Developing a robust, dynamic, and scalable website is not a cakewalk. As a user, one can only see the attractive front-end of a website, which seems engaging and appealing. But did we ever think, what takes in making this flawless and feature-rich creation, how can technology be so responsive that with one click, we get redirected to a different section of the website?
To simply know the reasons, we must understand that a website is like an iceberg. The more you see it at the top, the deeper it is at the end.
For a website to function smoothly and provide an error-free experience, dedicated developers and programmers work exhaustively to provide structured code to its backend. Hence, the more accurate the backend coding, the better will be the website functionalities.
To understand one such backend coding technology, we are going to talk about Node.js in our blog.
What is Node.js?
It is an open-source, cross-platform, backend JavaScript environment, which executes JavaScript outside a web browser. Node.js allows developers to write command-line tools for server-side scripting, which produces dynamic web page content before sending it to users’ browsers.
Likewise, it represents a unified web-application development with a similar programming language (JavaScript); for both server-side and client-side scripts. While ‘.js’ is the standard file name for javaScript files, Node.js doesn’t represent any file; instead, it merely means the product’s name.
It has an event-driven architecture, which is capable of asynchronous I/O. The following design choice aims to optimize scalability and throughput in web applications, along with many input and output operations, e.g., browser games and real-time communication programs.
With JavaScript, it allows web-servers, networking tools, and a collection of modules, which handle various core functionalities. The notable difference between PHP and Node.js is that most functions of PHP block until completion, while Node.js processes are non-blocking in nature.
Node.js brings event-driven programming to the web-servers that enables the fast development of web-services in JavaScript.
Read More: Pros and Cons of Node JS
Here, developers can create scalable servers using a simplified model of event-driven programming, which uses callbacks to notify the completion of tasks.
Since its inception, Note.js has taken the world of application and web development by storm. Hence, it is recommended to hire Node.js developers to create a dynamic, scalable, and error-free website.
There are huge factors that make Note.js this popular, as it offers the industry starters a large and active community. It also enables industry laureates like Paypal, Linkedin, and Uber to use this framework and appreciate its efficiency and impressive performance.
Why is Node.js Faster Than The Rest?
Node.js has an excellent execution speed. About web services, execution speed consists of everything required to send requests to proceed with the client’s request. The time spent on processing requests begins from opening the connection and ends with the client’s response.
Note.js is single-threaded and asynchronous. It means I/O operations don’t block any other operations. It also means you can send emails, read files, and make a query at the database all at the same time.
Every request to the web-server wouldn’t create a separate Node.js process. However, one Note.js process would run at all times, which listens to all the connections. JavaScript code is also executed in the process, which results in almost no delays.
What Is Asynchronous Processing?
Let’s understand the asynchronous processing with an example; suppose you are standing at the top of a mountain with 100 stones. And your task is to throw those 100 stones in a river below, in the least time possible. You can’t push 100 stones at once, so here you can have two approaches.
In the first approach, you can throw one stone, and only after it reaches the river, you shall throw the other one. In the second approach, you can keep on throwing stones without waiting for the previous ones to reach the river. But by adopting the 2nd approach, you can push all the stones in at least possible time.
Read More: NodeJS for Real-time App Development
In the following example, the first approach is synchronous execution and the second approach is asynchronous execution. Hence, it is clear that asynchronous execution is way faster than synchronous execution.
Now that we have understood the basic concept of asynchronous execution, let’s find out how it helps elevate web-server performance.
Here, we can assume each stone to be a query to the database. So when you process data for a massive project with many queries and execution; synchronously, then it will block the code execution.
Node.js is used in the backend with React, Angular, React Native, and Vue.js, delivering fast processing and rendering speed.
Event Loop
The event loop is a construction responsible for dispatching events in the program. It always operates asynchronously along with the message originator. The Node.js stores callback that is assigned to the operation whenever you use the I/O operation, thus maintaining other events. Hence, the callback is triggered once the required data is collected.
All the received requests by the web-server go to the event loop, where it registers the operation in a thread pool along with the assigned callback.
Apart from being fast, Node.js portrays many features that are useful for developers in a variety of use cases. Let’s look at some of the best use cases,
Applications in Real-Time
Real-Time applications are the best use case of Node.js. Node.js is used for real-time applications because it enables reusing and sharing the Node.js packages used for storing library codes, results in quick data syncing between the server and the client, and it can easily cope with multiple client requests. If a business is looking for real-time data processioning and scalability in its website, Node.js is the best available solution for website development.
Apart from this, there are many advantages to why a business should use Node.js in real-time application development.
- Event-based server:- These applications have to deal with real-time users. This is where Node.js steps in as it supports the response that depends on the event-driven server, which helps in non-blocking functioning.
- Data Syncing:- A Node.js developer benefits from non-blocking I/O features. It also enables quick and swift data transmission between server and client.
- Proxy Server:- In need of intermediary admins, Node is the best option.
Video Streaming Application
We can define streaming as sending significant amounts of data in small packages rather than a single batch. Node.js is a fantastic choice for developing video streaming applications. It has the best in-built module that supports video streaming. Moreover, it also enables the development of readable and writable data streams.
It also helps you to process the files while they are being uploaded. Netflix, which is the world’s most popular video streaming application, also uses Node.js, as it got its whole User Interface developed on Node.Js technology. It worked very well for Netflix, and they decided to use this technology for their other stacks. The objective behind doing this was to achieve a lightweight application with a reduced building time, improved performance, and enabled user customization. For getting a seamless and flawless video streaming application, hire dedicated full stack developers; as they can provide a holistic development solution.
High Scalability Applications
Node.js has become the first choice for applications and platforms which witness a consistent rise in their customer base. Industrial biggies like Paypal, Walmart, Linkedin, Netflix, Uber, and more are using Node.js.
This technology comes with features like cluster modules. It enables load balancing, making it easy to deliver required outcomes via smaller modules without exhausting the RAM process. From the development point of view, Node.js allows developers to leverage microservices, which further enables them to categorize their created application into smaller parts.
This allows fast-track development, maintenance, and deployment of each component of the created application. Node.js help companies to achieve higher performances with fewer resources.
Chat Application
The most classic example of a multi-user and real-time application is a chat application. It is one of the best examples of use cases for Node.js, as it’s high traffic, data-intensive, and lightweight application that runs across various distributed devices.
Server-Side Proxy
The third-party proxy can cause chaos in web applications. Even many standard third-party servers fail to manage multiple requests at times. Here, Node.js comes as a savior as it can be easily employed as a server-side proxy. Node.js can manage humongous amounts of simultaneous connections and in a non-blocking manner.
BBC News is an example that uses Node.Js. Its news website works with multiple third-party servers and collects data from various sources. Node.js allows proxying multiple services with different types of responses.
It means one can develop a client-side app with the help of a Node.js development server for assets along with API requests.
Conclusion
Node.js is undoubtedly the best of the rest. It is a promising technology that offers multiple development benefits to both developers and clients. As it is an open-source, cross-platform, backend JavaScript environment, it helps empower the backend of any web application. For any web application to perform without errors, it needs to have structured and defined coding; Node.js enables it. It allows developers to write command-line tools for server-side scripting and producing dynamic web page content before presenting it to the user’s web browser.
Also, Node.js represents a unified web application development around a similar programming language; this enables both the server and client-side scripts in the same language. It has proved to be a savior for enterprises and developers to its fast execution speed. Similarly, various big companies are using Node.js and benefiting from its promising features. If you want your business to leverage this technology’s benefits, hire an independent developer, as a developer is the sole foundation of a project, and can help you create a flawless and dynamic project.
