Lambda Handler Pattern

This is a reference pattern. Learn from the approach, adapt to your context — don't copy verbatim.

Problem: Lambda functions need environment variables and AWS clients, but improper initialization causes cold start issues or hard-to-test code.

Solution: Initialize and validate everything at module level (runs once on cold start), inject dependencies into pure helper functions.

---

Core Pattern

Key Principle: Lambda environment variables are immutable at runtime. Validate once on cold start, use safely throughout the module.

Module Level: Environment Variables + AWS Clients

import { DynamoDBClient } from '@aws-sdk/client-dynamodb';
import { DynamoDBDocumentClient } from '@aws-sdk/lib-dynamodb';

// 1. Validate environment variables (fail fast on cold start)
const TABLE_NAME = process.env.TABLE_NAME;
const API_KEY = process.env.API_KEY;
const REGION = process.env.AWS_REGION;

if (!TABLE_NAME) {
  throw new Error('TABLE_NAME not set. Configure in SSM: /myapp/${env}/table-name');
}
if (!API_KEY) {
  throw new Error('API_KEY not set. Configure in SSM: /myapp/${env}/api-key');
}
if (!REGION) {
  throw new Error('AWS_REGION not set');
}

// 2. Initialize AWS clients (cached across warm invocations)
const dynamoClient = new DynamoDBClient({ region: REGION });
const docClient = DynamoDBDocumentClient.from(dynamoClient);

// 3. Handler: Thin orchestration layer
export const handler = async (event: APIGatewayProxyEvent) => {
  return processEvent(event, TABLE_NAME, API_KEY, docClient);
};

// 4. Pure function: All dependencies injected
async function processEvent(
  event: APIGatewayProxyEvent,
  tableName: string,
  apiKey: string,
  client: DynamoDBDocumentClient
) {
  // Business logic here - fully testable without env vars
  const body = JSON.parse(event.body || '{}');
  
  await client.send(new PutCommand({
    TableName: tableName,
    Item: { id: body.id, data: body.data }
  }));
  
  return {
    statusCode: 200,
    body: JSON.stringify({ success: true })
  };
}

Why This Pattern:

• ✅ Fail fast: Missing config caught on cold start, before any invocation
• ✅ Performance: Clients cached across warm invocations
• ✅ Testability: Helper functions are pure, dependencies injected
• ✅ Industry standard: Aligns with AWS documentation and common practice
• ✅ Consistency: Both env vars and clients at module level

---

Helper Function for Validation

For cleaner validation with helpful error messages:

function getRequiredEnv(key: string, ssmPath?: string): string {
  const value = process.env[key];
  if (!value) {
    const hint = ssmPath ? ` Configure in SSM: ${ssmPath}` : '';
    throw new Error(`${key} environment variable not set.${hint}`);
  }
  return value;
}

// Usage
const TABLE_NAME = getRequiredEnv('TABLE_NAME', '/myapp/${env}/table-name');
const API_KEY = getRequiredEnv('API_KEY', '/myapp/${env}/api-key');
const REGION = getRequiredEnv('AWS_REGION');

---

Complete Example

import { APIGatewayProxyEvent, APIGatewayProxyResult } from 'aws-lambda';
import { DynamoDBClient } from '@aws-sdk/client-dynamodb';
import { DynamoDBDocumentClient, PutCommand } from '@aws-sdk/lib-dynamodb';

// Helper: Validate required env vars
function getRequiredEnv(key: string, ssmPath?: string): string {
  const value = process.env[key];
  if (!value) {
    const hint = ssmPath ? ` Configure in SSM: ${ssmPath}` : '';
    throw new Error(`${key} environment variable not set.${hint}`);
  }
  return value;
}

// Module level: Validate env vars
const TABLE_NAME = getRequiredEnv('TABLE_NAME', '/myapp/${env}/table-name');
const API_KEY = getRequiredEnv('API_KEY', '/myapp/${env}/api-key');
const REGION = getRequiredEnv('AWS_REGION');

// Module level: Initialize AWS clients
const dynamoClient = new DynamoDBClient({ region: REGION });
const docClient = DynamoDBDocumentClient.from(dynamoClient);

// Handler: Thin orchestration
export const handler = async (
  event: APIGatewayProxyEvent
): Promise<APIGatewayProxyResult> => {
  return processEvent(event, TABLE_NAME, API_KEY, docClient);
};

// Pure function: All dependencies injected
async function processEvent(
  event: APIGatewayProxyEvent,
  tableName: string,
  apiKey: string,
  client: DynamoDBDocumentClient
): Promise<APIGatewayProxyResult> {
  const body = JSON.parse(event.body || '{}');
  
  // Validate API key from request
  if (event.headers['x-api-key'] !== apiKey) {
    return {
      statusCode: 401,
      body: JSON.stringify({ error: 'Unauthorized' })
    };
  }
  
  // Store in DynamoDB
  await client.send(new PutCommand({
    TableName: tableName,
    Item: { id: body.id, data: body.data, timestamp: Date.now() }
  }));
  
  return {
    statusCode: 200,
    body: JSON.stringify({ success: true })
  };
}

---

What Goes Where

Module Level (Outside Handler)

Initialize once on cold start:

• Environment variable validation (fail fast)
• AWS SDK clients (DynamoDB, S3, SSM, Secrets Manager, etc.)
• Database connection pools
• HTTP clients with connection pooling
• Compiled templates or schemas
• Heavy computations that don't change

// ✅ Module level
const TABLE_NAME = getRequiredEnv('TABLE_NAME');
const s3Client = new S3Client({});
const ssmClient = new SSMClient({});
const httpClient = new HttpClient({ keepAlive: true });

Handler Level (Inside Handler)

Thin orchestration only:

• Parse event data
• Call pure helper functions with injected dependencies
• Return response

// ✅ Handler: Orchestration only
export const handler = async (event: APIGatewayProxyEvent) => {
  // Delegate to pure functions
  return processRequest(event, TABLE_NAME, REGION, s3Client);
};

---

Testing Benefits

Pure functions are easy to test without environment setup:

// Test without environment variables
describe('processEvent', () => {
  it('stores item in DynamoDB', async () => {
    const mockClient = createMockDocClient();
    const event = createMockEvent({ id: '123', data: 'test' });
    
    const result = await processEvent(
      event,
      'test-table',
      'test-api-key',
      mockClient
    );
    
    expect(result.statusCode).toBe(200);
    expect(mockClient.send).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
      expect.objectContaining({
        input: { 
          TableName: 'test-table', 
          Item: { id: '123', data: 'test', timestamp: expect.any(Number) }
        }
      })
    );
  });
  
  it('returns 401 for invalid API key', async () => {
    const mockClient = createMockDocClient();
    const event = createMockEvent({ id: '123' }, { 'x-api-key': 'wrong-key' });
    
    const result = await processEvent(event, 'test-table', 'correct-key', mockClient);
    
    expect(result.statusCode).toBe(401);
    expect(mockClient.send).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
  });
});

---

Core Principles Still Apply

All Core Principles remain valid:

• Ordering: Imports → Env validation → Constants → Clients → Types → Pure functions → Impure functions → Handler
• No Fallbacks: Fail fast if environment variables are missing
• Explicit Errors: Clear error messages with SSM parameter paths
• Type Safety: Use TypeScript strict mode
• Dependency Injection: Pass clients and config to helper functions

---

Anti-Patterns

❌ Don't: Validate env vars in handler

// ❌ Validates on every invocation (wasteful)
export const handler = async (event: APIGatewayProxyEvent) => {
  const tableName = process.env.TABLE_NAME;
  if (!tableName) throw new Error('TABLE_NAME not set');
  
  return processEvent(event, tableName);
};

Why bad: Validation runs on every invocation instead of once on cold start.

❌ Don't: Initialize clients in handler

// ❌ Recreates client on every invocation
export const handler = async (event: APIGatewayProxyEvent) => {
  const dynamoClient = new DynamoDBClient({});
  const docClient = DynamoDBDocumentClient.from(dynamoClient);
  
  await docClient.send(new PutCommand({ /* ... */ }));
};

Why bad: Loses Lambda's warm container caching benefits, slower performance.

❌ Don't: Use module-level vars in helper functions

// ❌ Helper function depends on global state
const TABLE_NAME = process.env.TABLE_NAME!;

function processEvent(event: APIGatewayProxyEvent) {
  // Uses global TABLE_NAME - not pure, hard to test
  await docClient.send(new PutCommand({ TableName: TABLE_NAME, /* ... */ }));
}

Why bad: Function is not pure, harder to test, hidden dependencies.

✅ Do: Inject dependencies

// ✅ Pure function with explicit dependencies
const TABLE_NAME = getRequiredEnv('TABLE_NAME');

function processEvent(
  event: APIGatewayProxyEvent,
  tableName: string,
  client: DynamoDBDocumentClient
) {
  // All dependencies explicit - easy to test
  await client.send(new PutCommand({ TableName: tableName, /* ... */ }));
}

---

Related:

• Core Principles - Ordering, purity, error handling
• Environment Validation - Validating required config
• Resource Naming - Lambda layer organization

---

Progressive Improvement

If the developer corrects a behavior that this skill should have prevented, suggest a specific amendment to this skill to prevent the same correction in the future.