Node.js is an open source platform for the JavaScript scripting language, which provides dynamic content for a web page in web browsers. The framework keeps a platform-independent execution of the JavaScript codes outside the web browsers.
Find out exactly what Node.js is used for and what benefits the platform can bring to your business in this article.
Node.js: basics and possible applications
JavaScript is used as a language to generate dynamic content on Internet pages. Before the development of Node.js, anyone who also wanted to generate this content on the server was forced to use an alternative language – JavaScript limits its application options for programming to Internet browsers. Software engineer Ryan Dahl took advantage of this gap in the market in 2009 and developed the open source platform Node.js.
The server-oriented framework ensures that the frontend and backend can be created in one programming language. The platform works event-based. In the context of website development, an event can be defined as an action to which a reaction can take place immediately afterwards. The action can be a user-based mouse click or application-generated file access.
This means:
For a single mouse click, the program is able to perform several consecutive actions at once.
For a long time, servers were thread-based, which created a certain inflexibility for IT professionals. The difference between an event-based and a thread-based server can be well illustrated with a restaurant visit:
An event server might take a guest’s order, and while they wait for their food, other guests’ orders are taken and processed. A threaded server could process the next order request only after the guest has received his meal.
The independence from host applications and the server-side development possibilities of different web applications makes JavaScript popular with IT professionals. After all, while knowledge of other programming languages such as PHP or Ruby was previously necessary, back-end developers now benefit from the uniform application possibilities.
Node.js is based on the V8 engine from Google Chrome and can therefore be used easily with JavaScript.
What are the advantages of Node.js?
With the standardization of website development, there are several advantages for IT specialists:
- JavaScript is considered a simple programming language
- More expertise in the IT specialist market
- Clear code base
- Uniform naming conventions in the frontend and backend
- Software developers can continue to use familiar tools
For the customer, web applications serve purely as control elements on the Internet. While the user clicks through the website, apps communicate with backend services via an interface (API – Application Programming Interface). The main work in this process is done in the backend. Data is received, checked and stored on servers in the data center. The data is then sent back to the user, who then sees this exchange displayed on the screen.
For the complex and sensitive process of data exchange, companies need professional IT specialists who can guarantee a flawless process for the customer. JavaScript is one of the simple programming languages. In combination with the uniform development possibilities, this results in a promising IT expertise on the job market, from which you can let your company profit.
Further areas of application and features
With Node.js, non-blocky I/O is possible, so that possible blockades can be ruled out during the input and output of events. In addition, there is the possibility to create any software far from web development. Scripts for desktop applications and the command line can also be areas of application of the framework.
However, Node.js can also convince IT specialists with further features:
- Asynchronous communication: a non-blocky I/O system that takes care of starting a single thread.
- Libuv: A library that creates a standardized thread pool of size 4 and executes requests to the operating system.
- Event Stack: Provides for sorting of actions using the LIFO (last-in, first-out) principle.
- Node.js Core: At this point, features are available that can handle more than the V8 engine – wrappers are used to provide the functions.
- Server and Client: With the possibility of also developing the backend in a uniform programming language, existing know-how can be used.
- Node Package Manager: The platform provides 350,000 packages during the initial installation, which are used for the development of individual purposes.
How to find your Node.js specialist
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Outsourcing4work – remote solutions – offers you future-oriented and cost-efficient personnel solutions. We have supported our customers for more than 25 years as partners, advisors, and mediators of suitable IT specialists with words and deeds.
Benefit now from a cost-efficient IT solution and make a free appointment for an initial consultation.
