2009 witnessed the emergence of one of the most potent technologies known as NodeJS. NodeJS was launched by Ryan Dahl to facilitate event-driven programming for web servers making development easy and quick for web servers running in JavaScript. Using NodeJS, a developer can build scalable servers without having to use threading. NodeJS allows a developer to use the simplified model of event-driven scripting languages that use callbacks to update the status of task completion.
The best thing about NodeJS is that you can do anything to everything using it! This fact did not remain unknown to developers; therefore, since its launch, the technology gained massive popularity within minimal time. Hence many developers started using NodeJS as soon as it was launched.
“Using” would be an understatement; they also recommended NodeJS to other colleagues.
The list of companies that welcomed the technology with open arms is never-ending; you can also call this list Node’s “wall of fame.” However, to make you believe in Node JS capabilities, I would like to point out some famous companies actively using NodeJS in their tech stacks.
Microsoft, Netflix, Yahoo, LinkedIn, Uber, and New York Times have happily accepted NodeJS into their tech stacks.
This implies that you, too, can add up your name in the “big brand” list if you hire dedicated NodeJS developers to work on your upcoming project.
Since NodeJS is such a powerful tool, let’s not waste anything and head straight to the basics!
What is NodeJS?
NodeJS is an open-source JavaScript run-time environment applied when the written codes need to be executed in JS. The JS environment can run on multiple platforms, including Linux, Windows, OS X, and many more. Hence companies aiming to cater to a broader audience prefer keeping NodeJS in their app’s tech stack.
The impressive JS environment allows developers to write command-line codes and run the backend script to develop dynamic web pages before sending it further to the user’s browser.
The motto NodeJS functions upon is “JavaScript Everywhere.” Therefore, it unifies every development task in the web application to work as a single programming language, instead of managing multiple functions in separate languages for both frontend and backend.
The technology is so efficient that it is impossible to ignore the advantages it brings to an application. If you are still skeptical about whether you should hire Node JS developers or not, let us tell you why you should go for “hell Yes!”
Advantages of NodeJS:
There are many reasons to support the fact that “NodeJS is the best bet.” However, I don’t want to spend all night writing this article, so I’ll cut it short to the top benefits you’ll obtain using NodeJS:
The technology uses Google’s V8 engine, which contributes significantly to speed. Since the codes run pretty fast, your project’s speed is drastically improved.
NodeJS comes with a Node Package Manager (NPM), which encourages code sharing. Using NodeJS, a developer can easily reuse, update, and share the codes without much of a hassle.
NodeJS offers extraordinary features fitting right with the need for event-based servers. Hence, when it comes to developing a real-time application, there is nothing better than NodeJS.
It reduces the total processing time you invest while you work on real-time video or audio encoding. Therefore, it is very efficient in use when it comes to data streaming.
It is backed by the support of an extensive community of NodeJS developers ready to come to your rescue if you find yourself stuck at any issue.
Now that you are well-aware of the capabilities NodeJS holds. We come to our final topic. It is essential to know what you must choose, why you must select it. And once you have your thoughts clear on that, you must ask yourself, “how should I take it forward?”
Let’s come to that.
The first and foremost thing you need to do before you head on to developing your application using NodeJS is to hire NodeJS developers and take advantage of their experience, skill-set, and knowledge.
Once you get the right developer to work for you, discuss the best way to take your app development forward.
There are many fantastic NodeJS frameworks you can choose upon discussion with your developer.
And for your discussion to be two-way, we have mentioned the most used NodeJS frameworks below.
Here are a few:
ExpressJS:
It is a flexible and minimal NodeJS web app framework popular due to its robust features offered for developing both mobile applications and web apps.
Geddy:
Geddy is based on MVC architecture and is famous for its simplicity and structure for web applications.
Locomotive:
It is an MVC web app framework used for NodeJS. Developers prefer using Locomotive due because it supports MVC pattern, convention over configuration, and RESTful routes. It does all that while seamlessly integrating with databases and template engines. The tool is used to build on Express, which preserves the “expected” power and simplicity from Node.
Koa:
The framework is comparatively newer than the rest; it is designed by the team that worked to develop Express. The framework aims to be a more robust, smaller, and stable base for web apps and APIs.
TotalJS:
TotalJS is preferred by developers when they need to build dynamic web apps and websites using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript on NodeJS.
HapiJS:
If you need to build services or a web app, you can definitely ask your developer to use HapiJS.
Keystone:
The tool is an open-source framework majorly used to develop database-driven websites, apps, and APIs using NodeJS. It is built on MongoDB and Express.
SailsJS:
The framework is the way to go if you need to build a custom, enterprise-level web application. It is crafted to mimic the MVC pattern or other frameworks such as Ruby on Rails. It is exceptionally significant when you need to build chat, multiplayer games, or real-time dashboards.
It’s not restricted to just that; you can use it for any of your web app projects- a to z.
Mojito:
This framework is based on HTML5 and works really well for all browsers and servers. It provides direct MVC access to reach a server’s database via local routines. It is enabled with many features, out of which one “clever” feature offers a way for the code to migrate. Hence, if, for some reason, you are unable to run your codes on JavaScript, Mojito will run it on the server.
One single article can never do justice to the capabilities NodeJS hold. However, it can at least get us closer to our goal. Looking at the tech world, it has become evident that NodeJS is one single solution to almost all development needs- from developing a single web page to a robust, dynamic website or app, NodeJS does it all.
The big names associated with it are proof of where your project can reach once you deploy Node’s features into your project.
However, if you still have your doubts, it is better to take a counseling session with a reputed company or hire NodeJS developers and create a detailed, strategic roadmap to attain all your goals.
Believe me, when I say, NodeJS is worthy of all the compliments.