Node.js is an open-source, cross-platform JavaScript runtime environment built on Chrome's V8 engine, allowing you to run JavaScript on the server side.
- It has an event-driven architecture with asynchronous I/O, **(NON Blacking I/O) ** meaning Node.js can handle multiple operations simultaneously without waiting for one to complete. This makes it highly efficient for I/O-heavy tasks like web servers and APIs.
- Node.js enables you to run JavaScript outside the browser, making it ideal for server-side applications.
- Use Cases: Node.js is used to create web servers, APIs, real-time applications (like chat apps), and microservices, all thanks to its performance, scalability, and efficiency.
- Node.js is maintained by the OpenJS Foundation, ensuring ongoing development and support.
- Node.js helps u run javascript outside web browser.
Before Node.js, most web servers (like Apache HTTP Server) used blocking I/O, where each request would block the server from processing other requests until the current one was completed. This made handling multiple concurrent connections inefficient, especially for I/O-heavy tasks.
- The main intention behind creating Node.js was to build a server with non-blocking I/O, which allows Node.js to handle multiple requests simultaneously without waiting for one to finish. This makes it much more efficient for real-time applications and high-concurrency scenarios, like chat apps or APIs.
- Node.js was created to improve scalability and performance in handling a large number of simultaneous connections, especially in use cases where latency is important.
- Node.js was created by Ryan Dahl. Initially, SpiderMonkey was chosen as the JavaScript engine, but it was quickly switched to V8 (the engine used by Google Chrome) because of its superior performance.
- Ryan Dahl was invited by Joyent to continue developing Node.js.
- Originally named Web.js (indicating its intended use for web servers), the name was changed to Node.js to reflect its broader use case.
- npm (Node Package Manager) was created by Isaac Schlueter, becoming integral to Node.js, making it easier for developers to install and manage packages or libraries.
- Windows support was added to Node.js, which originally supported only Linux and macOS.
- Ryan Dahl left the Node.js project, and Isaac Schlueter became the new project lead.
- io.js was introduced as a fork of Node.js with a focus on faster releases and a more open, community-driven governance model.
- The Node.js Foundation was founded, and the codebases of Node.js and io.js were merged into one unified project.
- The JS Foundation and Node.js Foundation merged to form the OpenJS Foundation, which fosters collaboration in the JavaScript ecosystem.
NPM (Node Package Manager) is the default package manager for Node.js, used to install, share, and manage dependencies (libraries or packages) for JavaScript and Node.js projects.
- NPM was created to address the need for managing packages and their dependencies in a consistent and efficient manner.
While npm is the standard, Yarn and pnpm are popular alternative package managers that aim to offer faster and more efficient package management.
- package.json: This file holds metadata for your project, including the list of dependencies (external libraries) needed for the project.
- package-lock.json: This file records the exact version of each installed package to ensure consistency across environments.
- To install a specific package, run:
npm i <package-name>
| Feature | npm | Yarn | pnpm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Installation Speed | Slower, single-threaded | Faster, parallel installs | Very fast, optimized disk usage |
| Lock File | package-lock.json |
yarn.lock |
pnpm-lock.yaml |
| Disk Space Efficiency | Less optimized | More efficient than npm | Highly efficient, uses a global store |
| Popularity | Most widely used, default | Popular in Facebook/React | Gaining popularity, especially for monorepos |