Explain Node.js
Node.js is an open-source, freely accessible, cross-platform development framework and JavaScript runtime environment that enables developers to build scripts, command-line tools, web apps, and servers. Before it’s introduction, browsers were the runtime environment for JavaScript. However, in due time, Node.js replaced browsers, enabling JavaScript to run outside the browser, which offered several advantages while increasing JavaScript’s capabilities.
As a result, JavaScript can run on any machine, such as a desktop or server, making it available to run anywhere. Among the various capabilities offered by Node.JS, one of the unique features is the higher rate of performance.
Performance of Node.js
Why does Node.js show a higher rate of performance? Node.js JavaScript runtime offers higher performance than the browser due to the engine, the process, and the programming technique.
Engine:
Node.js uses the JavaScript v8 engine, which Google initially developed to run Chrome. Though Chrome and Node.js have the same v8 engine, both offer different runtime environments for JavaScript. Node.js includes additional features that differentiate those offerings.
Process:
Node.js runs only in one process (Single-Thread Model) instead of generating a fresh thread each time a new request is received. The single-thread model accommodates code in a single process by utilizing less server space while enhancing overall performance.
Asynchronous Programming Technique:
Node.js offers asynchronous I/O primitives. It’s architecture follows an event-driven approach that supports non-blocking and asynchronous processing. In this approach, in parallel to waiting for the completion of a particular I/O approach, this framework executes other tasks.
For example, if a customer goes to a food outlet, the cashier receiving the food tokens takes the token and hands the order to the chef. While waiting for the food to cook, the cashier takes fresh tokens from the new customers. This processing allows the cashier to process several tokens simultaneously—similarly, a non-blocking asynchronous approach aids in the simultaneous execution of multiple tasks.
Due to all these features, this framework rated higher on the performance scale, enabling businesses to witness a positive impact on their operations. Importantly, developer satisfaction and an increase in productivity while lowering costs are some of the features witnessed by businesses that adopted Node.js into their processes.
Uses of Node.js
To Develop Scalable Applications:
It supports the development of scalable applications connected to a network and can process multiple requests simultaneously. So, It is used to build highly scalable applications.
To Create Back-End Applications:
Programmers often use this framework to develop back-end applications such as APIs. Developers employ APIs to build client applications like web or mobile apps. Developers building highly scalable apps that consume vast amounts of data prefer to deploy this framework, which supports such data-intensive operations.
Moreover, the speed of developing such applications almost doubled by utilizing fewer lines of code and fewer people, notably increasing the response time speed.
Before the introduction of Node.js, HTML templates ran on the browser and took longer to load. However, running HTML templates was made easier after its introduction, offering additional benefits, such as faster load time.
To Minimize the Development Time:
Featuring an open-source library allows developers to develop applications at a faster rate, as it helps restrict the developer’s time spent building fundamental blocks.
Efficient Resource Management: Asynchronous and Non-blocking
In Node.js, a single thread can handle several requests simultaneously.
Asynchronized programming allows the execution of tasks independently, irrespective of the program flow in the main function. Such instances enable the running of specific operations in the background while allowing the main program to continue executing other tasks even without waiting to finish the asynchronous tasks in the background.
For example, before the introduction of asynchronous programming, the entire log-in page was treated as a single request or thread. As a result, the whole page would be blocked until the completion of the log-in tasks.
However, introducing the synchronized programming concept makes it possible to perform other tasks while processing signing-in credentials requests. Instead of the entire page, only the signing requests are taken as a request or thread.
The programmer requires both front-end and back-end technology to build a SPA (single-page application). React JS is an example of front-end technology, while MongoDB, Express JS, and Node.js are some examples of back-end technologies.
What is Meant by Non-Blocking and Asynchronous:
The developer can use a single thread to handle multiple requests simultaneously.
In non-blocking and asynchronous applications, only a single thread takes control of all the requests.
For example, the runtime environment takes requests from client-side applications and sends them to the database for processing. After sending the requests, the database processes them, and instead of waiting for the processing to complete, the thread goes to another thread and works on it.
In blocking and synchronous applications, the thread waits for the processing to complete; until then, it does not take new requests. As a result, another thread takes the latest requests. Such a process demands more threads, requiring a larger server area, which slows down the entire process.
Node.js Architecture
In this framework, the program executes on the server instead of the browser. It helps to build back-end technologies, such as APIs