What is NodeJS and Why You need to learn it

What Is NodeJS

Node.js is a framework for writing server-side JavaScript applications. It is built on top of the V8 JavaScript runtime and uses an event-driven, non-blocking I/O model that makes it perfect for data-intensive, real-time applications.

Some of the leading companies in the world use Node in production, like Netflix, Paypal, Walmart, and Uber.

Node is often used to build back end services that communicate with client-side applications. These applications get and send data through a back end service called an API. The API serves as an interface between different programs so they are able to talk to each other. A web app and a mobile app below can leverage the same API to store data, send emails, push notification or initiate workflows on the server.

Architecture

Every browser has their own Javascript engine that converts javascript into code that a computer can understand. For example, Microsoft Edge uses Chakra, Firefox uses spidermonkey, and chrome uses V8. This explains why JavaScript code can behave differently in other browsers.

Before Node, you could only run JavaScript in the browser. In 2009, being able to run Javascript outside of the browser was finally made possible when Ryan Dahl came up with the idea…