Node.js

What is Node.js and What is it Used For?

Node.js is a platform used to run JavaScript. It was first developed by Ryan Dahl in 2009. It is an open-source and cross-platform runtime environment.

Node.js is not a programming language. Node.js operates quickly and efficiently by using JavaScript's asynchronous nature. Since Node.js runs on the V8 JavaScript engine, it compiles JavaScript code directly into machine code, providing fast performance.

Node.js operates on the server side, enabling the development of server-side web applications. Today, large companies like PayPal, Uber, Netflix, and Walmart prefer Node.js and use it in their development processes.

Is Node.js a Programming Language?

Answer: No.

Node.js is not a programming language. Node.js is a runtime environment. The Node.js runtime is built on top of a programming language.

A runtime environment (RTE) is a collection of web APIs that a developer can use to create code and a JavaScript engine used to parse that code. This feature makes Node.js lightweight and versatile. It ensures easy installation. Node.js helps optimize and speed up the project.

Advantages of Node.js

1. Easy to Learn - Node.js is a very good choice for beginners in web development. It is easy to learn Node.js. Additionally, there are many tutorial documents available.
2. Scalable - Node.js provides great scalability for applications. Node.js is built on top of Chrome V8's engine supported by Google. This allows it to handle a large number of concurrent connections with high efficiency.
3. Speed - Node.js is a fast runtime environment.
4. Use of JavaScript -  Since Node.js runs on JavaScript, it facilitates the use of the same language for both server and client-side codes.
5. Packages - Node.js has numerous open-source packages that can simplify tasks.
6. Strong Backend - Node.js is written in C and C++. This makes Node.js fast and adds features like network support.
7. Cross-Platform - It provides cross-platform support. With Node.js, SaaS websites, desktop applications, and mobile applications are created.
8. Real-Time Web Applications - Nowadays, users want to interact with each other in real-time. Node.js allows users to communicate with websites and other users.
9. Freedom - Node.js offers more space and freedom for developers to implement their own methods. With Node.js, everything can be built from scratch and every detail can be customized.
10. Active Community - The Node.js developer community contributes to the continuous improvement of Node.js.

Disadvantages of Node.js

Despite all the advantages listed above, Node.js also has its disadvantages. Here are some of the disadvantages of Node.js:

1. Process Structures - The use of callback functions in Node.js can be challenging for some developers.
2. Memory Management - Node.js uses automatic garbage collection for memory management. However, this can lead to memory leaks in some cases.
3. Limited CPU Usage - Since Node.js operates on a single thread, it is not suitable for very CPU-intensive operations.
4. Unstable API - One of the biggest disadvantages of Node.js is its inconsistency. Node.js's API changes frequently, and the changes are often backward incompatible. In this case, developers have to make changes to the existing codebase to make the Node.js API compatible with the latest version.

Where is Node.js Used? 

Node.js is used for a wide variety of applications. The primary use cases for Node.js are as follows:

Internet of Things

IoT (Internet of Things) is a network of devices such as sensors, indicators, actuators, and data transmissions. IoT applications usually contain multiple sensors, as they send small data chunks that can generate a large number of requests. Node.js is a good choice because it can handle these concurrent requests quickly. It is one of the preferred solutions for organizations and institutions looking to develop IoT systems.

Real-Time Chat Applications

Real-time chat applications are any online communication tool that allows text, video, or voice messages to be transmitted live from a sender to a receiver. They are widely used in social media applications and commercial websites, making them an important part of many industries.

Node.js provides all the basic functions needed to create real-time chats of any complexity. Since Node.js efficiently handles I/O tasks, it works well with programs that use intensive data like chat applications.

Single Page Applications

Single Page Applications (SPAs) are a popular web development approach where the entire application fits on a single page to provide a comprehensive user experience similar to a desktop application. Today, SPAs are widely used in social networking applications and online text tools. The best example of an SPA is Gmail, which continuously receives updates.

Node.js helps SPAs update data without refreshing the page because it can efficiently handle asynchronous calls between heavy I/O operations. Additionally, Node.js is written in the same language (JavaScript) as many popular JavaScript frameworks (Ember, Meteor, React, Angular) used when creating SPAs. This allows for faster development and better maintenance of SPAs.

Real-Time Collaboration Tools

Real-time collaboration applications allow team members to perform various tasks such as browsing together, project management, video and voice conferencing, application sharing, collaborative document editing, and more. Popular and successful examples include Slack, Trello, and Google Docs.

Many events and requests occur simultaneously in these applications. Team members can comment or edit the same paragraph at the same time. Node.js’s asynchronous and event-driven architecture is very suitable for collaboration applications.

Data Streaming

Node.js has built-in modules that support data streaming, allowing the creation of readable and writable streams. Node.js helps in the asynchronous distribution of data. Companies like Netflix use Node.js for data streaming.

REST API

REST API-based applications are used on both the frontend and backend of JavaScript applications. This allows a server to easily communicate with the frontend through REST APIs using Node.js. This API accelerates the integration process. Node.js also includes a range of packages like Express.js and Koa.js that can be used to build applications.

How to Install Node.js?

Installing Node.js is quite simple. The most suitable method to install it on Windows, macOS, and Linux is as follows:

1. Download Node.js from the Node.js website.
2. Open the downloaded file. In the installation window that appears, click the “Next” button.
3. Select the target folder and click “Next”.
4. Select the features to be installed.
5. Check the “Automatically install necessary tools” option. Click “Next” and then “Install”. 

How Does Node.js Work?

Node.js has a specific workflow. Node.js uses a "Single-Threaded Event Loop" architecture to handle multiple clients simultaneously. It operates as a single process, meaning it does not create a new thread for each request. A thread is a set of instructions that the server needs to execute.

When a client sends a request to the web server, the single-threaded event loop receives it and sends it to a worker thread for processing.

Meanwhile, Node.js continues working on the next task instead of waiting for a response from the worker thread and wasting CPU resources. This way, it can handle a large amount of concurrent requests.

Since Node.js uses fewer threads, it consumes fewer resources/memory, allowing tasks to be executed faster. When tasks that require intensive data processing need to be handled, it is more appropriate to use multi-threaded languages like Java. However, for real-time applications, Node.js is a more suitable choice. 

Examples of Node.js Applications

Node.js is also used to create web and IoT projects that need to handle a large number of connections without any issues, in addition to scalable desktop and mobile applications. Therefore, companies like Amazon, Netflix, eBay, Reddit, and PayPal use Node.js. 

• ✅ Netflix: Netflix is the world's leading media streaming and video provider. It is a data-driven platform that uses a large number of A/B tests to create a rich experience for over 195 million subscribers worldwide. Netflix uses Node.js to handle large amounts of traffic.

• ✅ LinkedIn: LinkedIn is a business and employment-focused social networking service. It uses Node.js for its mobile application backends.

• ✅ Twitter: Twitter is a popular social networking platform with over 330 million active users monthly. It is also one of the top ten most visited websites in the world. Twitter increased its development speed by migrating to Node.js. 

• ✅ Slack: Slack is a collaboration tool that helps teams communicate more efficiently and work together. Companies like NASA, Airbnb, and eBay use Slack, which has over 12 million active users. Slack uses Node.js to handle concurrent requests. 

• ✅ Trello: Trello is a project management application. The server side of Trello is built on Node.js. Node.js allows updates to be made instantly.

Node.js and NPM: What is NPM?

Node.js is a JavaScript runtime environment. NPM, or Node Package Manager, is a package manager that allows JavaScript and Node.js users to share their own modules with others. Thus, NPM is a large part of the Node.js ecosystem.

NPM makes the application development process faster and more efficient. It contains a large number of downloadable packages. NPM is free to use, and all developers who want to contribute do so here. All these packages are available on the official website. To use NPM, you need to install Node.js because NPM is included as a default feature within Node.js. 

Popular Node.js Packages

Some of the most popular packages for Node.js are:

• Express
• MongoDB 
• Socket.io
• Lodash 
• Moment
• Commander.js 
• Mocha 

Resources to Learn Node.js

The most important thing you need to know to learn Node.js is JavaScript. If you're curious about how to learn JavaScript, you can check out our articles on What is JavaScript and JavaScript Interview Questions. 

Once you have a good understanding of JavaScript, you can move on to Node.js. There are many resources available to learn Node.js. Here are some resources you can use to learn Node.js:

• Official Node.js Website: The official Node.js website contains detailed information about Node.js.
• Udemy: Educational platforms like Udemy offer courses you can use to learn Node.js. 
• YouTube: There are many video lessons and tutorial videos about Node.js available on YouTube.
• Books: There are many books available about Node.js. You can check out this Node.js tutorial book for free. 
• Node.js Bootcamps: Many Bootcamps offer teaching Node.js. You can check out our open bootcamps here.

Conclusion

There are many reasons to use Node.js for web and application development. It has fast, scalable, and module-based features that facilitate development. If you are looking for a JavaScript framework that can help you develop applications quickly and easily, Node.js will be the right choice. If you want to learn more about Node.js, you can also check out our Node.js interview questions article.

FAQ

How Many Days Does It Take to Learn Node.js?

Assuming you already have experience with JavaScript, learning Node.js will take 1 or 2 months. If you do not have experience with JavaScript, you need to learn JavaScript first. 

Aside from personal learning styles, the most important factors in learning Node.js are how much coding experience you already have and which skills you need to master to reach a point where you can learn Node.js.

Is Node.js Free?

Node.js is a free and open-source runtime environment. 

How Difficult is Node.js as a Technology?

Learning any new skill is always challenging. The difficulties in learning Node.js depend on factors such as your previous coding experience and the time you dedicate to Node.js training.

What Does a Node.js Developer Do?

A Node.js developer deploys and maintains network applications. They manage data exchange between servers and users, develop backend components, and connect applications to other web services. Additionally, they support frontend developers by integrating web-based applications.

What is the Difference Between Node.js and JavaScript?

JavaScript is a lightweight, cross-platform, and interpreted client-side programming language. Node.js, on the other hand, is a server-side runtime environment. 

Is Node.js Frontend or Backend?

It is a common misconception among developers that Node.js is only a Backend technology used solely for creating servers. However, Node.js can be used on both the Backend and Frontend sides.