Introduction to Node.js

Course overview

Uplatz offers this comprehensive course on Node.js. It is a self-paced course with video lectures. You will be awarded Course Completion Certificate at the end of the course.

Node.js is an open-source, cross-platform, back-end JavaScript runtime environment that executes JavaScript code outside of a web browser. It's built on the powerful Chrome's V8 JavaScript engine, renowned for its performance and efficiency. Node.js is used for building scalable and high-performance network applications such as web servers, real-time chat applications, APIs, and microservices.

Key Characteristics

• Asynchronous and Event-Driven: Node.js operates on an event loop, which allows it to handle multiple requests concurrently without blocking the execution of other tasks. This non-blocking I/O model makes it highly efficient for applications dealing with many simultaneous connections.
• Single-Threaded but Highly Scalable: While Node.js utilizes a single thread for event processing, it can handle a large number of concurrent connections due to its asynchronous nature. This makes it a suitable choice for building scalable applications.
• Cross-Platform Compatibility: Node.js can run on various operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, providing flexibility in development and deployment.

Core Features and Functionality

• Modules: Node.js has a modular architecture, allowing developers to organize code into reusable units. It provides a rich set of built-in modules for common tasks like file system access, network communication, and data streams.
• NPM (Node Package Manager): NPM is the default package manager for Node.js and boasts the largest ecosystem of open-source libraries in the world. It simplifies the process of incorporating external modules into your projects, fostering code reuse and community collaboration.
• File System I/O: Node.js provides a comprehensive API for interacting with the file system, enabling operations such as reading, writing, and deleting files and directories.
• Networking: Node.js excels in network programming, offering powerful modules for creating network applications. It supports various protocols, including TCP, HTTP, and UDP, facilitating the development of web servers, client-server applications, and real-time communication systems.
• Streams: Node.js provides streams, which are objects that allow for efficient handling of large amounts of data. Streams enable processing data in chunks, reducing memory consumption and improving performance, particularly when dealing with files or network requests.
• Child Processes: Node.js allows you to spawn child processes to execute external commands or run other Node.js scripts, enabling parallel processing and offloading computationally intensive tasks.
• Cluster Module: For utilizing multiple CPU cores and enhancing application performance, Node.js offers the Cluster module. It facilitates the creation of child processes that share server ports, effectively distributing the workload.

Benefits of Learning Node.js

• Full-Stack Development: Leverage your JavaScript skills for both front-end and back-end development, streamlining the development process and reducing context switching.
• High Performance: Build fast and scalable network applications due to Node.js's non-blocking, event-driven architecture.
• Increased Employability: Node.js is in high demand across various industries, making it a valuable skill for developers seeking career opportunities.
• Microservices Architecture: Node.js is well-suited for building microservices, which are small, independent, and loosely coupled services that can be developed, deployed, and scaled individually.
• Fast Development: Node.js promotes rapid prototyping and development due to its lightweight nature, extensive module ecosystem, and JavaScript's ease of use.
• Real-time Applications: Node.js is ideal for building real-time applications like chat applications, online games, and collaboration tools.

Use Cases:

• Web Servers and APIs: Node.js is widely used for developing RESTful APIs and web servers due to its efficiency in handling HTTP requests and JSON data.
• Real-time Applications: Its event-driven architecture makes it perfect for chat applications, online games, and collaborative tools.
• Microservices: Node.js is a popular choice for building microservices due to its lightweight nature and ability to handle independent deployments.
• Command-line Tools: Node.js can be used to create command-line tools for automating tasks and managing system operations.
• Desktop Applications: Frameworks like Electron allow you to build cross-platform desktop applications using Node.js and web technologies.