What Is Node.js and Why You Should Use Node.js

In today’s digital world, where speed and scalability are paramount, web developers are constantly seeking innovative technologies to build efficient and high-performing applications.

One such technology that has gained tremendous popularity in recent years is Node.js. If you’re new to the world of web development or simply curious about this powerful runtime environment, you’ve come to the right place.

Here, we will delve into the fundamentals of Node.js, exploring its key features, advantages, and use cases. So, if you’re ready to unlock the potential of Node.js let’s dive in and discover the limitless possibilities that await you!

Key Takeaways

  • Node.js is an open-source, cross-platform JavaScript runtime built on Chrome’s V8 JavaScript engine. You can quickly run JavaScript code outside of a web browser, enabling server-side and networking applications.
  • Node.js is well-suited for building real-time web applications, APIs (Application Programming Interfaces), microservices, and even desktop applications. Its non-blocking I/O model makes it ideal for handling asynchronous operations, such as handling multiple requests simultaneously or streaming data.
  • Learning Node.js opens up numerous career opportunities, as it is in high demand by businesses seeking scalable and high-performing applications.

What is Node.js?

Node.js is an open-source, server-side runtime environment that allows developers to build scalable and high-performance network applications using JavaScript. It uses an event-driven, non-blocking I/O model, which makes it efficient and suitable for handling concurrent operations.

Traditionally, JavaScript was primarily used for client-side scripting in web browsers. However, Node.js development enables you to write JavaScript code to run on the server-side, which opens up a wide range of possibilities. It is built on Google Chrome V8 JavaScript engine and provides an event loop that handles asynchronous operations efficiently.

Node.js has a vast ecosystem of modules and libraries available through the Node Package Manager (NPM), which allows developers to easily integrate various Node functions into their applications. This rich ecosystem and the ease of sharing and reusing server-side code have contributed to the popularity and rapid growth of Node.js.

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Why Do We Use NodeJs?

Node.js is a popular cross-platform runtime environment for executing JavaScript code outside of a web browser. It has gained significant traction in web development for several reasons:

  1. You Can Effectively Use JavaScript on the Server-Side

    Node.js is a programming language that allows developers to use JavaScript both on the front-end and back-end, making it a full-stack development platform.

    This enables full-stack JavaScript development, allowing developers to use the same language and share code between the client and node server sides of an application. This simplifies the web application development process and reduces the need for context switching between different programming languages.

    This eliminates the need to switch between different programming languages, enhancing productivity, callback function, and code reuse.

    Node.js Developers can use the same language and code structure across the entire application stack, from the server to the client, which can simplify development and maintenance.

  2. Node.JS Strictly Supports Asynchronous and Event-Driven

    Node.js utilizes an event-driven, non-blocking I/O model. This means that it can handle a large number of concurrent connections efficiently without blocking the execution of other code.

    It is well-suited for applications that involve real-time data streaming, chat applications, or handling many simultaneous client requests, such as in social media platforms or gaming servers.

    1. Easily Build High Performance Web Applications

      Node.js is built on the V8 JavaScript engine developed by Google, which is known for its high-performance execution. Node.js leverages this engine to execute JavaScript code rapidly, making it well-suited for applications that require high-speed processing.

    2. Node.JS Supports Large Ecosystem and Package Manager

      Node.js has a vast ecosystem of open-source libraries and modules available through its appropriate package manager, npm (Node Package Manager). This extensive collection of modules provides developers with ready-made solutions for common tasks, making development faster and more efficient.

    3. Node.JS is Best For Developing Scalable Applications

      Node.js is designed to scale easily, allowing applications to handle a large number of concurrent connections with low memory consumption. Its non-blocking, event-driven, single-threaded architecture enables efficient utilization of system resources, making it ideal for building scalable and high-performance applications.

    4. Community and Support

      Node.js has a large and active community of developers, which means therEvent Emitters:e are abundant resources, tutorials, and support available. This active community ensures regular updates, bug fixes, and the development of new tools and Node.js Frameworks that further enhance the Node.js ecosystem.

    5. Asynchronous and Non-blocking

      One of the key strengths of Node.js is its event-driven, non-blocking I/O model. This means that Node.js can handle concurrent requests efficiently, allowing developers to build scalable and high-performance applications.

      The non-blocking nature of Node.js enables it to handle multiple connections concurrently without getting blocked, making it ideal for applications with heavy I/O operations.

    6. Large Package Ecosystem

      Node.js has a vast and vibrant package ecosystem called npm (Node Package Manager). npm provides a rich repository of open-source libraries, JS files, and modules, allowing developers to easily integrate pre-built functionalities into their applications.

      This extensive ecosystem of over a million packages provides solutions for various tasks and significantly accelerates the development process.

    7. Lightweight and Scalable

      Node.js is known for its lightweight architecture. It uses a single-threaded event loop, which consumes minimal resources and enables efficient utilization of hardware.

      This makes it highly scalable, allowing applications built with Node.js to handle a large number of simultaneous connections with relatively low memory footprint. Additionally, Node.js supports horizontal scalability through its ability to scale across multiple servers.

    8. Real-time Applications

      Node.js excels in building real-time applications that require instant data synchronization between the web server and clients.

      Its event-driven architecture and support for WebSockets make it an excellent choice for applications such as chat platforms, collaborative tools, online gaming, and live streaming.

      The ability to push data to clients in real-time without relying on constant polling can greatly enhance user experience.

    9. Microservices Architecture

      Node.js is well-suited for developing microservices-based architectures. Its lightweight nature, modularity, and ability to handle concurrent requests make it an excellent choice for building and scaling microservices.

      Node.js allows developers to break down complex applications into smaller, independent services that can be developed, deployed, and managed separately, promoting agility and scalability.

      While Node.js may not be suitable for every use case, it excels in scenarios where real-time, high-performance, scalable, and event-driven applications are required, making it a popular choice among developers.

      Related Post: Node JS Best Practices

      Understanding the Concept of Node.js Architecture

      With the help of Node environment, you can efficiently build server-side and networking applications using JavaScript. It utilizes an event-driven, non-blocking I/O model, making it lightweight, efficient, and scalable.

      To understand the concept of Node.js architecture, let’s explore its key components:

      Node.js Architecture

      • V8 Engine: Node.js is built on Google’s V8 JavaScript engine, which compiles JavaScript into machine code for fast execution. V8 provides a runtime Node environment for executing JavaScript code outside the browser environment.
      • Event Loop: The event loop is at the core of Node.js architecture. It enables Node.js to handle concurrent operations efficiently. The event loop is responsible for managing I/O operations, timers, and callbacks. It continuously checks for events and executes the associated callback functions when an event occurs.
      • Callbacks: Node.js extensively uses callbacks to handle asynchronous operations. When an asynchronous operation, such as reading a file or making an HTTP request, is initiated, a callback function is provided. Node.js is a programming language that continues executing the rest of the program while waiting for the operation to complete. Once the operation finishes, the callback function is called to handle the result.
      • Event Emitters: Node.js follows an event-driven programming model, where certain objects known as event emitters emit named events, and listeners subscribe to these events. When an event occurs, all subscribed listeners are notified, and their associated callback functions are executed.
      • Modules: Node.js has a modular architecture, and its functionality is organized into modules. Modules encapsulate related code and provide a way to organize and reuse code across different applications. The built-in modules, such as http module, fs, and path, provide functionalities for handling HTTP, file system operations, and file paths, respectively.
      • Non-blocking I/O: Node.js uses non-blocking I/O operations to achieve high concurrency and efficiency. It allows a larger number of I/O operations to be executed concurrently without waiting for the completion of each operation. This enables Node.js to handle a large number of concurrent requests without blocking the execution of other code.
      • Single-Threaded: Node.js runs in a single-threaded program, which means it executes JavaScript code in a single sequence. However, it employs asynchronous I/O and non-blocking operations to handle concurrent requests efficiently. While the event loop is single-threaded, Node.js can scale across multiple cores by using child processes or worker threads.
      • NPM (Node Package Manager): NPM is the default package manager for Node.js, allowing developers to install and manage external libraries, Node.js frameworks, and dependencies for their projects. NPM provides access to a vast ecosystem of open-source modules that can be easily integrated into Node.js applications.

      Node.js architecture revolves around its event-driven, non-blocking nature, which enables efficient handling of concurrent operations and scalability. By leveraging these architectural principles, developers can build high-performance, scalable server-side applications using JavaScript.

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      How To Install NodeJS?

      To install Node on your system, follow these steps:

      • Visit the official Node.js website: https://nodejs.org
      • On the homepage, you’ll see two versions: “LTS” (Long-Term Support) and “Current.” The LTS version is recommended for most users, as it provides a stable and well-tested release. Click on the “LTS” button to download the installer for the LTS version.
      • On the downloads page, you’ll see different installers for various operating systems (e.g., Windows, macOS, Linux). Choose the installer that corresponds to your operating system. For example, if you’re on Windows, download the Windows Installer (.msi) file.
      • Once the installer is downloaded, double-click on the installer file to run it.
      • Follow the installation wizard’s instructions. The default settings are usually fine, so you can proceed by clicking “Next” or “Continue” on each step.
      • At one point during the installation, you may be prompted to choose optional features or customize the installation. Unless you have specific requirements, you can usually leave the default options selected.
      • On the final step, click the “Install” or “Finish” button to complete the installation process.

      After installation, you can verify if Node.js was installed successfully by opening a command prompt or terminal window and running the following command:

      node –version
      This command will display the installed Node.js version if the installation was successful.

      Additionally, the Node.js installer typically includes npm (Node Package Manager), which is a package manager for installing and managing Node.js modules. You can verify the npm installation by running the following command:

      npm –version
      This command will display the installed npm version.

      That’s it! You have now installed Node.js on your system. You can start using Node.js to run JavaScript applications or build web servers and other projects.

      Node.js Use Cases

      Common Use Cases For Node

      Node.js is a powerful Javascript runtime environment for executing JavaScript code on the server-side. It has gained significant popularity due to its non-blocking, event-driven architecture, which allows it to handle a large number of concurrent connections efficiently.

      Web Application Development

      You can often use Node.js to build a server-side application. It provides a robust set of libraries and frameworks, such as Express.js and Koa.js, which facilitate the development of scalable and high-performance web servers. Node.js is particularly well-suited for real-time applications, chat applications, collaborative tools, and CPU intensive applications requiring frequent data updates.

      API Development

      Node.js is commonly used to build APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) that enable communication between different software systems. Its lightweight and efficient nature make it an excellent choice for creating RESTful APIs or GraphQL APIs, allowing clients to interact with traditional servers and exchange data seamlessly.

      Microservices Architecture

      In a microservices architecture, applications are broken down into small, independently deployable services. Node.js is often used to build microservices due to its modular design, lightweight nature, and ability to handle multiple concurrent connections efficiently. It enables developers to create scalable, loosely coupled services that can be easily managed and scaled individually.

      Real-time Applications

      Node.js excels in building real-time applications that require instant data updates and bidirectional communication between the server and clients. It utilizes technologies like WebSockets and Server-Sent Events to establish persistent connections and enable real-time data streaming. This makes it suitable for chat applications, collaborative editing tools, gaming applications, stock trading platforms, and other real-time systems.

      Command Line Tools

      Node.js provides a rich set of built-in modules that make it convenient to build command-line tools and utilities. It allows developers to create custom scripts, automate repetitive tasks, perform file system operations, and interact with external APIs, databases, or network resources. Many popular command-line tools, build systems, and task runners are built using Node.js, such as npm, Gulp, and Grunt.

      Internet of Things (IoT)

      Node.js can be used to develop applications for IoT devices. Its lightweight footprint and event-driven architecture make it a suitable choice for resource-constrained devices. It can facilitate communication between IoT devices and cloud services, process data from sensors, and control actuators.

      These are just a few examples of Node.js use cases. Its versatility and broad range of libraries and frameworks make it a flexible choice for a wide variety of applications and development scenarios.

      Related Post: PHP vs Node.js

      Develop Node.JS Application With Albiorix

      Node.js has become a game-changer in the world of web development. Its ability to bring JavaScript to the server-side has transformed the way developers build applications, improving performance, scalability, and productivity.

      With its asynchronous, event-driven architecture and extensive package ecosystem, Node.js empowers developers to create a wide range of applications, from real-time chat applications to scalable API servers.

      By embracing Node.js, developers can unlock the full potential of JavaScript, leveraging their existing skills to create robust and efficient applications. As the Node.js community continues to grow, the possibilities for innovation and development are limitless.

      So, if you’re looking to take your web development skills to the next level, feel free to consult Albiorix for the best Node.js development solutions.

Node JS Best Practices That You Need To Follow in 2023

Node.js is a web app development framework that is specifically built on the Chrome V8 engine, provides caching of single modules works as a Javascript runtime environment that helps in developing scalable apps easily.

Many times, it happens that this cross-platform and open-source technology might create complex errors if you’re not strictly following Node JS best practices.

Big names like Netflix, Uber, Twitter, and Trello are using the Node.js framework as their first choice for backend development services and get tremendous improvement in their software services. You need to know Nodejs best practices to achieve such results.

Let’s explore Node.js best practices in 2023 that help you design and create robust web applications for your business needs.

Node JS Best Practices in 2023 To Follow

It’s time to explore Node.js best practices that you must implement in developing robust web application for your business needs.

  1. Initiate Your Node.js Development using npm init

    One of the standard and best practices of Node.js that you need to follow is to start your Node.js development using npm (Node Package Manager). The excellent part of npm is that you can efficiently add couplings and dependencies in your web application development.

    Moreover, npm plays an essential role in browsing all of the Node.js packages required for your business.

    Initiate Your Node.js Development Using NPM Init

    It will be helpful to you, as it provides you with a new bundle for every project you create. In addition, with JSON, you may include a ton of metadata that will be useful to other Node.js developers working on the same project.

    With the help of Node.js, it becomes easy to add versioning-compliant updates of Node.js within the same package. This is among the most critical Node JS best practice.

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  2. Setup .npmrc For Your Node.js Development

    The .npmrc file is the essential file, especially for Node.js developers. Do you know why?

    It is the sole responsibility of the .npmrc file to ensure that the npm install always updates the package.json and requires an exact match for the installed dependency’s version.

    Setup .npmrc for Your Node.js Development

    So, just mention your script object and property in your node.js project’s package and a start key in the JSON file.

    Copy
    {
      "name": "albiorixtech",
      "version": "1.0.0",
      "description": "Project description",
      "main": "main.js",
      "scripts": {
        "test": "node main.js"
      },
      "author": "albiorix",
      "license": "ISC"
    }
    
    

    Now, everything is ready, and you need to push the command “npm start”. All the dependencies from node modules/.bin will be redirected to the $PATH, and you won’t need to install dependencies using NPM globally.

    Related Post: NodeJS vs Python

  3. Use Environment Variables

    Node.js is a programming language that requires robust configuration management. It includes the process of decoupling code, services, database configuration files, and many more, especially during development, production, or quality analysis.

    The primary role of accessing environment variables configuration management is to find the values from process.env in your code. For example, you can efficiently examine the NODE ENV environment variables in the Node.js env file.

    So, the biggest and most important Node.js best practice you must follow is appropriately using the environment variable in your program. In addition, you would use it to discover values during the intelligent web development process.

    With the help of the command nvm, you can quickly deal with the process of adding additional consequent plans, regular expressions, and most code setup workflows. Also, it is one of the biggest advantages for many cloud-hosting providers.

    Copy
    //main.js
    console.log("Server is Running at "  + process.env.NODE_ENV);
    
  4. Use Components For Better Application Structure

    One of the most challenging part for large applications is to prepare and maintain a huge coding structure with multiple dependencies.

    Such code complexity results in slowing down the developer’s skills and they cannot include new features in the existing Node.js applications.

    To overcome such a situation, the best option is to perform the code partitions into components. In simple words, we can say that every components will have its own dedicated folders/codebase, resulting in keeping every unit small and simple.

    Let’s explore an example of proper Node.Js folder structure.

    Nodejs Best Practices Steps

  5. Making Appropriate Usage of Style Guide

    The next in our list of best Node.js practices that you must follow is selecting an existing Node.js coding rule and ensuring code readability throughout the entire project chain.

    Let’s say your defined Javascript coding style differs from the developers who have previously worked on the project; what would you do?

    No worries at all!!! You need to replace the spaces with tabs or adjust the position of the braces, and you’re good to go. Yeah, it’s a time-consuming activity and is actively responsible for making your task tedious.

    I would like to personally highlight some of the code styles guides that are specifically adopted by global tech behemoths:

    • Airbnb – https://github.com/airbnb/javascript
    • Google – https://google.github.io/styleguide/javascriptguide.xml
    • jQuery – https://contribute.jquery.org/style-guide/js/

    Trust me; it’s among the innovative and most preferred node.js development best practices.

    Related Post: jQuery vs Angular

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  6. Avoid synchronous functions

    If you’re using Synchronous functions in the Nodejs application, you can smoothly eliminate other coding functionality from running since it is completed.

    One of the best recommendations is that you turn on the -trace-sync-io flag, making it easy for you to ensure that no synchronous function is now a part of the code. Moreover, it displays a warning when an asynchronous API is encountered.

    The primary role of Asynchronous API is to prevent other code files from running while an asynchronous code is in use. Furthermore, such an inspiring async function is the most challenging factor for other programmers to understand an application’s business logic flow.

    With the help of async functions, your coding throws an alert directly to your node.js app’s asynchronous API. However, the async function automatically outputs warnings and stack traces during the testing phase.

    Related Post: Best NodeJS Frameworks

  7. Handle inaccuracies

    A minor inaccuracy is solely responsible for getting bad feedback for your entire Node.js development process. It will eventually throw multiple errors on your business application, and there are more chances of losing your app’s customer experience.

    An application relies heavily on accurate exception management. And the easiest way to cope with the many programming faults is to adopt the asynchronous code structures while writing asynchronous code for your Node.js application.

    For example, promises provide you with a.catch() handler that will elegantly propagate all possible code errors to be dealt with.

    Copy
    //main.js
    doSomething()
    .then(doNextStage)
    .then(recordTheWorkSoFar)
    .then(updateAnyInterestedParties)
    .then(tidyUp)
    .catch(errorHandler)
    
    

    So, even in the case of failure of the previous function, you’ll get the error Handler option that will prompt you with the results to manage the error handling process smoother.

    And yes, it’s one of the NodeJS best practices that every Node.js developer or business owner should adopt. Therefore, you must be following these Node JS best practice for product development.

  8. Confirm that your app restarts automatically

    Your web application can be efficiently affected by the slight mistake of dependency, even if you’re dealing with the perfect error-handling standards.

    So I recommend you opt for the process manager to ensure that the app recovers successfully from a runtime fault or when the server fails.

    Apart from this, the best option is to restart your program if you feel that your entire service fails. Your program needs to continue as soon as possible for this particular case. PM2 KKeymetrics is the perfect option for process management.

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  9. Use the latest stable version of Node.js

    One of the Node best practices that you need to take care of is always keep your Node.js version up to date to benefit from the latest features, bug fixes, and security patches. Till date, Node.js 20 is the stable version of Node.js development.

  10. Use package.json for dependency management

    Utilize the package.json file to manage your project dependencies and specify their versions. This helps ensure consistent and reproducible builds.

  11. Use npm or Yarn

    Use package managers like npm (Node Package Manager) or Yarn to install and manage your project dependencies. They provide helpful features like dependency resolution, version management, and script execution.

  12. Modularize your code

    Break your code into smaller, reusable modules with clear responsibilities. This improves maintainability, testability, and business logic code reusability.

  13. Follow the Single Responsibility Principle (SRP)

    Each module or function should have a single responsibility, making it easier to understand, test, and maintain. Avoid creating monolithic functions or modules that perform multiple tasks.

  14. Handle errors gracefully

    Use proper error handling techniques, such as try-catch blocks or error-first callbacks, to catch and handle errors effectively. Implement appropriate custom error objects logging and error response mechanisms.

  15. Implement logging and debugging

    Incorporate logging statements strategically throughout your codebase to aid in debugging and dealing with any robust monitoring system. Tools like Winston or Bunyan can be used for more advanced logging needs.

  16. Implement proper security measures

    Follow security best practices to protect your Node.js applications. This includes sanitizing input, validating user input, using parameterized queries or prepared statements to prevent SQL injection, and applying security headers.

  17. Implement automated testing

    Write unit tests, integration tests, and end-to-end tests to ensure the correctness of your Javascript code and detect regressions. Popular testing frameworks for Node.js include Jest, Mocha, and Chai.

  18. Utilize static code analysis and linting

    Use tools like ESLint or TSLint to enforce code style and catch common errors or specifically anti-patterns for built-in error object. This helps maintain a consistent codebase and plays an essential role to improve code quality using various leading static analysis tools.

  19. Optimize performance

    Identify and optimize performance bottlenecks in your application, such as database queries, network requests, or CPU-intensive operations. Use tools like profiling, load testing, and caching to enhance performance.

  20. Implement proper logging and monitoring

    Monitor the health and performance of your Node.js applications using logging, metrics, and tracing. Tools like Prometheus, Grafana, or New Relic can assist in monitoring and diagnosing issues.

  21. Regularly update dependencies

    The last on our list of Node JS best practices that you need to follow is to keep your project dependencies up to date to benefit from bug fixes, security patches, and performance improvements. Regularly review and update your dependencies while considering compatibility and stability.

    To regularly update dependencies in a Node.js application, you can follow these steps:

    • Understand your project’s dependencies: Review the package.json file in your Node.js project to identify the dependencies and their versions. Note down any specific version constraints or compatibility requirements.
    • Monitor for updates: Regularly check for updates to your project’s dependencies. One way to do this is by using tools like npm-check or npm outdated. These tools provide information about outdated packages and their available updates.
    • Evaluate the updates: Assess the updates based on their release notes, changelogs, and documentation. It’s essential to understand any breaking changes, new features, or bug fixes introduced in the updated versions.
    • Update one dependency at a time: To minimize potential issues, update one dependency at a time instead of updating all dependencies simultaneously. This allows you to isolate and troubleshoot any compatibility or regression issues that may arise.
    • Update the package.json file: Manually update the version numbers of the dependencies you want to update in your package.json file. Alternatively, you can use the npm update command followed by the specific package name(s) to update them automatically.
    • Run tests and perform integration checks: After updating a dependency, run your application’s tests and perform integration checks to ensure everything still functions as expected. This step helps catch any compatibility or regression issues early on.
    • Resolve conflicts and compatibility issues: In case of conflicts or compatibility issues, you may need to adjust your application’s code to work with the updated dependency. This can involve making code flow changes, updating config files, or finding alternative packages that are compatible with your project.
    • Repeat the process: Regularly repeat steps 2 to 7 to keep your dependencies up to date. This helps ensure your application benefits from the latest features, bug fixes, and security patches.

Conclusion

To conclude, I must say that you need to follow the NodeJS best practices discussed in the article to ease the work of developers and business owners. Furthermore, following such practices for your business application development can efficiently boost business productivity.

By adequately implementing such Node best practices, your business application can automatically minimize JavaScript runtime errors and turn into a high-performance, robust node.js application and node process.

Still, if you’ve any queries regarding the Node.js development, feel free to contact Albiorix. We have a strong team of talented Node.js developers to help you build innovative and robust web applications.

PHP vs Node.js: Which One Is Right for Your Web Development Needs?

In today’s world, web development has become essential to every business’s online presence. To build efficient and scalable web applications, you must deal with many programming languages and frameworks.

Two of the most popular technologies for web development are Node.js and PHP. Node.js is a cross-platform, server-side JavaScript runtime environment, while PHP is a server-side scripting technology designed for web development.

Both technologies have their strengths and weaknesses, and the choice between them depends on the project’s specific requirements. This blog post will explore the differences between Node.js and PHP, including their development concepts, coding approaches, speed, and performance.

By the end of this post, you’ll better understand which technology suits your web development needs better.

Key Takeaways

  • Node.js and PHP are both popular programming languages used for web development, but they have different strengths and weaknesses.
  • Node.js is ideal for real-time, data-driven applications that require high levels of concurrency, such as chat applications, multiplayer games, and streaming services.
  • PHP is better suited for applications that rely heavily on server-side processing, such as content management systems, e-commerce sites, and social media platforms.
  • Node.js is faster and more scalable than PHP, but PHP has better compatibility with different operating systems and databases.
  • Node.js is more suited for projects that require frequent updates and changes, while PHP is better for projects that require stability and reliability.
  • The choice between Node.js and PHP ultimately depends on the specific requirements of your project, your development team’s skills, and your budget.
  • Ultimately, both Node.js and PHP are viable options for web development, and the best choice for your project will depend on a variety of factors.

Basic Overview of PHP

Before we start to understand the basic difference between PHP and Node.js, it becomes essential to learn about what is PHP. So, what’s PHP?

PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) is a popular server-side scripting language for creating dynamic web page content and web app. If we talk about the history of the PHP programming language, Rasmus Lerdorf created a set of Common Gateway Interface (CGI) scripts written in the C programming language.

Over time, it evolved into a full-fledged programming language supporting many features, including object-oriented programming, runtime environment, database connectivity, and web app development services.

PHP code is executed on the server side before the dynamic web pages are sent to the client’s browser, allowing for dynamic content generation and interaction with databases and other web services.

PHP development is often used with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to create dynamic and interactive websites and web applications. In addition, it is open-source software, which means that its source code is freely available for anyone to use, modify, and distribute.

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Advantages and Disadvantages of PHP

After looking into the basic information of what PHP actually is, let’s dive deep into the advantages and disadvantages of PHP programming language.

Advantages of PHP

PHP Advantages

There are several advantages of using PHP for web development:

  • Easy to learn: PHP is relatively easy to learn and has a syntax similar to C and Perl, making it accessible to many developers.
  • Open-source: PHP is an open-source language that is free to use, distribute and modify.
  • Cross-platform compatibility: PHP can be used on various operating systems like Windows, Linux, macOS, and many others.
  • Large community: PHP has a large and active PHP community of web developers who share their knowledge and contribute to the language’s development.
  • Fast execution: PHP is designed to be quick and efficient, with low overheads, making it suitable for developing high-performance web applications.
  • Easy database integration: PHP has built-in support for many popular databases such as MySQL database systems, PostgreSQL, and Oracle, which makes it easy to develop database-driven web applications.
  • Flexible: PHP can be used to develop a wide range of web applications, including e-commerce sites, content management systems, and social networking sites.
  • The wide availability of resources: There are plenty of tutorials, books, and online resources available for PHP, which makes it easy to learn and develop.

PHP is a powerful and flexible language well-suited for web development and offers many advantages to developers.

Disadvantages of PHP

PHP Disadvantages

While PHP is a popular server-side scripting programming method for web development, it has some disadvantages that developers should be aware of:

  • Security: PHP is vulnerable to security threats if not programmed securely. If not carefully handled, it can expose a web page to attacks, such as cross-site scripting (XSS) and SQL injection.
  • Scalability: PHP’s architecture can lead to scalability issues, especially when developing large-scale applications. More support for multi-threading and multi-processing can limit the ability to handle heavy traffic.
  • Inconsistency: PHP has many functions and features, but many need to be more consistent, which can cause confusion for developers.
  • Maintainability: PHP is an interpreted language, and code changes can lead to unexpected behavior. It makes it challenging to maintain large-scale applications, primarily when different developers work on other parts of the code.
  • Poor performance: PHP is slower than other scripting languages like Java or C++. It can need help to handle high-traffic websites, and optimization can be difficult.
  • Lack of modern features: While PHP is constantly being updated, it must catch up with modern features and standards. It can limit the ability to develop cutting-edge web applications.
  • Limited support for object-oriented programming: Although PHP supports object-oriented programming, it is less robust than other languages like Java or C++. It can make it challenging to write complex, object-oriented applications.

Basic Overview of Node.js

After exploring the core knowledge of PHP, it’s time to go through the basics of what is Node.js.

Node.js is an open-source, cross-platform runtime environment built on top of the V8 JavaScript engine from Google. Any Node.js developer for hire easily executes JavaScript code on the web server side to build scalable, fast, high-performance network applications.

Node.js provides an event-driven, non-blocking I/O model that makes it lightweight and efficient and ideal for building real-time applications and APIs. This Javascript framework also has a rich library of modules and packages available through the Node Package Manager (npm), making it easy to add functionality to your application.

Node.js development can be used for various applications, such as most web servers, real-time chat applications, streaming services, command-line tools, and more. It has gained widespread popularity among most web developers and has been adopted by many large companies, including Netflix, Uber, and LinkedIn.

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Node.js

Let’s explore the advantages and disadvantages of Node.js technology.

Advantages of Node.js

Node.JS Advantages

Node.js is a powerful and popular JavaScript runtime built on Chrome’s V8 JavaScript engine. It has numerous advantages, including:

  • Scalability: Node.js is highly scalable, which means it can handle large volumes of data and user requests without sacrificing performance. It also allows for easy scaling of applications by adding additional web servers or resources.
  • Speed: Node.js is known for its fast execution speed. It achieves this by using a non-blocking I/O model, which means it can handle multiple requests at once without waiting for each one to complete before moving on to the next.
  • Flexibility: Node.js is highly flexible and can be used for both server and client-sides programming. This makes it an ideal choice for full-stack development, as web developers can use the same language and tools for both front-end web development and back-end development.
  • Large and active community: Node.js has a large and active community of developers, meaning it has a vast collection of modules and libraries that developers can use to enhance their applications. Additionally, this community provides a wealth of resources and support for developers, making it easier to learn and use Node.js effectively.
  • Easy to learn: Node JS is based on JavaScript, one of the most popular backend technology languages in the world. This makes it easy for developers to learn and start using Node JS, especially if they already have experience with a specific JavaScript runtime environment.
  • Cross-platform: Node JS is cross-platform, meaning it can run on multiple operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux. This makes it a versatile tool for developers who work on different platforms.

So, I must say that Node JS is a powerful and flexible tool that offers numerous advantages for developers to deal with backend development services. Its scalability, speed, flexibility, large community, ease of learning, and cross-platform compatibility make it an excellent choice for modern web pages.

Disadvantages of Node.js

Disadvantages of Node.js

Although Node.js has numerous advantages, it also has some potential disadvantages that developers should be aware of.

Here are some of the most commonly cited disadvantages of Node.js:

  • Single-threaded: Node.js uses a single thread to handle all incoming requests, which means that it may not be suitable for applications requiring high concurrency or parallelism levels. However, Node.js addresses this issue using event-driven programming, allowing it to handle multiple requests using asynchronous code.
  • Callback hell: Node.js uses callbacks extensively, which can lead to a situation known as “callback hell.” This occurs when JS code becomes nested and difficult to read due to multiple callback functions. However, developers can mitigate this issue using other patterns, such as promises or async/await.
  • Performance issues with CPU-intensive tasks: Node.js is optimized for I/O operations and may not perform as well with CPU-intensive tasks. This is because Node.js uses a single thread to handle requests, and CPU-intensive tasks can block the event loop, causing delays and slowing down the application. However, developers can mitigate this issue by using worker threads or offloading CPU-intensive tasks to separate processes.
  • Lack of built-in support for some features: Node.js is a relatively young technology, and it may need more built-in support for some features that other languages and platforms provide. However, developers can often find third-party modules or libraries that provide the required functionality.
  • Security concerns: Node.js has potential security issues due to its reliance on third-party modules and libraries. Developers should ensure they use trusted and up-to-date packages and implement security measures such as input validation and authentication.

Overall, Node.js is a powerful and versatile tool, but developers should be aware of its potential drawbacks and use it appropriately for their specific use case.

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Head-To-Head Comparison of PHP vs Node.js

It’s high time to deeply analyze the comparison of PHP and Node.js in a detailed manner.

Development Approach in Nodejs and PHP

Node.js and PHP are different technologies with different application development concepts. In this answer, we’ll explore the development concepts of Node.js and PHP and how they differ.

Development concept in Node.js

Node.js is a runtime environment for JavaScript that allows you to build server-side applications using JavaScript. It follows an event-driven and non-blocking I/O model, which means it can handle many connections concurrently without blocking the execution of other tasks. This makes Node.js highly scalable and efficient for building real-time applications.

In Node.js, you can efficiently use packages and modules available in the Node Package Manager (NPM) to build your business applications. Moreover, Node.js developers can also create their modules and packages and publish them on NPM for others to use.

Node.js is often used to build real-time web applications, such as chat applications, online gaming platforms, and collaborative tools. It’s also popular for building microservices and APIs, allowing developers to build lightweight and scalable services that can be easily integrated with other applications.

Development concept in PHP

PHP is a general-purpose scripting language primarily used for building server-side web applications. It follows a synchronous and blocking I/O model, which means that it executes tasks one at a time and waits for the completion of each task before moving to the next.

This makes PHP less scalable than Node.js for building real-time applications. In PHP, developers can use frameworks and libraries to build their applications. PHP frameworks, such as Laravel, Symfony, and CodeIgniter, provide a set of tools and libraries that help developers build web applications more efficiently.

In addition, you can effectively make use of libraries, such as Composer, to manage dependencies and integrate third-party packages into their applications.

PHP is often used for building content management systems (CMS), e-commerce platforms, and web applications that require a high level of security. It’s also popular for building APIs, although it may not be as efficient as Node.js for real-time applications.

In summary, Node.js and PHP have different development concepts. Node.js is a runtime environment for JavaScript that follows an event-driven and non-blocking I/O model, making it highly scalable and efficient for building real-time applications.

PHP is a scripting language that follows a synchronous and blocking I/O model, making it less scalable than Node.js for real-time applications. Both PHP and Node.js have their strengths and weaknesses, and the choice between them depends on the requirements of the project.

Coding Approach in PHP and Node.js

Node.js and PHP have different coding approaches due to their underlying architecture and programming paradigms. In this answer, we’ll explore the coding approach in Node.js and PHP and how they differ from each other.

Coding approach in Node.js

Node.js uses JavaScript as its programming language, which is a high-level language with a functional programming paradigm. This means that JavaScript allows developers to write server-side code in a concise and expressive way, making it easier to read and maintain.

Node.js also follows an event-driven and non-blocking I/O model, which allows it to handle multiple connections concurrently without blocking the execution of other tasks.

In Node.js, developers can use JavaScript modules to write reusable code that can be easily shared and imported into different parts of the application.

Node.js also has a large collection of open-source modules available through the Node Package Manager (NPM), which allows developers to quickly and easily integrate third-party packages into their applications.

One of the strengths of Node.js is its ability to work with JSON data, which is a lightweight data format commonly used in web applications. Node.js has built-in support for JSON, making it easy to parse and manipulate JSON data.

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Coding approach in PHP

PHP is a scripting language that is designed for web development. It follows an imperative programming paradigm, which means that developers write code that specifies how the application should execute a series of instructions.

PHP also follows a synchronous and blocking I/O model, which means that it executes tasks one at a time and waits for the completion of each task before moving to the next.

In PHP, developers can use functions and classes to write reusable code that can be easily shared and called from different parts of the application.

PHP also has a large collection of frameworks and libraries available, such as Laravel, Symfony, and CodeIgniter, that provide a set of tools and libraries that help developers build web applications more efficiently.

One of the strengths of PHP is its ability to work with database systems, such as MySQL and PostgreSQL, which are commonly used in web applications. PHP has built-in support for database connectivity, making it easy to query and manipulate data stored in a database.

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Speed

Speed in Node.js

Node.js is designed for building real-time applications that require high performance and scalability. It follows an event-driven and non-blocking I/O model, which allows it to handle many connections concurrently without blocking the execution of other tasks.

This makes Node.js highly efficient for building real-time applications like chat applications, online gaming platforms, and collaborative tools.

Node.js also has a fast startup time, so it can quickly respond to incoming requests and process them without delay. This makes Node.js well-suited for building applications that require high performance and responsiveness.

Speed in PHP

PHP is a server-side scripting language that is designed for web development. It follows a synchronous and blocking I/O model, which means that it executes tasks one at a time and waits for the completion of each task before moving to the next.

This makes PHP less efficient than Node.js for building real-time applications, as it may experience delays when processing large amounts of data.However, PHP has a mature ecosystem of frameworks and libraries that provide a set of tools and libraries that help developers build web applications more efficiently.

These frameworks and libraries can improve the performance of any specific PHP project by reducing the amount of code that needs to be written and optimizing the execution of code.

Application Performance

Node.js and PHP are two popular server-side languages used for web application development. When it comes to application performance, both PHP and Node.js have their strengths and weaknesses.

Node.js is known for its fast and scalable performance. It is built on the V8 JavaScript engine, which compiles JavaScript code to native machine code, resulting in faster execution times.

Node.js is also designed to handle asynchronous I/O operations efficiently, which can improve application performance in scenarios where a large number of I/O operations are performed.

PHP, on the other hand, has traditionally been associated with slower performance compared to Node.js. However, with the introduction of PHP 7, there has been a significant improvement in PHP performance. PHP 7 introduced a new version of the Zend Engine, which is responsible for executing PHP code.

This new engine has been optimized for faster execution times and improved memory usage, resulting in significant performance improvements.

In terms of application performance, Node.js and PHP can both be used to build high-performance web applications. However, the choice of language may depend on the specific requirements of the application.

For example, if the application requires handling a large number of concurrent connections and real-time communication, Node.js may be a better choice due to its asynchronous I/O capabilities. On the other hand, if the application requires more complex data processing and manipulation, PHP may be a better choice due to its extensive library of built-in functions and support for object-oriented programming.

Ultimately, the performance of an application depends on a variety of factors, including the complexity of the code, the efficiency of the algorithms used, and the resources available on the server. Both Node.js and PHP have their strengths and weaknesses, and the choice of language should be based on the specific requirements of the application.

Frameworks

Let’s take a look at some of the popular frameworks in Node.js and PHP.

Node.js frameworks

  • Express: Express is a minimalist and flexible framework that provides a wide range of features and plugins for building web applications. It is known for its speed and scalability and is widely used in the industry.
  • Koa: Koa is a lightweight and modular framework that is designed to be easily extensible. It is built on top of the same core as Express, but with a more modern and simplified API.
  • Hapi: Hapi is a powerful and extensible framework that is designed for building large-scale web application development. It provides a wide range of features for handling authentication, caching, and error handling, among others.

PHP frameworks

  • Laravel: Laravel is a popular PHP framework that is known for its elegant syntax and expressive code. It provides a wide range of features and tools for building web applications quickly and efficiently, including authentication, routing, and database management.
  • Symfony: Symfony is a robust and scalable PHP framework that is widely used in enterprise applications. It provides a wide range of tools and libraries for building complex web applications, including caching, security, and testing.
  • CodeIgniter: CodeIgniter is a lightweight and easy-to-use PHP framework that is designed for building simple and small-scale web applications. It provides a set of tools and features for routing, database systems management, and templating.

Node.js vs PHP: The Comparison Table

Details Node.JS PHP
Type Runtime environment Scripting language
Origin Ryan Dahl in 2009 Rasmus Lerdorf in 1995
Execution Model Event-driven and non-blocking I/O Synchronous and blocking I/O
Language Javascript PHP
Platform Cross-platform Cross-platform
Server-side Yes Yes
Client-side Yes Yes
Concurrency Good Not good as Node.js
Scalability Highly scalable Scalability depends on the project
Performance Fast Slower than Node.js
Learning Curve Steep Easier than Node.js
Community Large Large
Package manager NPM Composer
Frameworks Express.js, Meteor.js, Nest.js Laravel, Symfony, CodeIgniter

Node.js vs PHP: Which BackEnd Tech Should You Opt For?

The choice between Node.js and PHP for backend technologies ultimately depends on the specific requirements of your project, as both technologies have their strengths and weaknesses.

In summary, if you require a high-performance and scalable application that can handle a large number of concurrent connections, Node.js may be a better choice. On the other hand, if you require a language with a large community and extensive documentation, PHP may be a better choice.

Ultimately, the choice between Node.js and PHP depends on the specific requirements of your project, and it is important to consider factors such as performance, scalability, language, frameworks, and libraries when making your decision.

What are the Node.JS Advantages and Disadvantages?

Node.js is a versatile and advantageous tool for developing dynamic web applications, with several advantages and disadvantages.

Node.js is a secure backend technology framework with JS applications’ boundaries and is designed explicitly for both frontend and backend servers. This proves to be an excellent choice in today’s web development marketplace.

In fact, every technology comes up with advantages and disadvantages. Right? This time we’ve come up with an article that depicts the Node.js advantages and disadvantages.

What is Node.js?

Node.js is an open-source runtime environment based on Chrome’s V8 JavaScript engine and written in JavaScript and C/C++. It’s used for server-side operations, bringing JavaScript programming to the backend to run Linux, Windows, and OS X applications.

As an open-source project, Node.js was sponsored by Joyent, a cloud computing and hosting solutions provider. The company invested in several other technologies, such as the Ruby on Rails development framework, and provided hosting services to Twitter and LinkedIn.

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What are the Node.js Advantages?

After exploring the basics of Node.js, it’s time to focus on Node.js advantages to make it eady for your backend development services.

  1. Robust technology stack

    JavaScript is the leader among the most popular programming languages. In turn, Node.js is one such technology stack that has become a stand-alone name in the industry.

    As per the recent report by W3Techs, Node.js is used by 2.1% of all websites, at least 30 million.
    More than 30 million websites use node JS.

    JavaScript is considered to be the leader among the most popular web application programming languages.

    Node.js is designed explicitly for the backend, but many leading businesses get all the pros of full-stack JavaScript development. Some of them include

    • Better code efficiency
    • Improves overall developer productivity
    • Code sharing and reusability
    • Application speed and performance
    • Easy knowledge-sharing platform
    • Multiple tools available for better flexibility

    Consequently, it brings more flexibility to your Node.js development team and plays an essential role in designing fast and reliable software. Moreover, you can efficiently start programming the server side with minimum effort and develop robust web app development solutions for your business needs.

    So, you can reuse the front and backend code by using the same language on both sides. And also, you can wrap it into modules and create new levels of abstraction smoothly.

  2. Fast-processing for web-tasks

    Node.js is fast, as there are a couple of reasons behind it.

    For Node.js development, Chrome’s V8 Engine is utilized to compile functions written in JavaScript into machine code, which plays a vital role in enhancing the web applications’ performance.

    The below diagram depicts the conversion of Node.js into machine code.
    Conversion of Node.js Into Machine Code

    With the help of its Non-blocking Input/Output and asynchronous request handling functionality, Node.js allows you to quickly process concurrent requests even though JS is a single-threaded language.

    In addition, you must note that it works well only for heavy CPU-intensive tasks that are rare for web servers.

    Many custom software development companies switched technologies to developing Node.js applications and noticed significant improvements.

  3. Rich ecosystem: Node.JS libraries and tools

    Node Package Manager (npm) is a default manager that typically serves as a marketplace for open-source JavaScript tools, which is essential in advancing this technology.

    You’ll be surprised to know that there are more than 1 million packages in the npm registry, about 42 thousand dedicated to Node.js alone, and over 10,000 new ones being published every week. So you can imagine the Node.js ecosystem is built with a rich feature set.

    97% of modern web applications consist of npm modules.

    With access to multiple free tools, there is a massive potential for using Node.js. Likewise, open-source software enjoys growing popularity as it allows you to build new solutions, reducing development costs and time to market.

  4. Scalable technology for microservices

    Node.js is considered to be a lightweight technology tool, and using it for microservices architecture is one of the best choices.

    As described by Martin Fowler and James Lewis, Node.js is “an approach to developing a single application as a suite of small services, each running in its process and communicating with lightweight mechanisms, often an HTTP resource API.”

    Similarly, you can easily break the application logic into smaller modules and microservices rather than creating a single, large monolithic core, which enables better flexibility and lays the groundwork for further growth.

    As a result, adding more microservices on top of the existing ones is much easier than integrating additional features with the basic app functionality.

    With each microservice communicating with the database directly through streams, such architecture allows for better performance and speed of application. Moreover, two frameworks widely used for microservice architecture support a match made in heaven.

    Related Post: Top JavaScript Data Grid Libraries

  5. Large developer community and gentle learning curve

    Node.js is one of the most popular web development frameworks in 2022 engineering technology with 47.12%. In fact, Express.JS is the most popular Node.js framework that is the fourth most common web technology with 22.99 percent of respondents using it.

    The below figure demonstrate that Node.js is today’s golden standard for web development.

    Usage statistics of Node.js

    Companies that hire Node.js developers can efficiently solve any problem imaginable with a vibrant and thriving community. One of the reasons behind such popularity is that JS, along with Node, is easy and fun to learn.

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What are the Node.js Disadvantages?

After having a look at Node.js advantages, let’s highlight the list of Node.js disadvantages.

  1. API in Node.js are Unstable

    APIs in Node.js development is not stable. So, it becomes quite challenging for Node.js developers to deal with the major complexities while writing programs that require stable APIs.

    Moreover, due to unstable API in Node.js development, you need to be ready to tackle an unfortunate situation like the migration process. In simple words, you need to pay attention even while migrating from one version of node.js to another, as the APIs keep changing.

  2. Lacks Strong Library Support System

    Node.js is one such backend development framework that typically lacks a robust library support system. In simple words, we can say that you are not dependent on third-party libraries to help them with tasks that are not included in the Node.js core library.

    Moreover, with fewer documentation systems, it becomes quite difficult for you to search for relevant information that can be used in development.

  3. Asynchronous Programming Model

    The asynchronous Programming Model plays a vital role in scaling your application to a large By adopting the asynchronous programming model; you can efficiently manage the entire Node.js application for your business needs.

    On the other hand, it becomes pretty challenging for business owners and developers to deal with the linear blocking I/O programming, creating a big hurdle for developing robust business applications.

    Apart from this, asynchronous programming makes your code more clumsy, and the programmers have to depend on the nested calls.

  4. Less capable of processing CPU bound tasks

    Node.js is a JS runtime environment that can efficiently process CPU-intensive tasks but cannot handle particular tasks in a better way than the existing tools and frameworks.

    The primary reason behind it is that Node.js was originally designed to work on a single thread. So, you were allowed only to handle one request at a time.

    In case of any other requests, the existing implementations tend to queue them up, reducing the average performance.

  5. Difficult to maintain code

    With its asynchronous nature, Node.js technology responds to multiple callbacks for your business web application. This function runs just after every task in the queue, safekeeping several queued tasks in the background that are still running.

    So, if you have multiple complex callbacks received at a time, this process is called Callback Hell. And that’s makes the code difficult to maintain.

Related Post: JavaScript Frameworks Popularity of 2022

Conclusion

To summarize, Node.js is the best backend framework for developing scalable and high-performing web applications for your business needs.

We’ve come across the list of Node.js advantages and disadvantages to clarify the vision of adopting Node.js as your primary backend technology. Still, if you find any challenges while selecting the backend framework, feel free to consult Albiorix.

What’s New in Node.js 19? Features & Updates That You Must Know

Node.js 19 is now live!

And I know you’re too much excited to know the features and major updates that are introduced in Node.js 19.

If you ask me about what’s exciting about Node.js 19, then I must say that you can expect new releases approximately every two weeks. Since this is an odd-numbered release line, Node version 19 will not be promoted to LTS. Let’s move ahead with your question about what’s new in Node.js 19.

Overview of Node.js 19

With the release of Node.js 19 in the market, a big convenience for Node.js developers came where they can easily deal with early feature testing.

Some of the key highlights that are introduced with Node.js 19 include the update of the V8 JavaScript engine to 10.7 and HTTP(s)/1.1 KeepAlive enabled by default.

Node.js 19 will effectively become the “Current” release line and is going to replace Node.js 18 definitely when it enters long-term support (LTS). So, till then, Node.js 19 will officially be the ‘Current’ release for the next six months, until April 2023.

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What are the Updates on Node.js 19?

Node.js is going to benefit you in many ways especially for dealing with back-end development services. It’s time to explore the major updates that have been introduced the Node.js 19 version.

  1. node –watch (experimental)

    Support for running in “watch” mode using the node —watch option is an intriguing new feature recently added to the runtime. It will restart when an imported file is updated while your application is running in “watch” mode.

    $ node –watch index.js

    This feature is available in v19.0.0 and v18.11.0+.

    Let’s explore this feature with an example.

    In our server/index.js:

    Copy
    const express = require("express");
    const path = require("path");
    const app = express();
    app.use(express.static(path.join(__dirname, "../build")));
    
    app.listen(8080, () =>
      console.log("Express server is running on localhost:8080")
    );
    

    So, we were using a nodemon tool to run the server and to make instant file changes whenever we restarted our application. We were using the “nodemon server” command to apply the effect for the same.

    Now, with the release of node.js 19, you do not need to type such a command or install the additional tool. Instead, just execute the command “node –watch” to automatically restart the application when file changes are detected.

    Copy
    % node --watch server
    (node:67643) ExperimentalWarning: Watch mode is an experimental feature. 
    This feature could change at any time
    (Use `node --trace-warnings ...` to show where the warning was 
    created)
    Express server is running on localhost:8080
    
  2. HTTP(S)/1.1 KeepAlive by default

    Node.js 19 sets keepAlive to true by default. This means that any outgoing HTTP(s) connection will automatically use HTTP 1.1 keepAlive. The default keepAlive duration is 5 seconds.

    If we consider the same example,

    Copy
    const http = require('node:http');
    console.log(http.globalAgent);
    const https = require('node:https');
    console.log(https.globalAgent);
    

    And if we use Node.js 16 to run the file using the command “nvm use 16”, you’ll see that HTTP.globalAgent and HTTPS.globalAgent set keepAlive false.

    But that’s not the case with Node.js 19. If you execute the server with “nvm use 19”, the output goes something like this.

    • HTTP.globalAgent sets keepAlive true, and the default keepAlive duration is 5 seconds (5000 ms).
    • HTTPS.globalAgent sets keepAlive true, and the default keepAlive duration is 5 seconds (5000 ms).

    Keeping keepAlive to true will generally deliver better throughput as connections are reused by default.

  3. Stable WebCrypto

    The WebCrypto API is a feature-rich interface that helps you build systems using cryptography. With node.js 19, the WebCrypto API is stable (by excluding the algorithms: Ed25519, Ed448, X25519, and X448).

    To access this module, you can use globalThis.crypto or require(‘node:crypto’).webcrypto. Let’s go through an example where we will perform a number of low-level cryptographic functions:

    Copy
    const { subtle } = globalThis.crypto;
    
    (async function() {
    
      const key = await subtle.generateKey({
        name: 'HMAC',
        hash: 'SHA-256',
        length: 256
      }, true, ['sign', 'verify']);
    
      console.log('key =', key);
    
      const enc = new TextEncoder();
      const message = enc.encode('I love cupcakes');
    
      console.log('message =', message);
    
      const digest = await subtle.sign({
        name: 'HMAC'
      }, key, message);
    
     console.log('digest =', digest);
    
    })();
    
    

    (The above code is taken from GitHub)

    If you run the server, the output goes like this.

    Copy
    % node server
    key = CryptoKey {
      type: 'secret',
      extractable: true,
      algorithm: { name: 'HMAC', length: 256, hash: [Object] },
      usages: [ 'sign', 'verify' ]
    }
    message = Uint8Array(15) [
       73, 32, 108, 111, 118,
      101, 32,  99, 117, 112,
       99, 97, 107, 101, 115
    ]
    digest = ArrayBuffer {
      [Uint8Contents]: <30 01 7a 5c d9 e2 82 55 6b 55 90 4f 1d de 36 d7 89 dd fb fb 1a 9e a0 cc 5d d8 49 13 38 2f d1 bc>,
      byteLength: 32
    }
    
    
  4. Custom ESM Resolution Adjustments

    Node.js has removed the –experimental-specifier-resolution flag. Its functionality can now be achieved via custom loaders.

  5. Dropped DTrace/SystemTap/ETW Support

    For the following two reasons, Node.js has dropped the support for DTrace/SystemTap/ETW:

    • There are no clear indicators anyone is using DTrace, SystemTap, or ETW.
    • The complexity of maintaining and supporting these tools has proved not worth the effort.
  6. V8 JavaScript engine is updated to V8 10.7

    Node.js 19 has updated the V8 JavaScript engine to V8 10.7, which includes a new function, Intl.NumberFormat, for language-sensitive number formatting.

    Intl.NumberFormat(locales, options)

    locales is an optional parameter, which is a BCP 47 language tag or an array of such strings.

    These are the major changes that have been introduced in Node.js version 19. If you need any help regarding Node.js installation or upgradation, hire Node.js developers on part-time or full-time basis.

Upgrade to Node.js 19 Now!

What are you waiting for?

Go ahead and download Node.js 19.0.0 today.

Being a Node.js development company Australia, we have a team of expert Node.js developers for hire who are proficient in dealing with application testing and modules in the Node.js 19 version. And yes, by selecting Node.js as your preferred technology for your project needs, you can efficiently build responsive web apps.

find the release post of Node v19.0.0 (Current) which contains the full list of commits included in this release.