What is NODE JS ?

"Node.js is an open-source, cross-platform, back-end JavaScript runtime environment that executes JavaScript code outside a web browser. "

Well many questions arise during the process of learning web development and one of them is : What the heck is this Node JS ? Is it a programming language or a framework or some sci-fi term for programming ?

" The real truth is Node JS is a runtime environment built on V8 JavaScript Engine "

What is a runtime environment ?

The runtime environment is the environment in which a program or application is executed in real time .

* If you come from a Java background you could use this analogy to understand .

What is V8 Engine ?

V8 is an open-source JavaScript engine developed by The Chromium Project for Google Chrome and Chromium web browsers.

But Why is NODE JS used ?

NODE JS is used to communicate with the server . Yes ! that is the simplest sentence to describe NODE JS.

Node.js shines in real-time web applications employing push technology over the sockets. This technology has been used for the first time in almost 2 decades , in which web applications could work on real-time, two-way connections, where both the client and server can initiate communication, allowing them to exchange data freely.

How NODE JS works ?

Node.js operates on a single-thread, using non-blocking I/O (Input/Output)calls, allowing it to support tens of thousands of concurrent connections held in the event loop.

Lets Break the sentence !

Single-Thread -A Thread is nothing but a set of instructions . Single threaded processes contain the execution of instructions in a single sequence. In other words, one command is processed at a time.

Non-Blocking- Non-blocking I/O refers to code that doesn't block any execution like NODE JS. But on the other hand Blocking refers to operations that block further execution until that operation finishes while like PHP .

How Node JS works - mosh (https://programmingwithmosh.com/)

What the heck is this event loop - by Philip Roberts

NPM - Node Packet Manager

These are libraries built by the awesome community which will solve most of your generic problems. NPM(Node package manager) has packages you can use in your apps to make your development faster and efficient.