Node.js Installation and First Application

Node.js is widely used for building scalable and high-performance applications, particularly for server-side development. It is commonly employed for web servers, APIs, real-time applications, and microservices.

• Perfect for handling concurrent requests due to its non-blocking I/O model.
• Used in building RESTful APIs, real-time applications like chats, and more.

Setting Up Node.js

To start using Node.js, you’ll first need to install it on your system.

Step 1: Download and Install Node.js

Install Node.js by downloading the appropriate installer for your operating system and following the installation steps.

Step 2: Verify Installation

Once installed, you can verify the installation by opening your terminal and typing the following commands:

node -v
npm -v

Step 3: Create a Node.js Project

Create a new project directory.

mkdir node-project
cd node-project

Step 4: Initialize the Project

Generate a package.json file using npm.

npm init -y

Step 5: Create an index.js File

Create a new file named index.js in your project directory.

Step 6: Import the Required Module

Import the built-in http module.

const http = require("http");

Step 7: Create an HTTP Server

Create a server using the createServer() method. The callback function handles incoming requests and sends responses.

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
    res.writeHead(200, { "Content-Type": "text/html" });
    res.end("Hello World!");
});

Step 8: Start the Server

Bind the server to a port using the listen() method.

server.listen(3000, () => {
    console.log("Server running on port 3000");
});

Step 9: Run the Application

Execute the following command in the terminal.

node index.js

Output:

Server running on port 3000

Open http://localhost:3000 in your browser to see: