In this post, We will learn about What are the advantages of Node.js Over other server side languages and why to use Node.js.
Before we will know about advantages of Node.js, Let me give brief introduction about Node.js for those who don’t know much about node.js.
What is Node.js ?
Node.js is an open-source and cross-platform Server side JavaScript runtime environment. It is a very popular tool for almost any kind of project.
Node.js runs the V8 JavaScript engine. V8 JavaScript Engine is built by the the Google Chrome for its JavaScript engine. This allows Node.js to be very performant.
If you want to know more about Node.js, You can checkout my this Post on it – What is Node.Js And What are Features Of Node.Js ?
What Are Advantages of Node.js Over Other Server Side Languages
Now we will understand about What Are Advantages of Node.js Over Other Server Side Languages.
For understanding this, First of all we will compare How Node.js handles server side requests and how other server side languages do the same.
How PHP/ASP.NET Handles Server Requests ?
1. Sends the task to the computer’s file system.
2. Then waits while the file system opens and reads the file.
3. Returns the content to the client.
4. Then becomes available to handle the next request.
How Node.js Handles Server Requests ?
1. Sends the task to the computer’s file system.
2. Becomes available to handle the next request immediately.
3. When the file system has opened and read the file, the server returns the content to the client with the help of event listeners.
So as we can see, Node.js does not wait for the next request while the server is busy in processing one request. It immediately becomes available to next request.
Below are the points Why we Should Prefer Node.js over other server side languages:-
- Node.js eliminates the waiting, and simply continues with the next request.
- Node.js runs single-threaded, non-blocking programming, which is very memory efficient. Thus Node.js can handle multiple connections to the server easily without any waiting or bugs.
- Node.js uses asynchronous programming approach, which makes it faster than other server side languages.
When To Use Node.js ?
Following are some scenarios where we should use Node.js:-
1. It is primarily used for non-blocking event-driven servers, due to its single-threaded nature.
2. It is used for building lightning fast real-time chat or gaming web apps.
3. It is also used for making Streaming Web Applications.
4. It’s also preferred for making back-end API services.
5. Netflix one of the popular tech companies is also using it.
So thats all about Why Node.js is being preferred over other server side languages now a days. And when to use Node.js.
Thank you.
