Node.js

Node.js is an open-source, cross-platform JavaScript runtime environment that allows developers to execute JavaScript code server-side. It uses the V8 JavaScript engine from Chrome and provides an event-driven, non-blocking I/O model, making it efficient for building scalable network applications. It is commonly used for web servers, APIs, real-time applications, and command-line tools.

Also known as: Node, NodeJS, Node Js, Nodejs, Node.js Runtime

Why learn Node.js?

Developers should learn Node.js when building server-side applications, especially for real-time features like chat or gaming, or when creating RESTful APIs and microservices due to its fast performance and asynchronous capabilities. It is ideal for full-stack JavaScript development, allowing the use of a single language across frontend and backend, and is widely adopted in modern web development for its extensive ecosystem via npm (Node Package Manager).

Learning Resources

• docs: Node.js Official Documentation
• video: The Net Ninja - Node.js Tutorial for Beginners
• tutorial: freeCodeCamp - Learn Node.js - Full Tutorial for Beginners
• book: Node.js Design Patterns
• course: Coursera - Server-side Development with NodeJS, Express and MongoDB