Getting Started with Node.js: All You Need to Know

Introduction:

Node.js is a popular backend runtime environment that enables the use of open-source JavaScript on the server side. This technology is compact, fast, and efficient as it runs on the Chrome v8 engine, which converts JavaScript code into machine code. In this article, we will discuss how Node.js works and the key features that make it suitable for real-time applications with heavy concurrent workloads.

Node.js History Key Highlights :

●?Node.js is a runtime environment that enables web applications to run outside a browser.

●?It was created by Ryan Dahl in 2009 for server-side programming, specifically for non-blocking, event-driven servers.

●?Based on the Google Chrome V8 JavaScript engine, Node.js is fast and resource-efficient, with numerous Web APIs to explore.

●?Node.js is not a library or framework but a runtime environment that's popular among developers for its power, simplicity, flexibility, and speed.

●?More than 43% of developers use Node.js for enterprise applications, including companies such as Amazon, Netflix, eBay, Reddit, and PayPal.

●?Ryan Dahl developed Node.js to improve the functionality of web servers, dissatisfied with the limitations of the Apache HTTP Server at the time.

●?The unique server-side programming approach of Node.js quickly gained popularity among JavaScript developers, and the NPM package manager made it easy to share source code for Node.js packages.

●?In 2011, Joyent and Microsoft collaborated to develop a native Windows version of Node.js.

●?Isaac Schlueter took over Node.js development after Dahl left the project, and in 2014, Fedor Indutny launched io.js, a compatible Node.js platform.

●?The nonprofit Node.js and io.js merged to create the OpenJS Foundation in 2019.

Node.js Key- features:

●?Single-threaded - Single-threaded architecture based on the "Single Threaded Event Loop Model" that handles multiple client requests and performs input-output work on separate threads.

●?Asynchronous- Asynchronous operation that processes client requests in a non-blocking way and allows the thread to handle the next request while the server sends the response to the client.

●?Event-driven-Event-driven programming that uses an EventEmitter class to implement event handlers and make Node.js fast and high-performing.

● Cross-platform compatibility - Open-source and free to use.

●?Fast Data- Streaming- Built on Google Chrome's V8 JavaScript engine that compiles JavaScript code into machine code for faster code execution. Caching supports the caching of modules and allows the application to load web pages faster and respond quickly to users

●?Highly scalable- Highly scalable due to its asynchronous (non-blocking) operation.

● No buffering - No buffering that allows for the easy and fast delivery of data, as Node.js outputs data in blocks using a callback function.

●?Efficiency: Node.js is fast and resource-efficient, providing a lightning-fast runtime environment for web applications.

● Flexibility: Node.js provides an array of Web APIs that helps to build code, making it flexible and adaptable to different needs and applications.

●?Code completion: Node.js development tools offer code completion for easy and quick coding without syntax errors, especially helpful for novice developers.

●?Debugging: It enables developers to step through their code to identify errors, and bugs, and optimize application performance.

●?Package management: Node.js development tools allow easy management of dependencies and packages for large applications with multiple dependencies.

● Integrated terminal: Some Node.js development tools include an integrated terminal to run commands and scripts within the IDE, saving time and increasing productivity.

● Git integration: Node.js development tools offer Git integration for easy code management and collaboration with other developers on a project. It also provides version control to revert to previous versions of the code, if required.

Node.js: Benefits and Reasons to Use

Node.js: Benefits

● Easy to Learn: JavaScript is one of the most popular programming languages used for front-end development. Hence, it is easier for developers to learn and use Node.js at the back end as well, even for junior JavaScript programmers.

● Freedom in app development: Node.js is completely un-opinionated, allowing developers to build everything from scratch and tailor every detail. It provides more space and freedom for developers to do things their way.

●?Full-stack JS: With Node.js, developers can write both the front-end and back-end of web applications in JavaScript, making app deployment much easier and more efficient.

●?Active community: It provides access to a ton of ready solutions, codes in GitHub, and many more possibilities.

●?Simultaneous Request Handling: A key feature of Node.js is its non-blocking I/O system, which allows developers to process numerous requests concurrently, resulting in high scalability levels and improved performance.

Node.js: Reasons to use

●?Speed: The V8 engine, developed by Google, is used by the Node.js framework to turn JavaScript into native machine code, enabling blazing-fast performance.

●?Ubiquity: Through Node.js, JavaScript can now be used both on the client and server sides.

● Data Streaming: Node.js leverages the data stream feature to develop great features like processing files while the upload is in progress or implementing real-time video or audio encoding.

●?Database Queries: Because Node.js uses the JSON data format to store data, it functions flawlessly with web applications, unlike Ruby on Rails.

●Real-time Web Applications: Node.js excels at multi-user real-time web apps like games and chat applications. This system handles the event loop using a web socket protocol, which runs on TCP, therefore avoiding the overhead associated with HTTP for low-level sockets and protocols.

How Node.js Works:

●?Node.js has packages and modules that contain libraries of functions that can be imported from npm.

●?Basic modules are already included in Node.js if it is installed on your computer.

●??JavaScript is both asynchronous and single-threaded.

●?The event loop is responsible for running all functions and requests and is the single thread in Node.js.

●?Asynchronous behavior is essential in Node.js to ensure that the event loop is never blocked by synchronous functions.

●?When a request is made, the event loop passes it to an asynchronous function to process it.

●?After the function completes and returns a response, it can be passed back to the event loop, executed by the callback, and sent to the user.

●?Applications developed in Node.js can handle multiple requests simultaneously due to the asynchronous nature of JavaScript.

●?Functions written in Node.js are not synchronous, and it is essential to catch any server errors before they reach the client.

●?Errors that reach the event loop can cause the program to crash, affecting all clients.

Node.js is a popular server-side JavaScript runtime environment used for building fast and scalable network applications. Below are some of the benefits and reasons to use Node.js:

Why should you use Node.js in development :

?Node.js is a versatile development platform that can give you a competitive edge in creating a variety of business solutions.

Prominent use cases for Node.js development include:

●?Developing data streaming applications that can process large amounts of data into smaller packages sequentially using Node.js's built-in stream module.

●?Developing microservices frameworks because Node.js is easy to design and can extract most of the underlying system with less code.

● Developing IoT applications because Node.js works effectively with write and readable channels and streams, and supports MQTT and WebSockets for transport and encapsulation.

●?Building scalable applications that can handle high-peak loads and scalability, such as Uber.

●?Communicating with APIs for interacting with databases or external services using REST or GraphQL API libraries available in Node.js's large community.

●?Developing Single-Page Applications (SPAs) that look and feel like desktop programs, suitable for social networking platforms, dynamic websites, and email solutions due to Node.js's asynchronous back-end data flow quality.

Node.js Case Study:

These are a few case studies of companies that have adopted Node.js, which demonstrate the practical applications and business advantages of this technology.

??Firstly, Netflix, the global streaming media and video-on-demand provider have implemented Node.js to tackle conditional dependencies and app scalability. This resulted in a 70% decrease in startup time.

??Secondly, LinkedIn, the largest business and employment-oriented social networking service, switched its mobile app backend from Ruby on Rails to Node.js, which resulted in a 2-10 times faster app with lightweight features that reduced development time.

??Thirdly, NASA also utilizes Node.js to keep astronauts safe during their space missions. By using this technology, they were able to consolidate data related to the EVA spacesuits into a single cloud database, decreasing the access steps from 28 to 7.

??Fourthly, Trello, a project management app, leverages Node.js for instant propagation of updates, which requires many open connections. Additionally, it's a quick tool for prototyping single-page apps.

??Lastly, Walmart, the world's largest retailer, overhauled its mobile app with Node.js to handle multiple concurrent requests with asynchronous I/O and single-threaded event loop models. This transition was fruitful, resulting in sophisticated features on the client side.