classes, reducing setup time for prototyping and small-scale projects.

Express offers flexibility but lacks enforced structure, which can overwhelm developers with competing best practices. The post critiques traditional approaches like separate route and controller files, plus complex OpenAPI documentation, which often falls out of sync with the actual API and creates maintenance headaches.

The alternative uses a BaseRoute class to encapsulate endpoints and logic, paired with JSDoc for inline documentation that generates HTML docs automatically. This method prioritizes speed while maintaining readability, using tools like ESLint and Prettier to enforce code quality without extensive boilerplate during initial development.