Node.js is an extremely powerful JavaScript-based platform used to develop online chat applications, video streaming sites, single-page applications, and many other I/O-intensive web applications and web apps. Built on the JavaScript V8 Engine of Google Chrome, It is used by large, established companies and newly-minted startups alike (Netflix, Paypal, NASA, and Walmart, to name a few).
Node.js is open-source and completely free, used by thousands of developers around the world. It brings plenty of advantages to the table, making it a better choice than other server-side platforms like Java or PHP.
If you're new to Node.js or just getting up to speed on its core concepts, this article will give an introduction to the main fundamentals of this JavaScript-based platform. The following article covers the basics of this Node.js, why it's used, its different parts, the Node.js Express framework, use cases, and industry trends.
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Node.js is an open-source, cross-platform JavaScript runtime environment and library for running web applications outside the client's browser. Ryan Dahl developed it in 2009, and its latest version, v13.8.0, was released on Jan. 30. Node.js is used for creating server-side web applications and is perfect for data-intensive applications since it uses an asynchronous, event-driven model.
Now that we know what Node.js is let's go ahead and take a look at why it is so prevalent in the field of web development.
Node.js has become the de facto tool for developing server-side and network applications. Here is why:
These reasons more than justify the popularity of the Node.js platform and why it is being adopted by a large number of organizations and businesses. Now, let's familiarize ourselves with the different parts of Node.js.
Fig: Parts of Node.js
Now, let's go through each part of Node.js to get a better understanding of the server-side platform as a whole.
Modules are like JavaScript libraries that can be used in a Node.js application to include a set of functions. In order to include a module in a Node.js application, use the require() function with the parenthesis containing the name of the module.
Fig: Include a module in Node.js
Node.js has many modules that provide the basic functionality needed for a web application. Some of them are mentioned in this table:
Fig: Node.js modules table
The console is a module that provides a method for debugging that is similar to the basic JavaScript console provided by internet browsers. It prints messages to stdout and stderr.
Fig: Node.js console
Node.js is built-on on the concept of single-threaded programming. Cluster is a module that allows multi-threading by creating child processes that share the same server port and run simultaneously.
A cluster can be added to an application in the following way:
Fig: Add cluster in Node.js
Global objects in Node.js are available in all modules. These objects are functions, modules, strings, etc. Some Node.js global objects are mentioned in the table below:
Fig: Global objects table
Node.js applications experience four types of errors.
Fig: Node.js errors
Errors in Node.js are handled through exceptions. For example, let's handle the error that would occur when we divide a number by zero. This error would crash the Node.js application, so we should handle this error to continue with the normal execution of the application.
Fig: Node.js error handling
Streams are the objects that let you read data or write data continuously. There are four types of streams:
Buffer is a module that allows the handling of streams that contain only binary data. An empty buffer of length '10' can be created by this method:
Fig: Node.js buffer
The domain module intercepts errors that remain unhandled. Two methods are used for intercepting these errors:
DNS module is used to connect to a DNS server and perform name resolution by using the following method:
Fig: DNS resolve
DNS module is also used for performing name resolution without a network communication by using the following method:
Fig: DNS lookup
Node.js includes a debugging utility that can be accessed by a built-in debugging client. Node.js debugger is not feature-packed but supports the simple inspection of code. The debugger can be used in the terminal by using the 'inspect' keyword before the name of the JavaScript file. In order to inspect a file—myscript.js, for example—you can follow this method:
Fig: Node.js debugger
Now that we are familiar with the main parts of Node.js let's go ahead and learn about the Node.js Express framework.
Express is a flexible Node.js web application framework that provides a wide set of features to develop both web and mobile applications. It's a layer built on the top of the Node.js that helps manage a server and routes.
Now look at some of the core features of the Express framework:
Now look at an example of a simple "Hello World" program developed using the Express framework to gain a better understanding of this framework.
Fig: Node.js Express framework, "Hello World."
Having learned about the Express framework, let's now move on to the use cases of Node.js.
Fig: Node.js use cases
Fig: Netflix
Netflix, the world's leading online entertainment network with more than 167 million users, is one of many top companies trusting Node.js for their servers. The reasons why the company chose to use Node.js include:
Fig: Walmart
Walmart is the world's largest company by revenue, with US$514.405 billion, according to the 2019 Fortune Global 500 list. Walmart chose to use Node.js because of the following attributes:
Fig: Uber
Uber is a U.S.-based, multinational ride-hailing company offering services that include peer-to-peer ridesharing, ride service hailing, and food delivery. The reasons why the company chose to use Node.js include:
Fig: NASA
NASA, an independent agency of the United States Federal Government, is responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aerospace and aeronautics research. NASA chose to use Node.js for the following reasons:
Fig: Paypal
PayPal is a U.S.-based company operating a global online payment system that supports online money transfers, that is serving as an electronic alternative to traditional paper methods like checks and money orders. PayPal chose to use Node.js for the following reasons:
Fig: Medium
Medium is a popular online publishing platform developed by Evan Williams and launched in August 2012. The reasons why the company chose to use Node.js include the following:
Node.js developers are in demand around the world due to the wide adoption of this JavaScript library. It is among the top 10 most in-demand jobs, according to Forbes.
Fig: Node.js Source Report
With adopters such as Netflix, Paypal, and other tech companies, Node.js has seen an exponential increase in its use in web development.
The popularity of Node.js is also due to the fact that it's built on JavaScript. Since JavaScript is the most popular language, as evident from the survey conducted by Stack Overflow in 2019, many developers can start working on the Node.js library without too steep of a learning curve.
Source: Stack Overflow Report 2019
The average salary of a Node.js developer in India is ₹6,13,000 per year!
The average salary of a Node.js developer in the United States is $104,964 per year!
Now that you know the basics of Node.js, you may be wondering how you can obtain the skills necessary to take advantage of its rising popularity. Fortunately, there are some great options for learning this exciting and practical skill set at your own pace. Simplilearn's Node.js Certification training course will give you a great foundation in this popular platform, combining live, instructor-led training, self-paced tutorials, and hands-on projects to help you become career-ready upon completion. Get started today and seize your future!
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Node.js Training | 8 May -5 Jun 2021, Weekend batch | Your City | View Details |
Taha is a Research Analyst at Simplilearn. He is passionate about building great user interfaces and keeps himself updated on the world of Artificial Intelligence. Taha is also interested in gaming and photography.
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