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How to Use Node Js for Backend Web Development in 2024

Node.js is a server-side platform based on the JavaScript Engine in Google Chrome. It was created by Ryan Dahl in 2009, and the most recent version is v0.10.36. This is a cross-platform runtime environment for developing server-side and networking applications that are open source. Node.js programs are written in JavaScript and run on the Node.js runtime on OS X, Microsoft Windows, and Linux. Node.js also comes with a big library of JavaScript modules, which makes developing Node.js web applications much easier.

The Node js program runs in a single process rather than establishing a new thread for each request. Blocking behavior is the exception rather than the rule in Node.js, because the standard library offers a set of asynchronous I/O primitives that prevent JavaScript code from blocking, and libraries in Node.js are frequently written using non-blocking paradigms. The popularity of Node.js is skyrocketing right now. Netflix, Uber, PayPal, Twitter, and more well-known companies are presently using Node.js. According to StackOverflow’s 2021 Developer Survey, Node.js is the 6th most popular technology among programmers, with nearly one-third of professional developers putting it as their first preference.

How Is Node.js Different from Web JavaScript?

JavaScript is a scripting language that may be used in web browsers. Node.js, on the other hand, is a JavaScript interpreter or execution environment that includes a large number of necessary libraries and other components. JavaScript is a single defining programming language that can operate in any browser using the default browser environment. It’s a powerful language that’s typically utilized in a web application for any type of verification.

Node.js also contains a large number of related libraries, which we often use in javascript for general-purpose programming. It’s a type of interpreter or environment that can represent JavaScript and run any JavaScript program. It mostly assists us in doing non-blocking operations such as obtaining operating system-specific information such as certificate or hardware data. It allows us to utilize JavaScript in ways other than the browser, such as writing, executing, or constructing a shell script, using backend services, or running on hardware.