If you are familiar with the programming world, you have probably already heard of JavaScript. This high-level language is widely known for its execution, which facilitates the development of interactive, dynamic, and intuitive websites.

However, as the Internet evolves, new languages emerge to keep pace with this progress. One of these is Node.js, which is the focus of this article.
Node.js is free software that allows the execution of JavaScript applications on the server side. With it, it is possible to create fast, scalable, and efficient web applications.

Are you curious to know more about Node.js? Then, read on, check out this post that the CodeBlog team has prepared, and discover everything you need to know about this innovative technology!

Node.js: the definition

Focused on capability, scalability, and flexibility, Node.js is a JavaScript runtime environment that allows a user to build applications without relying on the browser. Because of its high efficiency and low cost, it is a great option for programmers. Furthermore, Node.js promotes several improvements to the JavaScript language and its execution engines.
Over time, its application gained new features and stopped being limited only to manipulating HTML pages.
An example of this is the Node single thread, a solution that can execute application code with just one thread (a sequence of instructions that can be executed simultaneously with others, allowing a program to perform several tasks at the same time). As a result, fewer computing resources are used. After all, there is no need to create a new thread for each request received.
In the case of a traditional server, with limited resources, new requests would only be handled after resources are released - causing delays and even losses for users.
But, the good news is that the so-called Event Loop, the only thread used by Node.js, creates new events whenever a new request is received, ensuring that input and output actions, for example, do not have to wait for the completion of one operation for another to start.

Server-side and Client-side:

Node.js is a server-side interpreter, which means it is responsible for processing and providing responses to browsers. In this context, it is important to understand the difference between server-side (back-end) and client-side (front-end).

On the server side, languages are executed and interpreted by the server. The code is processed, and the response is sent to the browser.
On the client side, languages are interpreted by the browser, without the need to interact with the server. This allows for a faster response and bandwidth savings, as processing is done locally.

Advantages provided by Node.js

Now that you know a little more about Node.js, read on to find out what advantages it provides to IT teams:

Productivity

It is no secret that JavaScript is the most widely used language in web development.
In this context, the Node.js application adds a range of possibilities, which even allows the reuse of code, so that teams can use all available resources more effectively, ensuring greater productivity for the team.

Flexibility

Due to its versatility, Node.js can be used in several scenarios. In fact, the so-called Node Package Manager is considered the package manager with the largest repository of available software.

Lightweight

Due to the single thread model, Node.js requires fewer computing resources to be used.
In practice, the increase in speed in making a system available for use (deploy) and in duplicating machines is visible.

Where to use Node.js?

Now that you understand that Node.js is a very versatile tool, you must be wondering where it can be used. Find out in the following topics:

► Creation of API prototypes and mock objects. Thanks to its popular language, capable of testing different scenarios, Node.js is an interesting tool for the development of mock objects and prototypes.

► Scalable environments. Node.js is highly recommended for environments with recurring connections, after all, one of its characteristics is the ability to handle multiple connections simultaneously.

► Applications that have NoSQL. Applications that use NoSQL have their databases built using JavaScript Object Notation (JSON), which facilitates integration with Node.js. This means that objects can be transferred to the client side without the need for any type of data model conversion, making the process smoother and more direct.

Conclusion

We hope this article was useful for you to understand what Node.js is, what its main characteristics and advantages are, and in which environments and situations it can be used.

We at CodeBit make use of various programming languages in the systems and applications we develop. We are a reference in creating innovative solutions and serve several private and third-sector institutions, offering custom-made solutions to boost digitalization and, consequently, business competitiveness.

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