
With Node JS rapidly becoming a top choice for developers worldwide, you, too, may want to adopt it or perhaps you’re just curious.
In this blog post, we will explore the basics of Node JS and how it works, some of its key features as well as Node JS advantages and disadvantages. We will also take a look at some of the disadvantages of using Node JS so you can be prepared. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced developer, this post will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of Node JS and its capabilities.
This post has been crafted by the developers of TST Technology -website design company in Ahmedabad, so all of the information stated here is true in action.
What is Node JS?
Node js is a powerful and versatile platform for building web applications. It is built on the V8 JavaScript runtime engine developed by Google and allows developers to use JavaScript on the server-side of an application. Node JS uses an event-driven, non-blocking I/O model, making it lightweight and efficient, capable of handling a large number of concurrent requests.
Where is Node JS used?
Node JS can be applied in many areas such as:
Real-time web applications such as chat, gaming, and social media platforms
Streaming services such as video and audio streaming
Collaboration tools such as online document editors and project management tools
E-commerce and marketplace platforms
Internet of Things (IoT) applications
Single-page applications (SPA)
Restful API and microservicess
Command-line tools and utilities
Web scraping and data scraping
Automation of repetitive tasks
Serverless computing.
Here are some popular names you will recognize who use Node JS:
Netflix
Uber
PayPal
eBay
IBM
How does Node JS work?
Here are 5 simple steps for you to get an overview of the process.
Requests come from the client side.
Node JS receives requests on the server side.
The client gets an acknowledgement of the request received.
Node JS can handle requests parallelly, which means it can handle many requests at the same time.
Requests are fulfilled and clients get the results.
Now the big questions.
Node JS only has a single thread. So how can Node JS handle multiple requests with just one thread? And on time? Because it gets many requests every second.
If it takes requests in a queue and fulfilling each request takes 3 seconds on average, then fulfilling the request would be like this:
Time for Request 1 - 3 secs
Time for Request 10 - 30 seconds
Time for Request 100 - 300 seconds i.e., 5 minutes
This time is too long, so how does Node JS work to handle requests in thousands and millions? For giants like Netflix and Uber?
It has 2 special features:
Asynchronous and event-driven: Node JS uses a non-blocking, event-driven I/O model, which makes it lightweight and efficient.
Single-threaded: Node JS uses a single thread for handling multiple client requests, which makes it easy to create real-time web applications.
What is Non-Blocking I/O in Node JS?
Non-blocking, I/O in Node JS refers to the ability of the system to perform other operations while it is waiting for input/output (I/O) operations to complete. In contrast, traditional blocking I/O systems can only perform one operation at a time and must wait for the current operation to complete before moving on to the next one.
In Node JS, non-blocking I/O is achieved by using an event-driven, callback-based model. When an I/O operation is initiated, the system assigns a callback function to be executed once the operation completes. In the meantime, the system is free to continue processing other events and requests.
This non-blocking, I/O model makes Node JS lightweight and efficient, as it can handle a large number of concurrent requests without requiring a lot of system resources. It also makes it well-suited for real-time web applications, such as chat or gaming apps, which require fast response times.
What is Asynchronous in Node JS?
Asynchronous programming in Node JS refers to the ability of the system to perform multiple operations at the same time, without waiting for one operation to complete before starting another.
This is achieved through the use of callback functions. When an asynchronous operation is initiated, such as reading from a file or making an HTTP request, the system assigns a callback function to be executed once the operation completes. In the meantime, the system is free to continue processing other events and requests.
This allows Node JS to handle a large number of concurrent operations without blocking the execution of other code. Asynchronous programming in Node JS also allows for non-blocking I/O operations, making it lightweight and efficient when compared to traditional synchronous systems.
It makes more efficient use of system resources and enables the application to handle more concurrent requests without slowing down.
Let’s now take a look at Node JS pros and cons.
Node JS Advantages
High performance: Node JS uses non-blocking I/O and asynchronous programming, which makes it lightweight and efficient, and capable of handling a large number of concurrent requests.
Scalability: Node JS is designed to be highly scalable, making it easy to add more resources to handle increased traffic.
Large ecosystem: Node JS has a large and active open-source community, which has developed a vast ecosystem of modules and packages to extend its functionality.
Cross-platform: Node JS can run on various platforms including Windows, Linux, and macOS, making it highly portable and easy to develop and deploy on different environments.
Node JS Disadvantages
Single-threaded: Node JS uses a single thread to handle multiple client requests, which can limit its ability to fully utilize the resources of a multi-core system and make it less suitable for CPU-intensive tasks.
Asynchronous programming: Node JS uses asynchronous programming, which can make the code more complex and harder to maintain, especially for developers not familiar with this programming paradigm.
Limited database support: Node JS has limited support for some databases, such as Oracle and MS SQL Server, which can make it difficult to connect to these databases and use them in certain applications.
To know more about Node JS and its operations, contact the team of developers at TST Technology -web development company in Ahmedabad, anytime at contact@tsttechnology.in.