Node JS - Front End or Back End?
Node.js is technically neither a framework nor a programming language or a library, but instead, it is a Google V8 JavaScript runtime environment that allows you to execute JavaScript code on the server side, either frontend or backend.
Currently, several thriving companies are using Node.js technologies in developing their applications, including Walmart, Netflix, Medium, Uber, LinkedIn, Groupon, and even NASA.
What is the purpose of Node.js?
The creator of Node.js, Ryan Dahl, was inspired by Gmail to create functionality for real-time websites to have push capability. He wanted to build a tool for developers that was non-blocking and event-driven, revolutionizing real-time possibilities.
The main benefit is that it offers speed. Speed of data processing and client-server interaction, speed of development, and speed of progression. As a result, Node.js offers event-driven two-way connections between client and server, where both sides of the equation can initiate communication and exchange data.
Node.js excels at the sort of scalable and real-time situations that we are increasingly asking of our web servers, thanks to its unique I/O model.
In this way, it fills a very specific gap in the market. While other techniques will spawn a new thread for every request that’s made, Node.js runs on one single-threaded event loop using non-blocking I/O calls, saving RAM and still supporting thousands of simultaneous connections.
More traditional web-serving methods require a new thread for each new connection, which weighs heavily on a system’s RAM; but, with just one thread, Node.js keeps things running smoothly, provided the requests aren’t too intensive.
In addition, Node.js is also lightweight, and efficient, and its ability to use JavaScript code on both frontend and backend opens new avenues for development. The front- and backend flexibility makes your development team far more efficient and cross-functional, and therefore lowers development costs.
With Node.js, code can be reused and shared in both the front- and backend parts of your application to speed up development. It is worth noting here that JavaScript is the most popular programming language, thanks to the single-thread event loop that facilitates asynchronous programming, so your application’s codebase will be easier to understand for any additional engineers.
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Pros of using Node.js for backend development
Cons of using Node.js for backend development
So, why is Node.js so popular?
Though immature in many aspects, Node.js is a fast-developing and promising environment that is set to solve and diminish many of the development hurdles that your app team may be encountering. It is likely that its usefulness will only continue to become clear to many programmers in the coming years.
Numerous companies have trusted Node.js in the production of their applications, and they’ve already experienced positive results. Developers are taking Node.js as an opportunity to widen their field and become full stack experts rather than restrict themselves to the boundaries of traditional functional teams.
The benefits of Node.js outlined above prove that, if you’ve got the right project, it is definitely worth following the example of the big names like NASA and Microsoft and working out how Node.js can help solve your programming problems.
One thing that is certain with Node.js is that, with its growing reputation, community, and use-cases, its benefits are likely to exceed your expectations.