Node.js is a runtime environment that allows you to execute JavaScript code outside of a web browser. It is built on the V8 JavaScript engine, which is the same engine used by Google Chrome to run JavaScript in the browser.
Node js is based on javascript and it works for the server-side environment. It is a single-threaded and it handles asynchronous programming.
Node js is created by Ryan Dahl. Node. js is primarily used for non-blocking, event-driven servers. It is used for traditional web sites and back-end API services and real-time applications.
key points about Node.js
1. Server-Side JavaScript: Traditionally, JavaScript was primarily used for client-side scripting in web browsers. Node.js allows JavaScript to be used for server-side development, enabling you to build scalable, high-performance web applications with JavaScript on the server.
2. Asynchronous and Event-Driven: Node.js is designed to handle asynchronous operations efficiently. It uses an event-driven, non-blocking I/O model, making it well-suited for applications that need to handle a large number of concurrent connections, such as web servers, chat applications, and real-time applications.
3. NPM (Node Package Manager): Node.js comes with NPM, a package manager that provides access to a vast ecosystem of open-source libraries and tools. NPM makes it easy to install, share, and manage dependencies in Node.js projects.
4. Single-Threaded but Scalable: Although Node.js operates on a single thread, it can manage multiple connections simultaneously through its non-blocking architecture. This makes it capable of handling high concurrency, but it may not be the best choice for CPU-intensive tasks.
5. Use Cases: Node.js is often used for building web servers, RESTful APIs, real-time chat applications, microservices, and even desktop applications using frameworks like Electron.
6. Cross-Platform: Node.js is cross-platform, meaning it can run on various operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Advantages vs Disadvantage
Advantages:- Node. js offers many benefits for web app development like easy scalability, easy to learn, high performance, highly extensible, support of the large and active community.
Disadvantage:- Not efficient in handling CPU-intensive apps due to the single-threaded environment.