In today’s world, you can see the use of JavaScript programming language in various programs and its impact on digital life. Although JavaScript is considered to be the core of the web along with HTML and CSS, this high-level and interpretive language is also used as part of the web in creating mobile applications, computer games, desktop programs, etc. One of the concerns of JavaScript programmers has always been to be able to run their code on the server side, except for the user’s browser. That is, with the help of JavaScript, they can create the appearance and logic of their web service together. Because they don’t go for languages like PHP or Ruby for server-side programming. One of the environments that allows programmers to run their JavaScript code on the server side is Node.js. In this article, we will get acquainted with the definition and concept of node.js, and then we will examine the uses and features of this platform.
It is a server-side coding platform that is coded based on the JavaScript engine of the Google Chrome browser. This platform was created by Ryan Dahl in 2009 and currently, its latest version is version 0.10.36.
According to the announcement of the official documentation, the definition of Node.Js is as follows:
Node.js is a platform built on Google Chrome’s JavaScript engine that makes it easy to create and scale web applications. This platform uses an event-driven, non-blocking I/O model, which reduces the pressure on the server and increases efficiency, and this is for running data-based applications that are real-time. Time) used on decentralized servers is very suitable.
Node.js is an open-source platform for developing server-side and network applications. This platform is written based on JavaScript language and Nodejs hosting can be implemented on Windows, Linux, and Apple computer operating systems.
Many frameworks are designed with JavaScript language and are used in different sectors. Some of the popular JavaScript frameworks are Angular, React, Meteor.js, Vue.js, etc. The use of these frameworks greatly increases the efficiency and security of our product and reduces costs.
Table of Contents
Reasons to use Node.Js
Node.js has high efficiency and flexibility
Next to the V8 engine, the node uses the C++ programming language and has a very high speed. Both V8 and Node.js are regularly updated and coordinated with new JavaScript features, as well as their efficiency is increased and their security problems are also solved. Also, because of the use of JavaScript language, JSON file transfer (the most common data transfer format on the web) will be very fast by default.
Node.js is cross-platform
Platforms like Electron.js or NW.js allow you to build desktop applications with NodeJS. In this way, you can use some of your web application code in Windows, Linux, and Mac OS environments. In fact, with the help of NodeJS, the same team working on the web version of the product can build a desktop application without the need for specialized knowledge in C# or Objective C, or other languages used to build native applications.
Node.js can be combined with microservices
Most of the big projects were simple in the beginning and were introduced in an MVP version. But over time, these services became bigger and the need to add new features was felt in them. Sometimes expanding the service and adding new features to the product can become a nightmare for the development team. But a suitable solution to solve this problem is to use microservices. Microservices help you divide your application into small parts, each part can be written by a different team and even in a different language. NodeJS works very well with microservices.
Applications of Node.Js
Creating single-page applications (SPA)
SPA stands for single-page app and it is said that all its parts are implemented on one page. SPA is mostly used to build social networks, email services, video-sharing sites, etc. One of the most famous sites built in this way is the YouTube video-sharing service. Since NodeJS supports asynchronous programming well, it is considered a good choice for making SPA programs.
Making RTA programs
RTA stands for the real-time app. That is programs that have various changes in real-time. Most likely, you have worked with these types of programs before. For example, Google Sheets, Spreadsheets, or Slack are such programs. In general, interactive applications, project management tools, video and audio conferencing, and other RTA applications perform heavy I/O operations.
Creating a chat room
One of the most famous examples of RTA applications is chat rooms and messengers. You probably use different messengers and chat rooms every day and you would like to create a chat room for yourself. NodeJS is a great choice for this. If you intend to make such a product, you should pay attention to various things such as tolerating a lot of user traffic, the lightness of the product, the high speed of sending messages, etc. All these things can be implemented on the server side with the help of NodeJS and a JavaScript framework like Express.js.
Creating online games under a web browser
The idea of creating a chat room is attractive, but it becomes more attractive when you write a game for the web browser and provide a chat room along with that game. With the help of Node JS, you can develop web games. In fact, by combining HTML5 technologies and JavaScript tools (such as Express.js or Socket.io, etc.), you can create attractive 2D games such as Ancient Beast or PaintWar.
Is Node.js a framework?
A framework is a set of libraries and tools that make the programmer’s work easier and avoid rewriting codes. But this is not the case with NodeJS and it is more than a framework! JavaScript has many powerful frameworks such as React js, Angular and Vue.js, which are very powerful in implementing web applications.
But Node js is a run-time environment based on JavaScript, and its uses are much more than a framework. In addition to developing web applications, we can use Node js in Rest APIs, robotics, microcontrollers, etc.