Node.js was developed by Ryan Dahl in 2009. It is a JavaScript runtime built upon the V8 engine that uses Javascript for creating the server side. The server created using Node.js can interact with the operating system and file system. It can perform all types of non-blocking I/O operations.
Node.js is lightweight, cross-platform, and can perform multiple operations simultaneously. It has millions of libraries and tools that can install using Node Package Manager to provide different functionalities.
Node.js is used by many popular companies like PayPal, Linkedin, GoDaddy, Netflix, etc.
Also Read: NodeJS: Installation, Setup, and Creating a Hello World Application in NodeJS
Features of Node.js
Below are the features of Node.js that make it stand out from other programming languages.
Performance and Speed:
Node.js is built upon the V8 engine which is written in C++ and provides fast execution speed. It compiles the source code into native instructions before it is run. The source code is passed into the compiler which translates the code into a format that a machine can execute.
Node.js uses non-blocking I/O operation which makes it lightweight and provides many asynchronous methods that can run multiple blocks of code at a time helping to increase the overall performance and execution speed.
Scalability:
Node.js is highly scalable and provides fast file system interaction as it has a dedicated file system module for reading and writing on files. It also supports all kinds of Databases, relational, and NoSQL.
Node.js consists of various methods and built-in modules, enough to handle a large-scale application without using any third-party frameworks.
Community Support:
Node.js has a vast and active global community. On GitHub, a large number of developers are there to help with your Node.js project. Even the new framework launched nowadays is based on Nodde.js, increasing the overall community daily.
Libraries and Tools Availability:
Node.js have millions of libraries and tools that can install using Node Package Manager. NPM has libraries literally for everything, it is the world’s largest repository of libraries. Almost 10,000 libraries are launched weekly.
Use Cases:
Node.js is used for creating the server side. The server created using Node.js can interact with the operating system, and file system easily, it can also create and manage all types of databases.
Learning Curve:
Node.js is a world itself, it is a non-end path containing many built-in modules, millions of external libraries, and concepts like asynchronous, synchronous, promises, async, await, and many more thing which is challenging to master but also fun tho.
What can Node.js do?
Node.js can perform all types of non-blocking I/O operations. Its ability to perform asynchronous operations makes it super easy to handle multiple requests simultaneously.
It can create dynamic pages, perform create, read, update, and delete operations on files, it can also handle upcoming form data, interact with all types of databases, and more. The possibilities with Node.js are endless.
Why is Node.js popular?
Javascript is the main reason behind the popularity of Node.js among developers as there are many JavaScript developers, even the newly started developer also knows JavaScript as it is fundamental to web development and for a JavaScript developer it is easy to switch to Node.js in comparison to other programming languages. Also, there are many advanced frameworks such as React, and Vue also builds upon Node.js that also place an essential role in the popularity of Node.js.
Node.js is lightweight, cross-platform, and performs multiple operations simultaneously is also why it is popular.
Node.js Built-in Modules
Node.js has many built-in modules, allowing you to create different types of applications and servers.
Below are the tutorial’s links to well-known Node.js built-in modules.
NodeJS OS Module: A Complete Guide
NodeJS Assertion: How to Use the NodeJS Assert Module
NodeJS Web Module: A Powerful Module for Web App Development
NodeJS Net Module – How to Create Servers and Clients in NodeJS
Node.js vs other programming languages
Node.js is better than other programming languages in terms of many things. We have already compared it with famous technologies if you want to read.
Summary
Node.js is getting famous day by day due to its different capabilities like interacting with operating systems and files, performing non-blocking I/O operations, interacting with all types of databases, asynchronous nature, millions of library supports, and wast community.
