Node.js History: Timeline and Previous Versions

Node.js is a server-side programming language and framework which has become a primary development framework for modern applications. If you are new to this framework, you may begin learning Node.js basic and then move to the advanced concepts. In this article, we will study Node.js, its history and evolution, its benefits, and the process of setting it up.

Node.js - An Overview 

Node.js is a web application framework and a programming language built on the V8 JavaScript engine developed by Google. It uses a single-threaded event loop and an event-driven, non-blocking I/O strategy to enable excellent speed and application scalability. Because Node.js is based on the JavaScript programming language, an application's front-end and back-end may be written in the same language, which becomes easy for the developers. MongoDB and Express.js, both of which use JavaScript, are often used in Node.js applications. MongoDB is a document-based NoSQL database, whereas Express.js acts as the middleware of the Node.js apps. 

Need for Speed, Security, and Efficiency in Development 

Lately, there has been a large demand for speed, security, and efficiency from the customers. This demand requires us to build software that is easily manageable, deployable, scalable, high speed, and secure. A lot of large corporations have begun transferring their applications to Node.js, while others are developing new apps utilizing the MEAN stack. Companies like Uber and PayPal have already deployed Node.js-based commercial solutions while Yahoo, HP, and several other companies have built their next-generation products on the MEAN stack platform. Another important aspect of Node.js is that it allows you to run the same code in several places with minor variation.

Isomorphic or universal JavaScript is currently underutilized in Node.js, although that is changing. For example, you may reuse the same object implementation in server and client code without having to change or rewrite it for each platform. It runs natively regardless of whether the code is built or interpreted. If you are interested in building your career in this field, you should consider earning a Node.js certification. 

Node.js & JavaScript - Write once, run everywhere 

With Node.js and JavaScript, you get true "write once, run everywhere" capabilities without translation overhead. The majority of Node.js activity occurs in public. Any Node.js explanation must include npm (the Node Package Manager) and GitHub. npm provides access to hundreds of thousands of Node.js modules, eliminating the need to write JavaScript code from scratch for many, if not all, application needs. On the other hand, Java requires the VM JIT compiler layer to run the same code across all platforms. You can enrol for a full stack developer course to get versed in Node.js and MERN stack as a whole. 

Beginning and Evolution of Node.js 

Before 2009, web browsers used JavaScript. JS was invented in the 1990s by Netscape's Brendan Eich as a scripting language for adding dynamic features to a web page from an HTML file running in the Netscape browser. On the other hand, Ryan Dahl created a runtime environment for JavaScript to operate outside of web browsers in 2009. npm, a package manager for the Node.js environment, was released in January 2010.

npm 

The package manager makes it easy for programmers to share and publish source code for Node.js packages and simplify package installation, updating, and uninstallation. This runtime environment is created in the C++ language and is based on Chrome's V8 engine. Unlike other approaches like parsing byte-code to create machine code, the Chrome V8 engine converts JavaScript directly to native machine code. As a result, node.js is a combination of this run-time environment and additional JavaScript libraries that have been pre-written to alleviate developer load and are used for server-side scripting.

The primary goal of the first Node.js compiler was to allow callbacks in a compiled language. A valuable feature of JavaScript is the callback function, which is a function that is sent as an input to another function. Asynchronous operations like server disc access are made feasible through callback methods, which allow Node.js to manage huge numbers of API calls using a queue of requests. Node.js never blocks (waits) for the information it needs to reply to a request. It simply carries on to the next request and "returns" when the previous one is complete, such as when the data from the disc is returned. While callbacks may look little, they are rather important.

How to Setup Node.js in Windows 

Node.js is easy to set up and works on all popular development platforms, including Mac, Linux, and Windows. The first step is to go to Node's official website and choose the file according to your operating system. 

Two buttons in the center show you the most frequent download options and the most recent ones. 

An.msi file is downloaded to your computer when you click on any. The wizard will open when you click on it, and the installation will begin. 

Select Next. You'll read Node's EULA in the next window, accept its conditions, and click Next. The next box allows you to choose the Node's destination folder. 

Usually, Windows advises installing programs under the Program Files folder. 

The later window allows you to personalize your installation. Unless you're running out of disc space or are sure what you're doing, we recommend leaving the options alone and selecting Next again. 

The third option in this box is something we'd like to draw your attention to. This option lets you install npm alongside Node on your PC. If you still want to adjust the configuration on this page somehow, leave that choice alone, and it will install npm for you in the end. 

The next window is for installing "Tools for Native Modules" automatically. We recommend leaving this checkbox unchecked and hitting Next once more unless you are certain you need them. The last pre-install window has opened. All you have to do now is click Install to begin the installation, so let's get started. 

As soon as you click the button, Windows will prompt you to confirm that you want to continue through the installation procedure. Assuming you're reading this post for this purpose, simply click Yes and wait for the installation to finish. 

We eventually arrived at the popup we expected, informing us that Node had been successfully installed on our Windows PC. 

Use Cases of Node.js 

Real-Time Chat Apps 

Real-time chat apps, whether for social networking apps or an interactive commercial website, are among the most prevalent forms of Node.js applications. 

A real-time chat is an online communication application that allows text, audio, or video communications to be sent in real-time. These are based on instant messaging (IM) and Internet Relay Chat (IRC) technologies. They can facilitate one-on-one and one-to-many group discussions. 

Single Page Applications 

A single-page application is a web application that only takes up one browser page. The program dynamically rewrites the existing web page rather than loading a new one. Users will have a comparable experience to a desktop app. SPAs are commonly utilized to construct social networking apps, project management systems, and other applications. Gmail is the most realistic SPA example.  

Application Streaming 

On-demand software distribution is known as application streaming. In nature, they vary from remote server apps. Application streaming necessitates downloading just some sections of the app on-demand on the device, with the remaining parts being downloaded as and when needed. This avoids the server and local PC from becoming overloaded. After the application has been downloaded entirely, you can launch it without connecting to the internet. Streaming apps like Netflix are unquestionably among the top sorts of Node.js applications.  

A microservices architecture allows you to construct an application as a collection of discrete modules. Each module serves a distinct purpose in the app's operation and is regularly updated and tested. After the team has completed all of the modules, they will combine them to build the entire application. This design style is highly beneficial to large business applications. This is due to their large and geographically dispersed development teams. This method keeps the entire group on track.  

Internet of Things (IoT) 

The capacity to process numerous concurrent requests is the most compelling argument for using Node.js for the Internet of Things (IoT). The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of physical objects that communicate and exchange data via the internet, such as sensors and beacons. The event-driven design of Node.js allows for asynchronous data processing. Consequently, the Node.js servers are not stopped and quickly complete data requests. Second, Node.js acts as a seamless and efficient application layer between IoT devices and the databases that hold the data they generate. 

Latest Version of Node.js 

Every six months, the major release of Node.js is updated. The new release is the Current release for six months, giving library writers time to add support for it. Node 16 has been the LTS version since 2021-10-26, while Node 18 became the Current version in 2022. April 19. The next LTS version, v18, will take over on 2022-10-25. Stable promises API, V8 JavaScript engine upgraded to V8 9.0, toolchain, and compiler updates. 

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Conclusion 

In this session, we looked at Node.js, its history and evolution, its benefits, and the process of setting it up on windows. We saw how Node.js evolved from basic JavaScript and how it became the primary run time environment. Once thorough with Node.js, it might interest you to learn full-stack development; you can check out the KnowledgeHut's Node.js Certification here.