A modern software application when developed, evokes much revenue for a growing business. There are various technology stacks available today for businesses and project managers to pick from in order to make their organizations successful. In addition, the available technologies are overwhelming. It is essential to select the right tech that matches the objectives and priorities of your firm.
One such technology that is widely utilized by organizations is Node.js. It is a contemporary application framework that has been selected primarily for the development of backend technology stacks. Node.js is also utilized for server-side application development in a variety of sectors.
This powerful technology’s popularity is increasing exotically. Well-known organizations such as Netflix, Uber, PayPal, Twitter, and others are now using it. Amongst web programmers, 47% of respondents use Node.js technology.
There are many reasons that suggest you use Node.js for your backend. It is advisable to take backend development services to build powerful websites and applications using Node.js. In this article, we will make you learn some comparisons we made with other well-known technologies.
What is Node.js?
Node.js, created by Ryan Dahl in 2009, is an open-source JavaScript runtime environment and framework for running web applications.
The most recent version of Node.js was released in April 2021. It is employed in the development of server-side cross-platform web applications.
The asynchronous event-driven model makes it ideal for data-intensive solutions. Node.js extends the capabilities of JavaScript that runs on the backend. It is also used for serverless architecture.
How does Node.js work?
It accomplishes this by executing its own runtime on the server. The comparison between Node.js and Java is a good analogy that runs an application within its own runtime. The runtime is small and efficient. It provides non-blocking I/O and a package manager, making it easier to develop applications in the Node.js environment.
In Node.js, package management is referred to as NPM. Its primary goal is to act as an index of libraries created by the Node.js community. It can easily share and import other projects. These packages give helpful solutions to common functions and codes that simplify retaining new projects and improvising the old ones.
Why use Node.js for the backend?
There are several reasons to favor Node.js for server-side applications. The execution of Node.js is too swift and it runs very quickly. There are more than 50,000 bundles that are available in NPM that help the developers to import packages at any time and in accordance with functionality, saving lots of time.
Node.js doesn’t wait for an API to return data making it an important or real-time and data-intensive web application. It reduces the load time for audio and video making the code optimal synchronization between the client and server side for having the same code base.
Reasons to use Node.js for backend
We have listed a few reasons that make usage of Nodejs worthwhile for your backend,
Nature is reactive and event-driven
Node.js servers never wait; instead, they connect straight to the following API. As a result, all Node.js APIs are non-blocking in nature. Node.js employs an event-driven approach that tracks all responses from prior API queries.
Single-threaded architecture
Node.js has a single-threaded architecture with event looping. However, this architecture makes Node.js more scalable. They create limited threads for processing requests in comparison to other servers.
In contrast, the Node.js server responds in a non-blocking or asynchronous way to event-driven mechanisms. This is why it is more scalable than other standard servers such as Apache HTTP servers. It handles many numbers of requests, as Node.js follows a single-threaded program that allows it to accept an enormous number of requests.
Scalable
Scalability is the most vital concern in software development by Node.js. It uses a clustering module for managing load balancing for active CPU cores. Another important aspect is its ability to split apps horizontally. It is a procedure for handling child processes. The primary goal of partitioning is to guarantee that various software versions are made available to distinct target audiences. Furthermore, it allows them to help with clients’ preferences.
Cross-platform compatibility
Node.js may be utilized on a variety of desktop operating systems, including Windows, OS, and Linux. When developers connect it with any acceptable package, they may construct a self-sufficient execution.
Usage of JavaScript
A developer should always know that JavaScript is an essential part of development with Node.js. As JavaScript is the basis of any programming language and almost all the initial level programmers know it, it becomes easy for any developer to migrate to Node.js.
Fast data streaming
It takes a long time to transfer data to separate streams. Node.js, on the other hand, takes a short period of time to process data and does it at a fast pace. Because Node.js is so efficient, files are processed and uploaded more quickly.
Rise of MEAN and MERN Stack
MEAN (MongoDB, Express, Angular, Node.js) is a free and open-source JavaScript program that aids in the development of dynamic websites and apps. Moreover, MEAN Stack is compatible with JavaScript-based applications.
There are many advantages of MEAN Stack and for that reason, MERN Stack is making its place in the application development industry. MERN- MongoDB, Express, React, Node.js is a stack that does away with requirements of code-switching.
Power of GraphQL
GraphQL is the most recent trend that has emerged in the Node.js ecosystem. It allows users to alter data and use Facebook APIs. GraphQL’s success can be due to its flexibility with a wide range of data sources. Hence, it makes it simple to install on many platforms and placeholder structures.
Node.js is readily integrated with apps and can get data 50% quicker. In the future years, the use of GraphQL databases with Node.js will grow. Furthermore, GraphQL’s popularity and demand have been blasted. The developers are highly familiar with this database which operates at great speed.
Comparison of Node.js with other technologies
In this article, we have detailed enough about the uses of Node.js to develop the backend of any application. We have further listed down a few languages in comparison to Node.js,
Node.js Vs Ruby on Rails
Another popular server-side web application development approach is RoR or Ruby on Rails. Although both RoR and Node.js can manage complex programs with their runtime environments, they are designed and built with distinct visions and architectures.
However, Node.js is more appropriate for robust applications with many server-side requests that need constant data shuffling between clients and servers. Real-time applications, such as instant messaging apps, chats, and collaborative apps, are examples of these.
Node.js Vs Python
Python’s fundamental goal is to emphasize readability and productivity, resulting in a high-level interpreted and object-oriented programming language. It supports many programming paradigms that makes it an excellent choice for many business tasks. Moreover, it also provides ease of use and speedy development that has a rich standard library and ecosystem.
On the other hand, Node.js performs outstanding, when the performance and scalability of web applications matters. Additionally, it is also lightweight and faster. It also manages intensive I/O operations and data shuffling for the front and back ends, making it an excellent solution for SPAs and Real-time Applications.
Conclusion
The popularity of Node.js has grown dramatically in recent years due to its broad variety of features and efficiency. It allows app developers to think out-of-box. However, many businesses have started using Node.js as a technology for developing their websites and applications, if the companies hire NodeJS Developers. It is, however, making the platform more solid and growth-focused.If you choose a qualified Node Js Development Services provider, you will have a superb platform for developing real-time functionality and simplifying process databases. As a result, those applications and websites will make businesses more scalable and stable.
