If you’re having difficulty finding a highly flexible, non-blocking, scalable, and efficient I/O platform, look no more, as Node.js is the solution you need. Built on top of Google Chrome V8 engine’s ECMAScript, Node gives you access to most front-end JavaScript methods, functions, and objects.
Node is perfect for building scalable and responsive network apps. The platform uses an event-driven I/O model that makes it fast, efficient, and flexible enough for handling real-time, data-intensive apps that run on distributed services.
Using Node is simple and easy. You can install it from its website and access all necessary documentation to find more detailed Node.js instructions. Let’s explore the fundamentals of Node and check a quick list of the best Node.js libraries.
Fundamentals of NodeJS
Like many other coding platforms and programming languages, Node has a console known as a read-eval-print loop tool. To open the console, use the “$ node” command. After the prompt changes to “>,” you’re ready to execute JavaScript, just like you would do with the Chrome DevOps Tools console.
However, keep in mind that implementing ECMAScript in Node.js and the browsers it supports is prone to slight deviations ({}+{}), but the results should be similar for the most part. Node allows you to save JavaScript scripts in the console to run them later.
Launching a Node.js script requires two simple steps:
- Start the script from a file by running the “$ node” filename;
- Choose the option that suits your coding needs from the console.
For example, if you need to run a set of statements quickly, use the option that allows you to run inline Node/JavaScript (e.g., $ node -e “console.log(new Date());”).
It’s important to understand that Node.js scripts are processes, meaning developers can use process information in code to determine what programs running on a single machine should do.
As a JavaScript library, Node is designed to keep things local, unlike browser JavaScript, which keeps everything on a global level. If you want to access globals with Node, use a “global” object.
Importing/exporting modules
Unlike browser JavaScript, which doesn’t allow developers to include modules, Node borrows modules from the CommonJS concept that relies on AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript And XML) to solve the problem of importing modules. Use the “exports.name = object;” command when exporting objects.
Top NodeJS libraries
Web app developers depend on the efficacy and feasibility of tools to build top-grade web applications. Those who use Node.js packages to develop apps know how essential these tools are to test various frameworks for building web apps.
The main goal of using Node for web app development is to make building apps faster, easier, and more straightforward.
Let’s review some of the best NodeJS libraries you should know about to streamline your web app development. You can start with a detailed Puppeteer tutorial, but the libraries below will take your work to the next level.
Async.js
This Node library allows you to increase the performance of specific web pages by eliminating rendering-blocking JavaScript. Modern websites are built on JavaScript files. Those files are in charge of coding interactions with the website and are visible to internet users when they visit the site.
If the code fails to load, the website won’t display its content. That means its visitors won’t see anything. Async.js ensures that the content loads fast enough to keep your website’s performance at its best.
Request
If you need an excellent tool for making HTTP requests for apps to access content from external sources, the Request Node library is a dependable, secure, and easy way to do it.
This library is easy to use and makes the entire process of making HTTP requests within a web app simple. HTTP commonly relies on external sources, such as websites, for data. The Request library is perfect for integrating authentication methods as well.
Browserify
One of the biggest challenges of working with JavaScript libraries is library management. Thankfully, Browserify allows you to tackle those challenges by accessing the scripts running on widgets and libraries.
You can quickly check between templates and use this node-based tool to build and arrange client-side codebases.
The tool streamlines and simplifies the development process by giving developers a systematic and structural approach to client-side coding, allowing them to manage various dependencies while working with Node scripts, libraries, and packages.
Conclusion
Node is a user-friendly JS library that offers immense functionalities that can help make web app development more straightforward. It comes with a range of top-grade programming libraries that allow developers to choose the proper framework for their app development needs.
Developers can combine Node frameworks with the right technologies to deliver better, more responsive, and functional web apps to modern internet users. Node is designed to make the coding process more straightforward so that those new to programming and app development can catch up with the latest trends and develop the best coding practices.