Node.js is a server-side platform that allows you to run JavaScript applications in a run time environment. It includes all the components you need to execute a JavaScript program on a server utilizing the same architecture as the Java Runtime Environment (JRE). With JRE, you have the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) and library classes. Node.js uses the Chrome V8 JavaScript engine in place of the JVM and the Node API or modules instead of Java classes.
Node.js Features
Several features make Node.js a popular choice for software architects. It is asynchronous, event-driven, and swift. It is also highly scalable even though it is single-threaded, and Node.js applications never buffer any data.
Asynchronous and Event-Driven
Node.js leverages a non-blocking Input/Output (I/O) model. Every application we use typically leverages the same procedure. It takes input from a user or service, processes it, and then presents some form of output. If your application is single-threaded, it will queue all the requests and process them one at a time. Should the server experience high utilization, this queueing or buffering process can lead to noticeable delays for the user.
As Node.js uses an asynchronous, non-blocking I/O model, it does not have this performance drawback. Using an example to describe the difference, let us take a scenario of two user requests. Both requests make a call to a database requesting some data. In a standard “blocking I/O” example, the solution cannot start the second user request until it completes the first. As Node.js uses a non-blocking I/O model, it can serve both requests simultaneously, making the solution much faster.
Speed
Node.js is very fast. As mentioned, its runtime utilizes the Google Chrome V8 JavaScript engine in its runtime environment. Google created V8 to enhance the performance of JavaScript in its Chrome browser. Unlike other JavaScript engines, V8’s Just In Time (JIT) compiler does not produce intermediate code. Instead, it compiles JavaScript into machine code, improving efficiency and performance.
Highly Scalable Despite Being Single-Threaded
Despite leveraging a single-threaded model, Node.js is highly scalable. Using the Node Event Loop, the event mechanism enables the Node.js server to leverage the asynchronous and event-driven non-blocking I/O model. This architecture allows for the high scalability of Node.js. Traditional servers that use a multi-threaded approach have a finite number of processes they can execute within a given time frame. The single-threaded, asynchronous, and event-driven Node.js model scales far better as it does not have that limitation. This architecture allows it to process a much larger quantity of requests than a traditional web server.
Node.js npm
One of the best features of Node.js is its extensibility. npm, formerly known as the Node Package Manager, is an online software repository that hosts open-source Node.js projects. It is also a command-line utility software developers can use to interact with the npm repository. With more than one million packages, npm is the largest software registry in the world.
npm allows you to extend the functionality of your Node.js application by leveraging its packages. It also offers other advantages, including the management of local and global dependencies as well as multiple versions of code.
Node.js Usability
The architecture, structure, support, and community behind Node.js offer many benefits that make it an ideal software development platform. However, as with any technology, you need to align its functionality with your requirements. Node.js is excellent for running I/O bound and data streaming apps. It is also very applicable when you are creating data-intensive real-time applications or single-page apps.
However, if your solution requires a large number of computing resources, Node.js may not be suitable. Building CPU-intensive applications with Node.js causes performance issues. As it processes tasks asynchronously using a single thread, it does not perform well when presented with a CPU-intensive event. If such an event comes into the Event Loop, Node.js assigns all the CPU to process it first and queues any other requests causing a delay. You can overcome this challenge using the worker_threads module as it enables the use of threads that execute JavaScript in parallel.
Node.js Applications
Due to its architecture, Node.js is best suited for websites that need multiple open connections. Chat and streaming web applications are good examples. Integrating WebSockets and real-time streaming connections into Node.js is easy as its designers built it for this purpose. Another excellent use case for it is a website that receives a large number of concurrent client connections. As it can handle the throughput without utilizing a large amount of memory on a web server, it enables you to serve an application with efficient resource utilization.
The MEAN Stack
The MEAN stack is an acronym for Mongo DB, Express JS, Angular JS, and Node.js. It is a suite of JavaScript technologies software developers can use to build dynamic websites. As Node.js forms part of this collection, you can leverage it and the other JavaScript-related technologies to build pure JavaScript solutions.
With Mongo DB taking care of the database, the Express JS framework managing the server-side logic, and Angular JS for front-end development, using the MEAN stack is ideal for building high-traffic dynamic web applications. With Node.js’s crucial role as the back-end development solution, the MEAN stack offers software developers a robust, powerful, and flexible solution platform.
JavaScript Everywhere
Built to run server-side JavaScript code, Node.js continues to grow in popularity. Its single-threaded, asynchronous, and event-driven architecture makes it an ideal platform to host frequently visited sites that need to scale. With extensive community support and unlimited extensibility through npm, Node.js will continue to provide the platform for microservice web architectures. As it is a core component of the MEAN stack, along with Mongo DB, Express JS, and Angular JS, the role of JavaScript and Node.js will continue to drive web development trends for the foreseeable future.
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Originally published at upstack.co on April 16, 2021, by Chris Lazari.
