Which one will be your pick for large app development: Node.js or Java

Introduction

Being a programming language Java is over two decades old. It was initially made by Sun Microsystems and then bought by Oracle, which still develops it. Java is a dominant force in the software development arena as a server-side language. It is an object-based compiled language drawing its syntax from C++. On the other side, Node.js is not a programming language, but a runtime permitting the implementation of JavaScript on the server side. Currently, JavaScript which is almost as old as Java, happens to be an interpreted language utilized on the client side for some time, till Node.js burst on to the scene. Node.js armed with the “JavaScript everywhere” concept has facilitated the usage of JavaScript on the backend, as well. Node.js made its smashing debut in 2009 and is presently an open-source community project created under the Node.js Foundation.

Hence, let us compare the Node.js vs Java capabilities to analyze in which scenarios it is ideal to select one or the other for the backend development.

Benefits of Java

The benefits of Java as a backend programming language are several.

Independence of Platform

Java is famous for its “Write Once, Run Anywhere” approach, implying that the code written in Java can be operated on any platform, irrespective of where it was originally created. This kind of autonomy in terms of platform is as a result of the Java Virtual Machine – the place where Java code is implemented. The JVM facilitates the readability of Java source code by any platform minus any special compilers. This makes Java separate from other languages that need compilers. As for Node.js, it has segments that are linked to the operating system. If you want the software to operate on a different platform, you should rebuild the modules, in order to gel with the new OS.

Integrated Development Environment (IDE)

Both Node.js and Java possess their IDEs, however IDE of Java is much better. The most sought-after tools of Java developers are Eclipse, IntelliJ IDEA, and NetBeans that have embedded debuggers, servers, and decompilers. Every Java IDE is a total ecosystem that assists all phases of backend code creation. In every IDE, you can comfortably write your code, edit and debug it, develop your software, and then examine it. Node.js developers usually utilize just plain text editors and command lines in order to write their code. There are capable Node.js IDEs in the market, as well, for example, WebStorm having smart coding assistance and error checking, and Eclipse Che with its teamwork assistance and a special Node.js stack including a totally configured debugger module. But, most developers are of the view that the Java IDEs happened to be more sorted out and sleeker than those used in Node.js development.

Libraries

For more than two decades, Java has managed to acquire robust libraries having reusable code elements. Libraries can be a time-saving component which even enrich the knowledge of the vast Java community.

Majority of Java libraries are open-source and backed and updated by seasoned Java developers. The Java libraries encompasses all aspects of programming - general purpose libraries, such as Apache Commons, XML parsing libraries, such as JAXB, unit testing libraries, such as JUnit, and many more of the same.

Node.js features segments can be considered as JavaScript libraries. Certain modules are built-in, like the url module for parsing URL strings, cryptic modules offering the cryptographic functionality etc. The modular structure happens to be the best part of Node.js, permitting the user to save time and accomplish ease of modification and expandability. But, the superiority of Java libraries is very well known.

Multi-threaded Processing

Java utilizes a multi-threaded web server that sifts every request in a different thread. Multi-threading permits the carrying out of various tasks simultaneously devoid of cluttering the events.

Multi-threaded processing turns Java into an ideal tool for CPU-intensive applications, such as video streaming, image editing, etc. As for Java, multi-threading is embedded, but for languages extra procedures are required for each operating system to facilitate multi-threaded request processing.

Node.js is single-threaded, where every request is assessed in a single thread. The single-threaded method in a way reduces the performance speed of Node.js applications rendering it unsuitable for large, CPU-heavy products. It is to be noted that Node.js is presently tied up with implementing the multi-threaded mode. However, the solution called “worker threads” cannot bring in a genuine multi-threaded process.

Benefits of Node.js

Ubiquitous JavaScript

This is a huge benefit of Node.js and the feature that has defined it. Node.js happens to be the first tool that permitted the developers to utilize JavaScript on the backend. With Node.js, JavaScript can be utilized both on the frontend and backend, facilitating an increasingly seamless infrastructure. Java, happens to be a backend language needing something unique for the frontend development. There are Java-oriented frontend tools, such as JavaFX and Swing, however even they are no match for the same code uniformity like Node.js.

Quick Development

Node.js has a relatively more convenient learning curve than Java, so you can begin with ease. Further, knowledge sharing within the team becomes easier when everybody is familiar with JavaScript. As said previously Java libraries and reusable elements are more potent than that of Node.js, there exists a lot of community-developed code to be reused in Node.js apps. It is true that Node.js takes about 33% fewer lines of code than Java, it becomes clear that developing an app with Node.js is less time-consuming.

Expandability

Node.js displays superior horizontal scalability, which can be accomplished by including more hardware. Having said that, with vertical scalability as a result of incorporating processing power, Node.js does not come across as something superior, due to its single-threaded nature. For multi-core systems, you must utilize the cluster module, permitting the development of child processes that utilize all cores. Still, it is worth remembering that operating a cluster may be a very memory-consuming solution. As for Java, it does not expand, horizontally, very well. It operates ably on particular servers, however at some point including more servers provides the desired performance.

Advantages of Both Back-end Development Languages

Over here, we will feature just points, but its significance is paramount in terms of app performance.

Speed

Sometimes, Node.js has an edge over Java. Whereas in certain situations, it is the other way round. In terms of speed the top honours lies sometimes with Node.js or Java. Node.js sifts through IOs in a non-blocking way, implying that its single thread can deal with various IO requests simultaneously. You don't have to wait for the completion of one request to begin processing the others.

Java takes recourse to blocking and non-blocking IO. Blocking IO means that the first IO request blocks all others. This cuts down the speed considerably, as the application has to wait until the thread procedures requests one by one. The speed can be added by including threads, but the option is not cost-effective. Non-blocking IO processing turns Node.js to be a suitable tool for developing apps with humongous reading and writing functions, such as logging, data acquisition, backup, transaction processing, and real-time apps.

Crux of Node.js vs Java Comparison

The comparative study of Node.js and Java as backend tools proves that both have their own merits and demerits prompting the selection of technology for a certain application. Now let us dissect our discovery to learn the advantages of both with clarity.

Advantages of Node.js and Java:

Node.js

• Similar language on both frontend and backend
• Quicker and convenient development
• Excellent application speed for IO-intensive apps
• Expandability
• Processing speed

Java

• Platform independence
• Comfortable IDE
• Large ecosystem
• Higher performance for CPU-intensive apps
• Processing speed

Way to select the right technology

There are several aspects to be factored in while choosing the apt technology to utilize when developing your app. For example, in case you are eyeing an enterprise-scale application that becomes big on the CPU, then Java becomes an automatic choice.

Java is perfect for IoT software development, eCommerce platforms, and Big Data apps. Java is the language that is perfect for developing and maintaining on major platforms such as Google and Android, the global marketplaces eBay and Amazon, and many others.

Having said that it would be wrong to assume that Nodes.js are not for enterprise applications. The selection hinges on their nature, and Node.js will be apt on apps hinging on the processing speed and having a lot of data read and write operations. The image below proves that Node.js has made an impact in several major industries and is a favorite choice among manufacturing majors, such as BMW and Siemens, banking institutions, such as Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo etc.

As the number of web apps goes up, the selection involving Node.js vs Java in 2019 can become very important. In case of any doubt please approach us as our development teams have expertise in both technologies.