Facts about Node JS you might have missed
Node JS is not a framework and more …
Node.js is a server-side runtime environment used to build fast and scalable applications. It is light and lets you create a web server in just a few minutes. According to Stack Overflow, Node.js is the absolute leader in the world of technology with 50.4%. So, what makes it so popular?
With the increasing popularity of JavaScript, there has also been a demand for server-side programming capability among developers. With a callback concept and being event-driven, Node.js made a considerable step in that direction.
In this article, let’s bust some common myths about Node.js and also explore some areas where Node.js outshines its competition.
The myths and the facts
At the core, Node.js is a server engine that you can edit and adjust, and it will only work after you set it up. Requests to it are processed as a loop (event loop), and that’s why Node is essentially a runtime. But often, people face specific delusions about Node.js development. Here are the most common myths busted!
Why use Node.js for development?
Node.js is very distinctive in some ways. Probably, the most significant one is that it’s a server-side platform. With Node, JavaScript is not limited to the front-end only (working in the browser), but also allows work away from the browser. Running code on the server this way results in fast processing capability. Here are a few more reasons to use Node.js for your next project.
1. Javascript is omnipresent
Let me put this out there. JavaScript is the simplest and the most popular way to develop apps in the browser. You can do it with other programming languages, but it isn’t that easy, and might require transpilation, or usage of a deprecated technology.
Again, JavaScript is one of the most popular language on GitHub. The magic of the Node.js addition to JavaScript is that you can develop on the server too! JavaScript also runs across multiple operating systems and evens out their inconsistencies. Compared to other languages and their event-loop systems, e.g. Python and Ruby, JavaScript proves to have better performance.
2. Powered by Google Chrome
Node.js operates in the back-end being powered by Google V8 engine, the same runtime as in Google Chrome to execute JavaScript in the front-end.
What’s so good about that? Developer teams competing to advance JavaScript have made it one of the fastest and most dynamic runtimes. Google itself proudly lists Node.js among other systems engine powers, so that’s something!
3. Reinforced by JSON
Why go nuts and sleepless with XML markup, when there’s the more practical JSON? JavaScript Object Notation, thus the acronym, is a robust and popular data exchange format. It is simple and allows developers to build APIs quickly. It is one of the pillars of JavaScript, actually.
In early days of programming, dynamic data in a browser had to be carefully manipulated in JavaScript. Introduction of general purpose JSON gave birth to NoSQL databases, like MongoDB. It was intended for JS only, but now it is the international standard.
4. Awesome community support
The Node.js community is open and friendly, ready to share any packages of code. Node ethics allows and welcomes this approach, making it simple to do so. Any author can publish code or create modules in a public repository. In legal terms, there’s the MIT open source license in play, taking care of all intellectual property issues.
You may find about 475K code packages in the NPM alone, which has grown from package manager to a repository. Thus, it is very likely that when you face some challenge/task with Node.js development, there is already a solution.
5. Beauty of NPM
Node Package Manager (NPM) is included in Node by default. It actually is at the core of most deployment systems for Node.js, and with its help, the Node ecosystem has expanded significantly in recent years. NPM consists of a command line and a database of packages (the registry), and it manages packages that are both local to a project and public JavaScript tools.
6. Fine Instrumentation
Node.js comes with fine instrumentation, documentation and best practices. This is aimed at helping at every stage of app development, best performance, and readiness for production.
What is Node.js great for?
While there is some debate about appropriate Node.js use, what are some of the areas where Node rocks? Below are a few examples.
Chat
A most typical real-time application, a messaging chat application shows all the best of Node.js. Multiple users, big traffic, intensive data and running across devices.
Server-side web apps
Not a typical use of Node due to HTML, though if you pair Node.js and Express.js, you can make some classic web applications on the server-side. Again, this is subject to debate, but if your app is low on CPU computation, you’re surely able to build it fully in JavaScript.
Data streaming
Leveraging the fact that HTTP requests and responses are basically data streams, we can use Node.js to create some positive features. For instance, processing files while they are just being uploaded, e.g. for audio/video encoding.
Monitoring dashboards
To collect real-time data about website visitors and visualizations, you can use Node.js nicely to make system dashboards. User statistics and the ability to see what they are doing instantly, isn’t it great for business?
Conclusion
Node.js might not the perfect solution, but it is a great tool for building server-side web applications in JavaScript. NodeJS is always evolving and expanding its use. It is relatively simple to get into while good enough to handle today’s web development tasks. It is a cost-efficient and resource-efficient system for building websites, APIs for web/mobile integration, and standalone software.
Feel free to reach out to me for any questions or suggestions that you might have. You can follow me on these social media platforms — LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram for more updated content!
As always! Happy Hacking! 😇
