3 Great Tech Features of Node.js

Tech projects are often in need of languages, frameworks, and tools that can handle high performance. With how fast technologies are advancing, software development needs to keep up.

Amongst so many solutions though it gets harder to choose a technology stack. Some are reliable but at the same time modern.

I believe that Javascript isn’t going to become less common and used. One great answer to challenges in the industry is the Node.js development solution. Application development would only become more complicated and require scalable software.

Benefits of Node.js Runtime Environment

People sometimes call Node.js a framework, but it’s rather an ecosystem of tools for development. Mainly server-side web applications, based on JavaScript, are built with Node.js architecture.

Unlike the framework which is a complete solution based on programming languages, the runtime development environment is an infrastructure that lets you execute code and communicate with an operating system.

Node.js architecture is easily combined with other Javascript frameworks and libraries which makes it flexible.

We can claim that Node.js is common in web development as around 30 million websites use it. That, in turn, helps develop an active open-source community that shares the best Node.js features. GitHub supports Node.js, and they have their own NPM package with a lot of ready solutions.

Also, the cross-platform runtime environment as Node can be used for mobile platforms too. Node.js community contribution makes the Node.js architecture more structured and ensures faster time to market.

And one more advantage that we can’t skip is the JS V8 engine. The Google-made engine helps Node.js development solutions handle a lot of data, processes, and concurrent requests with fewer lines of code.

Node.js Use Cases

Node.js uses asynchronous programming principles and event-driven input-output. Practically, it means that we have instant messaging or other key features in real-time applications. Handling large workloads quickly is important for start-ups, SMEs, and enterprises.

So, software applications that have to deal with lots of diverse data could make use of Node.js capabilities.

The use cases are real-time chat applications, APIs for object-oriented databases, apps with intense I/O operations, gaming apps, microservices architecture, etc. Also, complex applications with big data operations will get many benefits from such adoption.

To make up a short list, Node.js features are best used in:

1. I/O bound Applications
2. Data Streaming Applications
3. Data Intensive Real-time Applications (DIRT)
4. JSON-based Applications
5. Single Page Applications (SPAs)
6. Mobile Applications

Node.js Best Features

The abovementioned benefits are quite general, and many web development environments can boast appealing features like these. So, let’s dive deeper to find out what best Node.js features you might implement.

Asyncio Event Loops for IO Operations

Asynchronous communications and calls are the next messaging technology that can speed up app performance. It can be considered one of the best Node.js features for application __development because it allows handling multiple incoming requests with a single thread.

The asyncio event loops are a useful mechanism that helps Node.js execute non-blocking input/output operations. This asynchronous method speeds up events and responds to requests in a timely and efficient manner.

For APIs, it is a sure way to increase user experience and improve application performance. That’s why building REST APIs using a Node.js development solution has become more widespread.

Node.js Microservices Use

We’ve established that Node.js architecture is not a standalone framework. That’s why it’s not possible to use it for the development of microservices. However, Node has a Nest.js framework that helps easily set up Node.js microservices.

Here are some of the best Node.js features for microservices:

• Modular architecture: Nest allows building modules independently in addition to built-in modules. It leads to better control, flexibility, and maintenance.

• Dependency injection: The support of dependency injection is great for code reuse and maintainability across modules. There is less code duplication in Nest because of this.

• Multiple protocol support: HTTP, WebSockets, and gRPC - you can implement either one for your use case. Communication in microservices is vital so a wide range of protocol support is a plus.

Node.js microservices will help in scaling, agility, and flexible and rapid deployment. Node.js concepts combined with microservices could bring impressive features to the app.

JavaScript and C++ Interactions

One of the best Node.js features is that it easily interacts with C++ code. That's possible because Node is built on top of the Google V8 JavaScript engine. And the engine was written in C++. Why is that beneficial for app development?

Sometimes, complex applications require calculations that Javascript is not the best at. C++ add-ons help to execute them effectively and timely.

The advantage of JavaScript and C++ combining is that it's possible to use C++ libraries for back-end development. If Node.js can't handle heavy computation, C++ add-ons could deal with large-scale data processing, such as scientific computing, AI, and big data analysis.

Sum Up

Node.js isn't a magic pill for each and every application. However, it's a fit for scalable network applications, messaging apps, mobile apps, or any I/O-intensive applications with real-time data.

If your goal is high application performance, handling asynchronous calls or event loops, Node.js would be a top choice for you. A run-time environment can substitute full-stack language and cut development time or costs a few times.

Node.js features make it worth considering in the technology stack.