Node.js
Node.js is an open-source, cross-platform JavaScript runtime environment with a focus on server-side and networking applications.
Node.js allows developers to build fast, scalable network applications using easy-to-understand code. It runs on Windows OS, Mac OSX, Linux, Unix, and other operating systems. It has support for ARM processors, like Raspberry Pi or Beaglebone Black.
The idea behind Node was conceived in early 2009 by Ryan Dahl. He had previously developed Web Machine. That was the first web application framework written in Google’s Chrome browser.
The project started as a simple experiment. Still, it gained momentum among engineers looking for ways to write high-performance programs. This was without dealing with the complexities of traditional languages.
Who Should Use Node.js?
Node.js is an ideal choice for developers that need to build fast, scalable network applications using easy code. They can build web servers and other backend systems such as those powering mobile apps or websites.
Node has a strong community of contributors working on it and some big-name supporters. This includes the likes of Microsoft, who have open-sourced their JavaScript engine ChakraCore.
Node’s core library (a decentralized key-value store) is written in C++, though not entirely. Linux Foundation’s CoreOS team contributed parts of its flagship project Tectonic to Node. Tectonic is a platform designed exclusively for running containers.
In addition, there are lots of tutorials available online that can help you get started coding your own server-side application within minutes without having to worry about managing a backend. Node.js cross-platform development is also available.
Node makes it easy to run Node.js JavaScript on the server-side. It is not limited to just desktop or mobile applications.
There are many tools that one can use with Node which allow you to use your existing HTML, CSS and JS skillset. This is used for building powerful web applications without having to learn a new programming language.
Examples of Node.js Use
One can use Node.js for chat applications, web apps, games, and other real-time applications. For instance:
BitPay, a Bitcoin payment processor, uses Node for instantaneous transactions by updating the amount in bitcoins to be sent as soon as their value fluctuates.
Yahoo Weather Widget with weather updates from around the world is delivered straight to your desktop or mobile device without having to refresh your page.
Tictac is an open-source multiplayer game where each player has just one finger on an iPhone, which can simultaneously control two tanks on both sides of a divided battlefield using various gestures such as tapping or swiping.
You can either play against another user via Bluetooth (which doesn't require any internet connection) or participate in an online tournament with up to 16 players battling it out in real-time.
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Node-RED is a graphical tool that lets you create flows (or expressions such) of nodes that can be configured to perform specific tasks as collecting data from sensors, controlling your home thermostat and other devices, or even chain together multiple gadgets like the Philips Hue light bulb. Hence, it changes color based on weather conditions outside.
Node.js is well suited to use in:
Using Raspberry Pi, you can use a high-performance JavaScript engine on the device without having to have it connected to the internet 24 hours a day continuously since all data processing will happen locally on your computer, tablet, or phone that you are using at any given time.
Is Node.js A Programming Language?
No, it is not. Node.js was written in JavaScript. It provides a runtime environment for JavaScript to code server-side while using Google's V0 library.
The library handles the heavy lifting part such as event handling, networking, etc. Node uses an asynchronous I/O model that makes its operations fast since they can happen without being blocked by other tasks.
This means that developers don't have to worry about threads or locks when performing concurrent tasks on their system. With Node, this all happens automatically under the hood. Hence, you need to focus on writing your code and nothing else!
When JS became a common language, Node had established as essential to development environments. This was all across various industries, including finance, education, and manufacturing. Thanks in large part to its scalability and high-performance capabilities.
Is Node.js Front Or Backend?
Node.js is a backend technology as it allows developers to use JavaScript on the server-side of their applications. One can use it for tasks such as collecting data from sensors, controlling your home thermostat.
However, Node also offers modules and packages specifically made for front-end development. This is where you would create single-page web applications using frameworks such as AngularJS.
Therefore, the node has an intentional lack of features. This is to focus more resources on its core libraries.This means there won't be any support for object-oriented programming. Specifically when developing with node (unless by implementing an external library).
This does allow the node's codebase to remain small and efficient. This is great for developing applications that need to be ultra-fast.
Node's asynchronous I/O model also serves as a bonus when using it on the front end since this means there won't be any blocking operations. You can focus only on writing your code without worrying about threads or locking.
Ironically, Node itself does not have an event-driven architecture as programming languages do. It rather focuses more of its resources on providing developers with a way of scaling their web applications. This is done by creating many processes at once (for example, Apache server).
This makes the node easy to use compared to other solutions such as CouchDB. This is because each request has to wait until the previous one finishes. This is done before processing it.