Why is Node.js good for the IBM i?

Why is Node.js good for the IBM i?

Over the past couple of years, Node.js has really gained some traction in the IBM i community. And it’s more than just IBM. Various software vendors or consulting firms are talking about Node.js. It’s the customer base.

Many of our clients have requested that we find full-stack IBM i developers with experience in modern RPG, SQL RESTful, Javascript, and Node.js.

The History of Node.js

Node.js made its debut back in November 2009 when Ryan Dahl (creator of Node.js) did his original Node.js talk. To learn more, go to “the History of Node.js.” You will find a year-by-year history of Node.js.

Open Source and the IBM i

Open source development on the IBM i has been around since the early 2000s, if not before.

“It started with the Apache web server, then Java, then PHP and MySQL, Ruby, Node.js, Python, and even more you haven’t even heard of”

History of languages on the IBM i (rough timeline):

• Java goes back to around 2004. (It was kind of a mess. See the “Java Quagmire” to learn more.)
• PHP goes back to around 2005.
• Python goes back to around 2006.
• Ruby goes back to around 2009.
• “Node.js becomes available on the IBM i in 2014“.

Node.js catches its stride

Node.js became mainstream in 2017, which is around the same time we started seeing it pop up in the IBM i community. The date on the linked article here is May of 2016.

Why is Node.js good for the IBM i?

Node.js has one big advantage over other languages in that you have a single language for both the client and the server.

This is significant because,

“web applications usually have “front-end” and “back-end” developers because few people can do both. There is simply not enough time in a day to keep up with ever-changing languages, syntaxes, and frameworks. In the RPG green screen programming model, a single developer could code a complete application (i.e., order entry, inventory, shipping, etc.). How? because the technology wasn’t as complicated. I don’t think web programming will ever be as straightforward as RPG plus *DSPF, but Node.js is the closest we’ve come on a handful of fronts because it reduces the amount of technology one person needs to maintain.” – Aaron Bartell

What Aaron Bartell wrote about back in 2016 seems to have played out and is gaining steam.

JavaScript and Node.js are starting to become the go-to choice for web application development on the IBM i.

Is Node.js the only path forward for the IBM i? Of course not, but it, along with “Javascript, are starting to become the go-to choice for web application development on the IBM i.”

Regardless, the future of the IBM i is here.

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