The ever-rising popularity of JavaScript has been accredited mainly to the different frameworks which have been developed through using its language as a base. One of such frameworks is the Node.js framework. Created by Ryan Dahl and his associates, Node.js is a server-side framework which has been developed around the JavaScript language to enable developers to build event-driven applications. Node.js has been developed in a way which gives applications real-time response capabilities when it is used on them. This real-time communication is made possible through the compilation of the Node.js framework which includes an abstraction layer, core library, and the libuv platform, primarily written in the JavaScript.

Traditionally, programmers around the world were used to developing stateless-web applications. “Stateless” here implies that there were no records of previous interactions, as is seen in data packets in the Internet Protocol (IP). This system works to allow execution of a command only if the previous command has been completed, and this is a problem when it comes to server reliability. Node.js was the solution to that problem. It allows real-time connection between client and server in a two-way traffic, meaning both the server and client can send data packets to each other at the same time.

BENEFITS OF USING NODE.JS

It is important to note that the benefits of this framework are enjoyed mostly in the web development world and the implementation of the Internet of Things. When it comes to operations which are, for example, CPU-intensive, Node.js does not give any significant advantages to the user; it’s all about running multiple connections under a single thread. By using one thread to enable multiple connections, Node.js offers the following advantages to web developers.

Fast Speeds

Node.js runs on Google’s V8 engine which uses JavaScript as native machine code so that it can optimize on speed. What Node.js does is that it takes this already fast mechanism for connectivity and it places all the connections in one single thread (called the event loop), so that the CPU receives all the requests as one thread. Organizations, then, can create robust network applications which are suitable for parallel connectivity and increased throughput. What this means for them is fewer servers and quick response time, which are essential advantages.

Data Streaming

While most people believe that the request and response actions are two separate events in internet protocols such as HTTP, these are data streams. With Node.js, these streams can be merged such that data is processed at the same time it is uploaded. This merging of streams will reduce the processing time of data connections and will allow activities such as live video and audio recording to be much faster and more accurately real-time.

Web App Omnipresence

Node.js has presented the opportunity for JavaScript to be present both at the client and server sides of web applications. It uses the similar mechanisms at both the server and client side and offers a great deal of flexibility. This ability to incorporate similar functions at either end is useful for enterprises because they do not have to separate the front-end development from the back-end development.

Real-Time Application

With Node, developers can finally put to rest their worries about protocols and low-level sockets. Because Node.js is built both into the client and server sides, synchronization processes during communication occur at lightning speed. Node is event-driven, and this event loop is applied on web sockets protocol to prevent overheads of HTTP through effective management of multi-user functions.

Queued Inputs

Databases may sometimes fail when the server is receiving high amounts of concurrent data. Node.js can handle these connections rather than the data. Database access, however, is sometimes (or most times) a blocking operation; and in such cases, high responsiveness in a system is maintained through analyzing client behavior, especially under heavy loads. This technique is useful for when clients are not in need of confirmation on a particular operation. Simply put, with Node.js, the system can write off some tasks and queue them for later while proceeding with other tasks as though that particular operation was already successful.

Community Driven Framework

Aside from the innate capabilities which Node.js possesses, the framework adds to its benefits the fact that it is an open source framework. Therefore, aside from all its amazing capabilities, users and programmers have the option of building into the framework new modules which add to the usefulness and robust nature of Node.js. One popular module is the Socket.io which works to maintain a stable connection from the client to server and vice versa so that real-time updates are maintained.

Proxy

Aside from providing real-time connectivity, Node.js can also proxy different connections and services from their various sources, their various response times and data collection activities. While the proxies for these activities are usually available, Node.js provides a platform where a developer can create a client-side application which provides assets and proxies API requests. The application is built with the Node development server and operated on from the web application.

Synchronization Solutions

Node.js uses the event loop as the main carrier of streams of data between client and server. The system used in Node is robust and can solve different synchronization issues which may happen because each signal or data stream that requires synchronization is found in one loop. This singular loop makes it easier and faster to arrange these data packets without having to consult other data streams or web sockets altogether.