Exploring Node.js: A Game-Changing JavaScript Runtime

As of 2024, Node.js remains a top-ranked technology in the Web Frameworks and Technologies category, according to Stack Overflow. Although its popularity has declined slightly since its peak in 2020, it is still the most widely used web framework and technology.
Stack Overflow

The official documentation describes Node.js as:

an open-source and cross-platform JavaScript runtime environment.
Node.js

Although it is categorized as a web framework, Node.js is technically a runtime environment. Learning Node.js is invaluable for understanding full-stack development and building scalable applications.

How Node.js Changed JavaScript
Node.js was considered a game-changer because it allowed JavaScript to be used beyond the browser. Originally, JavaScript was designed solely for creating and running front-end functionality within web browsers. However, Node.js expanded its capabilities, enabling JavaScript to be used on the server side, similar to other backend languages. With Node.js, JavaScript code can run directly on a local computer or a server without needing a web browser.

Understanding How Node.js Works
Node.js operates on a single thread without creating a new thread for each request. When performing I/O operations (such as transferring data to or from a computer), it doesn't block the thread or waste CPU resources. Instead, Node.js waits for the I/O operation to complete and then resumes execution, enabling it to handle thousands of concurrent connections efficiently. This is made possible by its asynchronous nature, which I will explore in more detail in a separate post.

Core Features of Node.js
Node.js runs the V8 JavaScript engine outside of the browser.
V8, the JavaScript engine that powers Google Chrome, parses and executes JavaScript code, making it possible to run JavaScript programs. While browsers each have their own engines --- such as SpiderMonkey for Firefox and JavaScriptCore for Safari --- V8 allows users to browse web pages while executing JavaScript. Node.js leverages the V8 engine to run JavaScript outside of the browser environment, which has significantly contributed to its popularity.

Node.js follows the ECMAScript specification because it is built on the modern version of the V8 engine. Since Node.js keeps up-to-date with the latest V8 releases, it automatically incorporates new ECMAScript features as they become available. This means developers don't need to worry about manually tracking ECMAScript updates --- updating to the latest Node.js version ensures compatibility with the newest JavaScript features.

Advantages of Node.js
Unilingual
Since Node.js is written in JavaScript, front-end developers can use the same language to write both front-end and server-side code.

Scalability and Performance
As mentioned earlier, Node.js uses non-blocking I/O, allowing it to handle thousands of concurrent connections efficiently. This makes Node.js particularly suitable for real-time applications, such as chat apps and online games.

NPM
npm (Node Package Manager) is the standard package manager for Node.js. It offers access to over 2 million packages, enabling developers to easily download and utilize the tools we need.

Node.js has revolutionized how JavaScript is used, unlocking new possibilities through the V8 engine and its asynchronous, single-threaded architecture. In upcoming articles, I'll explore how Node.js works in more detail.