Digital disruption has been pushing businesses ahead in the race to achieve success. Among the many technological advances that have helped enterprises emerge, web development has also played a critical role. A well planned and spanned our web development helps businesses to create their digital presence for local and international prospects. If you are from a technology background then you would have definitely heard of JavaScript (JS). Well, just a few years ago it was even hard to imagine the very things that developers are able to do with JS nowadays.
Then Node.js was introduced by Ryan Dahl, with a goal to add push capabilities and help create real-time websites. He gave the developers a great gift when they had the possibility to work with the tool in an event driven I/O paradigm and the feature of non-blocking. Let’s take a deeper look at Node.js
In this article
- What is Node.js?
- Why Node.js? Just 5 reasons to opt for Node.js
- How to best use Node.js?
- A professional tip for web development
What Exactly is Node.js?
A power program mainly based on the JavaScript V8 engine from Google Chrome, Node.js is widely used to develop web apps, online chat applications, single-page applications, and so on. Many well established companies and successful startups such as PayPal, Netflix, Walmart, NASA, and the likes use this powerful tool.
Node.js is an open source tool and is completely free and is used by developers around the globe. Used to run the web applications outside of the client’s browser, it has become one of the most popular programs. With this library, clients can create web applications on the server side and is a preferred choice for data sensitive applications as it uses event driven and asynchronous models. Many large and small organizations come across this decision of whether or not Node.js library will be a practical choice for their new project.
Why Node.js? Just 5 Reasons to Opt for Node.js
Node.js has become a common choice, but this is not enough to make a decision, isn’t it? Here are some of the reasons why exactly many companies large and small prefer to go with Node.js.
1. Fast Development Environment
Node.js is built on Google Chrome’s V8 JavaScript Engine, and is considered to be one of the fastest libraries for code execution. V8 provides the runtime environment that helps the code to execute. One of the best things is that the engine is independent of its host browser. As the popularity of Node.js exploded from 2009 until now, there have been several new additions. Now V8 has become the power source to process an incredible amount of JavaScript code written on the server side. With a fast development environment, businesses can quickly work on customizing, adding new features or programs into their project without losing much time.
2. NPM (Node Package Manager)
Node package manager promotes and facilitates sharing. With a whopping number of over 50,000 packages in the NPM this becomes easier. Developers can make a good use of NPM and create efficient solutions. Node package manager provides the ease of sharing and reusing codes, updating, and so on. Developers are gifted with a steady and powerful package manager system in Node.js and it helps them create the best solutions.
3. Benefits of Asynchronous Programming
All APIs in Node.js are non-blocking or asynchronous. So when working on the program, Node.js doesn’t wait for the API data to be returned. When the server calls for API, and in the event when no API data is returned, the server then moves on. In the meantime, this allows the code to run rather than waiting for the API to return before the whole process takes place. The Node.js event module helps servers receive responses from the past API call. The asynchronous programming helps with the overall speed of the program.
4. No Buffering of Data
This is an option that developers enjoy the most when time is a constraint during the project. With this feature in the Node.js, whenever uploading the audio or video files the processing time is cut short. Interestingly, the Node.js application does not buffer and the data output is delivered in chunks.
5. Fits in Perfectly with Real-Time Applications
The architect in Node.js is event driven. As a result, the server and client side details are furnished when the code is written. Developers using Node.js can build real time applications at a high speed. When it comes to developing chats and gaming apps, this is the approach that most businesses make. With such an ease and feature rich library that Node.js provides, the developers are able to get the best out of it at all times.
Unlocking the Potential of Node.js for Modern Applications
Streaming
One of the most prominent business models today and Node.js can help create some real awesome features. HTTP requests are treated as independent events in the more traditional web platforms. The data can be processed online while they’re still being uploaded. As a result, if you are thinking of creating streaming applications for audio and video, you can use the feature rich Node.js to do so.
Chatting Applications
We all are used to chatting applications, and come in handy for several reasons whether business or personal. It is a platform with multiple users but real time processing. It is really simple to create chat applications and there will be a wide range of features that can be used to make the chat applications user friendly.
Brokers Trading Dashboard
Brokers trading dashboard is highly data intensive and a crucial tool in the hands of finance industry professionals. Although there is heavy software available in the market, these could be easily replaced for the better by a real time web solution. The dashboard is used to perform technical analysis, track stock prices, create charts, etc. Moving on to a real time web based solution will help the brokers easily move around and work from any remote location.
There are several other such practical areas where Node.js could come in handy and help developers create a great environment. Businesses can thrive when a feature rich solution targeted towards user friendly and comprehensiveness is introduced in the market.
A Professional Tip for Web Development
Oh yes…we can’t forget to give this professional tip that has helped us provide most effective solutions to our clients.
Tip: Keep your designs, page, and applications minimalistic
Node.js is feature rich and you could do a lot of things using them. But wait a minute…does your user really need them? Does the user have to go through all the clutter when looking for a solution? Well, time is of essence and so is the user experience. Make sure that you provide the best user experience to the clients when working on web development. Start with keeping it minimalistic as it helps users to easily understand, navigate, and get the best out of a solution.
Codetru: Your Personal Web Developers
It gives us immense joy to work from inception to implementation of a project and see our clients benefiting from it. We are experienced in working with Node.js and creating resourceful and result driven web solutions. Our team works closely with our clients to understand their business needs and deliver products in several models. We will be happy to help you with any web development solution that you may be looking for.
Let us connect and implement the best web development solution for your business.
Frequently Asked Questions About Node.js
1. What is Node.js?
Node.js is an open-source, cross-platform runtime environment that allows developers to execute JavaScript code server-side. Built on the V8 JavaScript engine from Google Chrome, Node.js is used to create scalable and efficient web applications, online chat applications, single-page applications, and more.
2. Why should I use Node.js for my project?
Node.js is popular for its speed and efficiency. It uses an event-driven, non-blocking I/O model that makes it lightweight and efficient. The benefits include faster development environments, a robust package manager (NPM), asynchronous programming, no data buffering, and suitability for real-time applications.
3. How does Node.js handle asynchronous programming?
In Node.js, all APIs are non-blocking or asynchronous. This means that when an API call is made, Node.js continues processing other tasks instead of waiting for the API to return data. This approach significantly enhances the performance and speed of applications, making Node.js ideal for high-performance real-time applications.
4. What are some well-known companies using Node.js?
Many leading companies leverage Node.js for its efficiency and scalability. Some notable examples include PayPal, Netflix, Walmart, NASA, and LinkedIn. These companies use Node.js to handle large volumes of data and real-time interactions, demonstrating its capability to support enterprise-level applications.
5. What are the key benefits of using Node.js for real-time applications?
Node.js is particularly well-suited for real-time applications due to its event-driven architecture. This allows developers to build real-time web applications, such as online chat applications and gaming apps, with high speed and efficiency. Node.js facilitates real-time data updates and interactions, making it a preferred choice for applications requiring instant user engagement.
6. How does Node.js manage data streaming and chat applications?
Node.js treats HTTP requests as independent events, allowing data to be processed while still being uploaded. This makes Node.js ideal for creating streaming applications for audio and video. Additionally, its event-driven architecture supports real-time processing for chat applications, enabling seamless communication and interaction for multiple users simultaneously.