The popularity of Node js has been growing all these years since its release in 2009. Developers prefer Node js over other technologies for web development due to its features that give high performance and efficiency. According to a report, Node js is used by 2.1% of all websites.

What is Node.js?

Before getting started with why to choose node js for web development, let us first understand what exactly node js is. Node js is an open-source, cross-platform, JavaScript runtime environment. The latest version of node.js18 was released in April 2022. It is developed on the V8 JavaScript engine which is used by google chrome. Initially, Node.js was designed keeping in mind real-time push-based architecture. Node. js is commonly used for non-blocking, event-driven servers like traditional websites and back-end API services. The web application developed with node.js runs across various platforms Windows, Unix, Linux, and Mac OS.

What is node js used for?

Node js is mostly used for server-side programming. Since it uses javascript it can be used for both frontend and backend. We have listed below some of the popular use of node.js.

Automation and scripting
Embedded system
Microservices
Real-time chat applications
Data streaming applications
Data-intensive Real-time applications
Single Page Applications
I\O bound applications
Social Media applications
IoT based products

Benefits of Node.js

Before deciding on the technology stack for your application. It is important to understand the technology’s features, benefits, and applications. Here we have listed down some major advantages of using the node.js runtime environment that would tell you why it is so popular among developers.

1. Scaleable

One of the prime concerns is scalability with any project development. The opted technology framework should support the scalability of the application in case required. The nonblocking event-loop system supports scalability.

2. Easy to learn

The majority of the developers are aware of javascript, therefore it becomes easy to learn node.js. The fact the community is large also supports the learning process with an abundance of resources.

3. Large Community

Because of its popularity, the number of developers that contribute regularly to the support group is huge. The community is active therefore one can always lookup for solutions when stuck with a problem which increases efficiency. There are ready-to-use solutions, libraries, and code accessible from all over the world.

4. Cost-effective

The development cost of web applications with Node.js is less compared to other technology since it is an open-source platform. The investment is less for web app development with node.js compared to the others.

5. Speed

Node js has eliminated the need to wait to address multiple requests. It also allows caching which decreases the response time because of previously stored data. The complete code is executed at once cause node.js follows the asynchronous approach making it faster than PHP, ruby, etc.

6. Faster time to Market

There are many modules present in Node.js which are readily available to use which reduces the coding time. This speeds up the development process and the time to market is reduced.

7. Easy Maintenance

With the help of node.js, the complete website can run through a unified stack making maintenance quick and easy. In Node.js different than the traditional technologies several small applications are created rather than single large applications. It makes any modification easy and quick.

8. High Performance

Node.js performance is high even for data-intensive applications. There is no delay in the execution of requests as it follows an asynchronous approach. The architecture of node.js is event-driven, and single-threaded which enables it to process requests concurrently with no delay.

9. Long-term support

At the time of the new version release, active maintenance and support are provided for eighteen months. This kind of support is rare and advantageous for the developers working on the technology.

10. SEO friendliness

Search engine optimization cannot be neglected by any developer during web app development. It is required for the web application to be optimized to drive traffic. The visibility of the website is better when the backend is rendered by node.js.

How Does Node.js Work?

One of the reasons for Node.js popularity is its speed and high performance. The factor that gives node.js its speed is how it operates. Node.js uses a single-thread approach to execute all the operations requested. Unlike multi-threaded in a single-threaded system, there is no waiting time for another thread to get free all the requests are responded to using a single thread.

Asynchronous

Contrary to the other runtime environments Node.js uses a single thread for processing all the requests. In the case of multiple threads for every request, a new thread is picked whereas in single-threaded processing a single thread performs all the requests. The performance and scalability are better in terms of single-threaded processing.

Event Loop

Node.js uses an event loop mechanism. An event loop is a continuous loop that waits for the task, executes, and sleeps. It enables Node.js to perform non-blocking I/O operations by delegating the I/O operations to the system and becoming available to handle other requests. This mechanism makes Node.js faster.

Why and When choosing node js for development

About 85% of developers use Node.js for web app development. There are unique benefits that node.js offers that have made it a top choice for web development. Industry leaders across various industries have adapted node.js accounting for its efficiency and high performance. Organizations like LinkedIn and PayPal have driven favorable results adapting to node.js. Looking at the success of global top companies, new enterprises and startups are also choosing node.js for their web application development.

Netflix
Twitter
Linkedin
Adobe
Spotify
Espn
Trello
Walmart
eBay

Best Practices for Node.js development

There are some sets of practices that are well-tested and followed for better results and work as a guide for new developers. These practices when followed minimize runtime errors and enhance performance. These practices are followed by the Node.js development company and give desired results.

Layered Approach

Practicing a layered approach in Node.js makes it possible to have a clean separation. To avoid performance issues it is required to layer each component. It is advisable to create different modules for different concerns of the application.

There are different approaches available to segment the modules:

Controller Layer
Data Access Layer
Service Layer

Folder structure

The code base gets huge and difficult to handle by the end of the project. Therefore it becomes necessary to organize the code files. In situations when you need to revisit the code organized code structure would be of great help.

Clean code

The readability of code would enhance the efficiency in case of any error or bug. There are style guides that can help to keep the code clean and in a uniform format. Picking and sticking to a style for the entire is advisable to maintain consistency.

Handling Errors

Error handling is one of the crucial aspects of code development and performance. One of the best ways to deal with errors is to implement an asynchronous code structure.

A new project with npm init

Using NPM every time a new project is created would automatically generate a package.json file for your project. One can add metadata in the file which would be informative for everyone working on the project.

Conclusion

Enterprises are opting for node.js for its scalability and performance, whereas startup companies are choosing node.js for its cost-effectiveness. In this blog, we have addressed what is node.js, why to use node.js, and some other common questions. DRC Systems is one of the leading node.js development companies with the best developers for your web development requirements. If you are looking for the right development company connect with us and we would deliver a timely solution.