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In 2024, you’ve probably seen much buzz about NodeJS. However, you’re not certain what it is and what its role is in developing web apps. Perhaps people praise Node JS, but now you find yourself confused over its purpose, or you have some familiarity with other backend technologies but want to understand what differentiates Node JS from them all.
Since its creation, NodeJS has proven itself as the go-to framework for web-based development. Crafted with scalability and performance in mind, enterprise firms and start-ups overwhelmingly use it to create their products.
This article will talk about Node JS web development, use cases, and why small-scale start-ups and large enterprises prefer this framework.
What is NodeJS?
NodeJS is a free runtime application built on the Chrome V8 JavaScript engine and created using JavaScript and C/C++. It performs server-side functions and brings JavaScript programming into the backend for running applications that run on Linux, Windows, and OS X.
The technology was first presented in 2009 when it was introduced through Ryan Dahl at the annual European JSConf.
It is an open-source project. Joyent Cloud Computing, a cloud-based computing company and hosting services supplier, endorsed NodeJS. The company invested in various other technologies, like the Ruby on Rails framework, and offered hosting solutions to Twitter and LinkedIn. It was also one of the initial businesses to adopt NodeJS to build its mobile app backend. It was then adopted by a range of tech leaders, including Uber, eBay, Walmart, and Netflix, to mention a few.
It was only recently that widespread adoption of server-side JavaScript using NodeJS began. The demand for this technology exploded in 2017 and is still high.
How NodeJS Framework Functions?
NodeJS is an open-source platform that is mostly used as a backend language. It’s quite simple to use NodeJS: NodeJS accepts client requests and responses using one thread. NodeJS utilizes threads to manage I/O operations and requests. Threads are a set of instructions that the server needs to follow. Threads can run in parallel on the web server side, allowing it to send information to several clients. NodeJS is a uni-threaded looping language. With just one thread, it can handle multiple requests or tasks without causing blockages for just one.
NodeJS is based on the idea of non-blocking and asynchronous I/O. Let’s see how each of them works in NodeJS functions.
1. NodeJS as Non-blocking I/O
NodeJS with non-blocking is a program that can handle multiple requests without blocking the thread running for one request. It is also known as I/O, which is not blocking. External systems, such as databases and files, are dealt with through I/O. NodeJS usually does not work with multiple threads since it’s only a single thread that cannot manage the CPU tasks. NodeJS is unsuitable for CPU-intensive tasks like calculation or video processing.
2. Asynchronous Type
Asynchronous refers to the fact that a callback function is being run behind the scenes. A callback function is started when an answer is received from a different server or database. Since NodeJS is built around an event-driven design, callback functions are invoked right after a task has been completed. Instead of processing the request, the single thread forwards it to a second system, which resolves the problem and makes it accessible for subsequent requests.
NodeJS adds Libuv, the open-source library feature that can be used for operations. Libuv comes with two crucial functions, which include thread loops. NodeJS functions can become simple to use and implement through these features.
3. Advantages of NodeJS Development
Why is NodeJS the best choice to develop web applications? This is the top issue when dealing with different backend technologies. But, Node JS has various advantages. This is why large brands like PayPal, Netflix, and Uber have all embraced Node JS website development tools.
4. Cloud-Friendly
Its cloud-friendly nature allows it to be highly versatile across a variety of cloud services, such as AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. This makes it easier to integrate and deploy, which allows companies to increase their resources in response to demand.
For instance, an online marketplace that uses NodeJS can easily scale the server’s capacity during busy shopping times to handle the increased traffic volume without downtime while ensuring the smoothest customer experience.
Furthermore, NodeJS facilitates efficient DevOps pipelines by integrating containerization tools such as Docker and orchestration tools such as Kubernetes. This streamlined approach helps speed up the development cycle, allowing teams to iterate and quickly deploy updates. Firstly, NodeJS enhances performance and scalability, enhances efficiency in cloud environments, and encourages rapid business growth.
5. TypeScript for Reduced Bugs
TypeScript’s use in NodeJS projects reduces the chance of bugs and improves code clarity and maintainability. TypeScript provides strong typesetting, meaning that variables such as function parameters and return types are clearly defined. This helps developers know what information is expected throughout the codebase, making it simpler to work together and ensuring uniformity.
When defining, for example, the function that pulls information about users via an external API, TypeScript allows developers to specify the exact format of the data returned through types or interfaces. This means that any deviations in the structure of the data can be detected in the development process rather than causing problems in production.
6. Unified Backend and Frontend Development
NodeJS helps create a seamless development workflow by allowing developers to utilize JavaScript for both backend and frontend tasks. This consistency speeds up development and decreases the amount of learning required for new team members.
For instance, a team creating an e-commerce platform could use NodeJS to manage frontend and server-side interactions to ensure smooth data flow and uniform functions across the entire application. This approach to unified development not only streamlines project management but also improves collaboration between developers who share a common toolkit and language.
Utilizing NodeJS, teams can concentrate more on innovation and spend less time managing multiple technologies, thus improving efficiency and productivity in their work. This synergy demonstrates how NodeJS can be a unified technology in the modern world of web development and can benefit projects of all sizes and complexity.
7. Handling of Multiple Requests
Due to its event-driven structure, NodeJS excels at managing multiple I/O-bound tasks simultaneously. This architecture lets it handle a variety of tasks, such as file I/O, network requests, and database operations, concurrently without interfering with other operations.
In a real-time chat application, NodeJS can manage incoming and outgoing messages from several users simultaneously. When new messages arrive, NodeJS processes each one simultaneously, which means that other users can exchange and receive messages with no delays. This non-blocking behavior ensures that the application’s responsiveness, even when it is in high use, improves user experience and provides the least amount of latency.
This is why NodeJS is widely used to create applications such as game platforms, collaborative tools, and finance trading platforms that require instant updates and fast interactions.
8. Scalability
NodeJS is well-known for its capacity to scale and efficiently handle increasing workloads without requiring lengthy code rewrites. Its event-driven design is particularly beneficial in microservices environments, which is considered important for applications that require an incredibly high degree of scale. This ensures that NodeJS is a viable option for companies looking to expand.
For example, consider the possibility of a retail platform that utilizes NodeJS as its backend for e-commerce. When customer traffic increases during the holiday season, NodeJS effortlessly handles concurrent requests, providing swift order processing and instant updates on inventory without system overload. The ability to scale up not only improves the customer experience but also helps businesses grow without compromising performance.
9. High Efficiency
NodeJS applications are well-known for their outstanding performance in resource efficiency and execution speed compared to conventional server-side language. This performance is due to NodeJS’s unique structure, leveraging non-blocking I/O operations and the single-threaded event loop. In contrast to traditional server-side applications, which create a separate thread for every request, NodeJS is run with a single thread, managing many concurrent connections. This reduces the burden related to thread management and permits NodeJS to utilize the system resources effectively.
Consider an example of a NodeJS server that handles several API requests simultaneously. Instead of waiting for each request to finish sequentially, NodeJS processes incoming requests asynchronously. This means that while one request is awaiting information from a database or another external resource, NodeJS can continue to take care of other requests, increasing speed and responsiveness without affecting the execution flow.
10. Cost and Time Savings
NodeJS provides a broad set of pre-built frameworks and libraries that dramatically speed up development processes. This ultimately reduces costs and speeds up companies’ time to market. This efficiency gives companies a competitive advantage by enabling them to launch products or services rapidly.
For instance, a startup developing real-time messaging software utilizes NodeJS to rapidly integrate WebSocket support by using libraries like Socket.IO. This fast integration not only reduces the time to develop but also reduces labor costs related to long backend code and maintenance.
Businesses can easily speed up development processes by leveraging NodeJS’s non-blocking I/O model and single-threaded event loop, which ensures flexibility and efficiency in the fast-paced digital world.
11. Versatility
Because of its remarkable scalability and efficiency, NodeJS has proved invaluable in various industries, including healthcare and fintech. The technology helps businesses improve efficiency and dramatically reduce costs.
In fintech, for instance, NodeJS is utilized to create real-time financial applications that can handle massive amounts of transactions quickly and safely. In healthcare, for instance, it allows the development of telemedicine platforms that allow the seamless exchange of information between health professionals and patients, providing rapid access to medical services regardless of where you are located.
The flexibility of NodeJS lets developers customize solutions to the industry’s specific needs, such as high-frequency trading algorithms for finance or real-time monitoring of patient systems for healthcare. This flexibility is what makes NodeJS an ideal option for companies looking for robust custom solutions that can adapt to their changing needs.
12. Rich Ecosystem
Its Node Package Manager (NPM) offers a wide array of tools and libraries that significantly improve the efficiency and flexibility of application development. This wide-ranging ecosystem enables developers to integrate crucial features into their applications quickly.
For instance, when creating an online application, developers can discover libraries for tasks like user authentication and data visualization. They can even integrate with APIs from third parties. This access not only speeds up the development process but also allows developers to concentrate on the business’s core logic instead of reinventing the wheel.
Utilizing NPM’s extensive repository, Node JS developers can be sure that their apps are solid and get solutions that have been tested by the community. This can reduce the time and effort required to develop while maintaining the highest levels of functionality and performance.
Best Practices to Follow for NodeJS Web Development
As a Node JS development company, it’s not an easy task to create an application. Thinking about stability, performance, speed, and limits is important. There are a few of the most effective NodeJS development practices that you should adhere to maximize your application’s efficiency. To make it easy, you can seek advice from the NodeJS development company or employ Node JS backend developers to create your ideal application.
Let’s discover the most effective techniques for Node JS application development.
- Use NPM Init
- Implement Asynchronous/Await Structures
- Wrap Common Utilities as npm Package
- Avoiding Garbage in-app
- Use Built-in Error Handling Mechanism
- Manage Environment Variables
- The process of separating all of the Entire Program into Small Components
- Use ES2015, Docker, and Promises
- Run Parallel for Speed Optimization
- Use Dependency Injection
Use Cases of NodeJS Web Development
One of the most important benefits of using NodeJS is creating enterprise-level apps that cater to the intended customers in real-time. It lets you beat the competition by offering unique attributes and features with Node JS development services for businesses and its leading related frameworks, like ExpressJS, NestJS, Fastify, and many more.
In this article, we have highlighted certain industries using NodeJS as their main technology. The above image (loyalty matrix) shows the retention percentage in each industry.
1. Social Media Platforms
LinkedIn is one of the world’s most viewed social networks, built on NodeJS. It combines nodes and provides a backend to social media websites. NodeJS can also provide fast routing using V8 engines and secure login.
2. SPA (Single Page Application) Development
As a single-page site, NodeJS also builds dynamic websites, social networks, and mail solutions. Additionally, the performance of asynchronous data flows through the NodeJS backend makes it the most promising single-page app development option.
3. Data Streaming Applications
OTT majors such as Netflix choose Node JS to provide services to more than 100 million hours of streaming time across more than 120 million OTT users and are in the process of counting. It is a superior choice for processing files at a high speed that allows for light uploads and encodes. Numerous online apps and fashion stores capitalize on this feature for huge video data streaming.
4. Chatbots
NodeJS also provides advanced capabilities in real-time chat apps and chatbots. Its primary features, including massive data, multi-user apps with high traffic capacity, and compatibility with multiple devices, make it a top option for chatbots.
NodeJS can be a game changer when it is utilized to run on a variety of devices and cover various chat applications and chatbots. It makes it easier to implement server-side event loops and push notifications commonly utilized in real-time applications and IMs.
5. IoT Application Development
With the rise in IoT, NodeJS has become the most popular technology firm for developing private and public IoT solutions. The primary benefit of using Node JS Web development to support IoT is its ability to efficiently handle concurrent requests involving thousands of events released by over a billion devices connected to the internet.
Events power NodeJS architecture and have Asynchronous processing, which is crucial to large I/O processes on IoT networks. Furthermore, it runs in a write-friendly and readable channel while streaming, making it an ideal platform for IoT app development.
Situations Where NodeJS Development Falls Short
While NodeJS is an excellent runtime platform, it’s unsuitable for all projects.
To make a sound decision, it is important to understand the limitations of this decision.
In the following situations, NodeJS might not hit the jackpot:
1. Banking Applications
Large-scale banking applications typically require a high level of security and computational demands that NodeJS might be unable to meet. Multi-threaded, traditional languages like Java are usually recommended for such systems. Java’s seasoned ecosystem, robust multi-threading capabilities, and typing make it a better option for applications requiring extreme safety and computing power.
2. Machine Learning Applications
NodeJS is not recommended for machine-learning applications. Although there are a few machine learning libraries in NodeJS, they’re not as robust or well-developed as those found in languages like Python. The extensive Python ecosystem, which includes libraries such as TensorFlow and PyTorch, makes it the ideal choice for machine-learning tasks.
3. Memory-Intensive Applications
If you are working on applications requiring strict memory management, such as gaming engines or large-scale databases, NodeJS may not be the best solution. Languages such as C++ or Java give greater control over memory allocation and garbage collection, making them ideal for various tasks that require a lot of memory.
NodeJS is designed for I/O-based applications and may not work with applications that need complex memory operations.
4. High CPU Usage Applications
NodeJS isn’t always the best choice for tasks that require high computational power. Its single-threaded and event-driven architecture can be a major bottleneck in CPU-intensive tasks. In these instances, programs like Python, Java, or C++ with multi-threading support and special libraries designed specifically to handle computational tasks are more appropriate.
5. Low-Level Programming
NodeJS is not intended for low-level programming tasks such as writing device driver software or systems-level programming. C++ and C are more appropriate for these types of jobs since they have more control over system and hardware resources. NodeJS is designed to run high-level server-side applications but isn’t equipped to handle the complexity of programming at a low level.
The Key Takeaway
In conclusion, NodeJS continues to reign as a powerhouse in web development for 2024, offering unparalleled advantages that streamline development processes and enhance application performance.
NodeJS has demonstrated some transformative shifts in the business world, making it a preferred choice for developers. It has a scalability far beyond what NodeJS provides, but the usage needs are for a vast selection of mobile and web applications. It’s a type of technology that works without effort.
It is mostly dependent on JavaScript, and therefore, full-stack developers with experience in the front-end and back-end will assist you in developing all kinds of web-based apps. NodeJS is ideal for developing streaming web applications, data-intensive server-side apps, and microservices.
