Node.js is a remarkable open-source web technology which gathers around large and active communities. This web technology is mostly used by professional programmers (46.31%) and those learning to code (52.86%) – according to a StackOverflow survey from 2022. Many developers decided to contribute and improve its ecosystem by adding new modules and packages of code that other developers can use more easily.
We decided to take a closer look at Node.js, and also asked what the engineer from FINGO – a software development company providing leading-edge software solutions for many industries ex. Financial, Regulations, and Real Estate Industry – thought about it.
Node.js is constantly expanding the full-stack technology
One of the main reasons why Node.js is considered a full-stack technology is because of its versatility. With Node.js, developers can write server-side applications, create APIs, handle database operations, and perform other server-related tasks using JavaScript. That means that developers can use the same language for both front-end and back-end development, making it a unified technology for full-stack development.
Furthermore, many newer programming languages, such as TypeScript, LiveScript, ScalaJS are also easy to manage with the Node.js environment.
Node.js has a large ecosystem of packages and modules available through its Node Package Manager (NPM). This vast library of modules allows developers to integrate various functionalities into their web applications easily.
Even constructing some blockchain applications is possible. For instance, wanting to build Ethereum dApps with Node.js, programmers can use two of the most popular tools:
- Web3.js – a low-level JavaScript library,
- Truffle – a framework for building and deploying smart contracts.
This is possible thanks to a vibrant community of developers (OpenJS Foundation), who contribute to NodeJS’s continuous growth and improvement. This community provides regular updates, bug fixes, and new features, thus making the Node.js a robust and constantly evolving technology for full-stack development.
But on the other hand, the development speed of NodeJS and its ecosystem has its disadvantages. Maintaining and testing an application that has to be updated regularly is challenging. In some business cases, a better solution may be PHP. The PHP’s ecosystem develops at a more predictable pace – says Paweł Grądziel, leader of the Node.js team at FINGO.
Asynchrony – secret behind the performance of NodeJS apps
By default, code execution works as a stream, processing the code blocks one by one. In most cases it’s fine, but problems arise if there is a code that needs more time to execute, like storing a large file. While the file is stored, the next code has to wait to be executed and, in most architectures, it blocks another incoming call causing a bottleneck.
In Node.js these longer operations can be put aside, where they are processed separately and don’t block the main stream. This means that other calls can be handled at the same time.
Therefore, Node.js is well-suited for handling concurrent connections and real-time applications, such as chat applications, online gaming, and collaborative tools.
But also, for building enterprise-grade software that can continuously run in the background. Gmail is a prime example – a typical Single Page Application (SPA). It runs on a single page, and the interaction replaces parts of it instead of reloading the entire page, which makes the application feel more fluid. Frequent communication with the back-end is not uncommon in this type of application.
Furthermore, Node.js can be found in many IT solutions of even the most prominent market players, e.g., Airbnb, Netflix, Coursera, Groupon, LinkedIn, MasterCard, PayPal, Twitter, Walmart, Uber, and many others.
This impressive handling of multiple simultaneous requests is possible thanks to non-blocking processing and a fast V8 engine.
Node.js app in the cloud
Building scalable cloud-native applications is the direction that more and more businesses are taking. This is because companies want to reduce expenditures as much as possible – in that particular case, on their infrastructure.
Node.js is a friendly piece of technology when it comes to cloud solutions. Firstly, due to the support of microservice-based architecture. The idea of a microservice is to divide a monolithic application into a set of smaller services that are related to each other. Each microservice is de facto a small application that runs only when there is a demand for it. When the application is embedded in the cloud and the billing model is pay-as-you-go (Functions-as-a-Service), then the maintained application can generate noticeable savings.
Secondly, Node.js can handle thousands of parallel connections without any performance loss. Which in combination with the most important advantage of the cloud, i.e. easy scalability (the ability to quickly increase or decrease the size of the space used) makes the application insanely efficient.
Thirdly, cloud service providers, such as Google Cloud or AWS, provide useful tools and libraries while supporting many environments with options for serverless, Kubernetes, VMs, or custom hardware. The possibility of integration with other cloud services, such as databases or file storage services, helps developers write, run, and debug cloud-native Node.js applications faster and more efficiently.
The key to success is a well-coordinated team of Node.js programmers
Node.js, with its numerous advantages, can greatly benefit your business. However, it is important to highlight that the key factor in harnessing these benefits lies in having a skilled and proficient team of developers. Their expertise in leveraging Node.js’s capabilities is crucial for reaping the maximum advantages for your business.
Do you need to create a high-performance, fast and scalable web application? Place your bet on an experienced developers’ team at www.fingo.net
