Does building a web server sound complicated? But it doesn’t have to be. Do you know that you can create a web server in a couple of lines of code? Yes. You can create a web server in a couple of lines of code with the help of Node.js. Research says that around 49% of software developers use Node.js in building advanced blogs.

Now, let us see what exactly the term Node.js is.

What is Node.js?

Node.js is an open-source JavaScript runtime environment. It functions on various computing platforms. Chrome’s V8 JavaScript engine is used for building Node.js

The engine can successfully convert JavaScript code into an efficient low-level machine code that can operate on the computers without any interpretation. 

Node.js operates on the computers as a standalone application. 

This unifies the web application development around the single programming language rather than using various styles for the server-side projects and the client-side scripts.

Node.js has an Event-Driven Architecture (EDA) which permits the asynchronous input and output functions. The set up also allows enhancing the scalability and the throughput in the web applications that have several I/O operations and real-time web-based applications like browser games. It is always essential to understand that while the JavaScript files have the extension .js, “Node.js” is the product name in the reference frame.

How Node.js aids in building applications?

Node.js consists of all the features you need whenever you run a program written in JavaScript. This allows you to use JavaScript to code the command line tools. In addition to that, it also enables server scripting, thereby permitting to create dynamic web page content before you send it to the user’s browser. 

What is Node.js used for?

Node.js is used in various applications. The experts say that Node.js has increasing demand coming second to Big Data specialists. The main reason for these increasing demands is multiple uses and advantages of Node.js. Many renowned corporate companies across the globe make use of Node.js. 

Let us now discuss why they are using Node.js for.

1)   Creating Chat rooms

Whenever it comes to developing some real-time applications like chat rooms, Node.js shines brightly. Although many people these days use phone applications and social media for communication, the chat rooms are still means of correspondence between the users and the brands. 

These features help in experiencing better use of applications like online games. The other things that contribute to better the experience of using forms are Big Data and Machine Learning. 

You must be thinking why Node.js is useful in creating chat rooms? This is because Node.js is excellent for developing high-traffic, data-intensive, and light-weight applications that are ideal for creating the chat rooms as they the incarnation of all these features.

2)   Collecting Large Data

The software can be used whenever you gather significant amounts of information. Since the extraction of the database is a blocked function, receiving large amounts of data can result in a hold-up. 

With Node.js, you can also gather this information and relay it to the back-end progressively. Hence, avoiding any system jams whenever storing the data becomes more effortless.

3)   Audio and Video streaming

All the files that are uploaded to the streaming sites like Veyo and YouTube must be processed before they are heard or viewed by people. This typical process of audio and video uploads saves lots of time and also makes the uploads accessible faster. 

Node.js is used beyond all these purposes. The back-end application, REST API tools and utilities, messaging middleware, blogs, social apps, HTML5 multiplayer game servers, among the other applications that are not CPU intensive, can be written in Node.js.

Here, we will learn how Node.js helps you in making a blog. This is a sequential process that you can follow for developing light-weight blogs with Node.js faster. 

Here, the commands and tools used in the development are associated with Mac. The express version would be 4.16.4. While the development process, if you hit a deadlock, then you can always Google for finding the perfect solutions. 

So, let us start with a procedure to create a light-weight blog with Node.js. 

How to Build a Simple Engaging blog using Node.js?

The first and foremost step is downloading Node.js on your machines and later install it. After the installation, you need to select the location where you will be saving your project. Then, open a new folder for the blog and create an app.js file in it. 

Make use of a node package manager for initializing the project. This step would allow you to manage the dependencies used in the project way more effectively with the help of package.js on. Hence remember to provide the application app.js whenever asked about the entry point.

Start Building

Then use Express for setting up your web server fast. Hence, firstly, write, and then run the Express installation code. This particular express code is necessary for saving dependency locally so that you can use it in your application. Next, you need to write the code in app.js.

Provide a New Route for Serving Your Page

Next step is writing code to add a new route to the server page. After hitting the way, the index page must be rendered. Let us backtrack here for creating the index view to make sure to run the relevant code. 

Then write a simple HTML file in the index.html. You should provide more dynamic features and add a form that will post to your web application.

Restarting Your Application

You need to restart the application and go to the specific port in order to check your progress thus far. You will then realize that you should store your posts from within the form as it would be posting everything to “add post”. Hence you should create a route for the same and the schema which would store all that information.

Installation of MongoDB

For the database connection, you can use MongoDB. Hence, install MongoDB on your machine and then create a data folder which stores all your database system. Then, give specific folder appropriate permissions by running the relevant code. After running the MongoDB terminal, you are set to go. 

For launching a Mongo, you need to open a new window and then run it. After that, provide proper code in the terminal for enabling mongoose for handling all the connections in the mongo database. 

Always be sure to provide the body parse for enabling the application to parse the post data bit. Hence, in your terminal and web application, you need to run the codes for the installation of the body-parser.

Setting up the Schema

For setting up the schema and its model, create a mongoose schema. The next step is to add all the relevant parameter definitions. After doing that, you need to assign a mongoose model to it by providing the necessary codes.

Adding the “add post” Route

Provide an “add post” route that would be storage for all the information. Also, redirect to your particular path after finishing this and add an error whenever required. You need to take hold of the information before sending the same to view in the root route. 

Next, provide a correct code in the index.html for displaying all the saved posts. Always keep Mongo running before you run node app.js. Then gauge your progress by looking at your hosting port.

Now, let us get down to the significant benefits of using Node.js as a programming language.

Advantages of Node.js

1) Node.js is scalable

The critical benefit of Node.js is the developers find it easier to scale the applications in horizontal and vertical directions. All the forms can be mounted in a parallel manner by adding nodes to the existing system.

Node.js also offers the option of adding extra resources to single nodes during the vertical scaling of the application. Hence it is highly scalable and also provides a better choice than the other JavaScript servers. 

2) Easier to Learn

As JavaScript is a popular programming language, many front-end developers have a good grasp of it. It becomes more comfortable to use Node.js at the back-end as learning Node.js consumes less time.

3) Node.js can be used as a single programming language

Node.js offer developers a luxury to write server-side applications in JavaScript. It allows the Node.js developers to write both front-end and back-end web applications in JavaScript via a runtime environment. They do not need to use any other server-side programming language that makes the deployment of the web application much more straightforward as all the web browsers support JavaScript.

Final Word

Here, we have defined Node.js, the various uses of this software, and the step by step process is highlighted by creating a light-weight blog with the help of Node.js. Welcome to real-time application building! To know more about us, visit us today at GoodWorkLabs and learn more about us. 

The best JS frameworks for Front End & Back End applications.

Are you on your way to create a remarkable web application?

If yes, then probably choosing the right and best JavaScript framework will be the toughest task on your list currently. Whether to choose AngularJS or Node JS or React JS might be giving you sleepless nights.

There are several parameters to consider before making the decision like maturity, size, features, interoperability, dependencies, etc. Without in-depth knowledge, this is a difficult choice.

In this blog, we have laid out the comparison between these three JavaScript frameworks for your reference.

1) AngularJS

Angular JS is a client-side web framework launched in 2009 by Google. It was aimed to resolve issues in creating single page application faced by angular developers. With a large support community, it has an extensibility feature and can work well with several libraries.

Reasons why AngularJS is recommended:

1) User interface

AngularJS has the plus point of using HTML for defining web app’s user interface. HTML is less fragile to recognize and also it is a declarative language. Overall it offers simplification of web development process in which you just need to define what you want.

2)  Flexibility

Web app development is made flexible with the use of directives and filters. The benefit of using directives is that they bring functionality to HTML rather than manipulating the DOM. Filters, on the other hand, are standalone functions that are separate from the app. Still, they take care of data transformations.

3)  Testing

Unit testing in AngularJS is done by injecting mock data and then measuring the output. This is a completely different way of testing web apps in which individual test pages are created.

Let’s go over the technical aspects for choosing AngularJS over others:

Advantages of AngularJS

• Easily testable framework
• Data synchronization is done automatically between the components and model view
• Vast Angular libraries
• Inbuilt dependency injection subsystem
• Simple routing
• Angular Data binding
• Marvelous UI design
• Customized Document Object Model can be created easily
• It provides strong template building solutions

Drawbacks of choosing Angular JS

• DOM elements come with performance issues
• Limited Routing offered
• Scopes are difficult to debug
• Angular gets slow with pages embedding interactive elements
• Third party integration is very complex
• The learning curve is steep

For more detailed information on Angular JS, here is a guide on Angular JS to help you understand the javascript framework better.

2) ReactJS

ReactJS is more of an open-source JavaScript library rather than a framework. With this, astonishing UI can be built with good rendering performance. React is more dependent on ‘view’ in the Model View Controller (MVC) architecture. It was launched to resolve the rendering issues of large datasets in JavaScript frameworks.

Reasons why ReactJS is recommended:

1)  SEO Effective

ReactJS can be easily run on the server and then a virtual DOM will be rendered which will return to the browser as a web page. This a benefit because search engines find it hard to read JS-heavy apps which is the main issue with JS frameworks.

2)  Excellent efficiency

ReactJS generates its own virtual DOM and also it takes care of all the changes to made in the DOM and any updates in the DOM tree. For gaining a good performance it is a great and flexible approach.

Here are the other pros and cons of React JS:

Advantages of React JS

• It offers faster updates
• Importing components is relatively very easy
• With ReactJS you can reuse the code
• JS debugging is smooth
• It has easy learning API and smooth interface designs  
• Fully component based architecture

Drawbacks of React JS

• The learning curve is steep
• It is not a framework and just a library
• Flux architectures
• If you integrate React into an MVC framework, some configurations would be required

3) NodeJS

NodeJS is a server rather than a framework which is powered by Google Chrome V8 JavaScript engine. It executes JavaScript on the server side. Its main application is done for simplifying development of complex applications.

Reasons why NodeJS is recommended:

1)  Server-side proxy

NodeJS can handle numerous simultaneous connections in a non-blocking manner as it can be used as a server-side proxy. Mainly it is used when you want to proxy different services with varying response times.

2)  NPM

NPM(Node Package Manager) comes by default with your Node.js installation and gives support for package management. NPM’s concept is similar to Ruby Gems. The most popularly used NPM modules are:

• Mongojs and MongoDB
• connect
• moment
• bluebird
• pug
• socket.io and sockjs

Here are the other pros and cons of NodeJS:

Advantages of NodeJS

• The same piece of code is shared with both client and server side
• Big files can be easily streamed
• NPM has already become deep and rising at a fast rate
• Simple to learn
• Large support community

Drawbacks of Node JS

• Not scalable because one CPU is not sufficient to take advantage of multiple tasks
• Deep understanding of JavaScript is required to work with NodeJS
• Relational database issues
• Particularly suited for web servers and not meant for CPU-intensive tasks
• Nested callbacks

Summing up

All the above-mentioned JavaScript frameworks enjoy their own fame and are widely used across the world. They are advanced and deliver high performance. The major factor that will affect the choice of JavaScript framework is your business needs and desired app goals.

ReactJS requires you to write less code and perform more. Also, ReactJS is better than AngularJS when it comes to performance.

But AngularJS is a fully featured framework and ReactJS is just a library. AngularJS has a vibrant and large community support while React is just in the inception stage.

On the other hand, Nodejs is mainly created to build scalable and fast network apps. It is simply a JS runtime which is fast and lightweight.

We hope that this helps in the decision you are about to make.

At GoodWorkLabs, we have an excellent team of JavaScript developers who can bring great value to your project. Let us help you with your next project, contact us here.

The power of a MEAN stack development

A few years ago MongoDB, Express.js, AngularJS and Node.js were raising eyebrows individually but now together they are turning heads. This stack has become invaluable to the software industry of 2017 and possesing these skills can make your company an enticing option for bigger sharks scanning the sea out there. So, let’s find out why you should make this switch!

1. Overall simplicity and common structure

MongoDB offers a more flexible and accommodating layer for storing data while Node.js provides a much better nexus for running your server and Express.js comes in with support in standardizing how you build your websites. AngularJS provides a clean way of adding interactive functions along with AJAX-driven rich components, for the clients. Together, they create a clean, coherent mechanism for transferring data from user to disk farm and back.

2. Built for the cloud

MongoDB is made for the cloud. The MEAN stack offers a compelling database layer in MongoDB and it comes equipped with full cluster support and automatic sharding straight out of the box. Initiate MongoDB and it will spread across your cluster of servers to offer failover support and automatic replication. Since, cloud allows the easy development and testing of apps there’s no doubt to not consider MongoDB for your next project.

3. Node.js Simplifies the Server Layer

Navigating through the multiple layers of the LAMP stack can be tough as it has one shuffling through various configuration files with differing syntax. MEAN simplifies this with Node.js. Want to change how your app routes requests? Add JavaScript and let Node.js do the rest. Want to rewrite URLs or construct an odd mapping, use JavaScript. The MEAN stack’s reliance on Node.js converts all this kind of work in one language, and all in one pile of logic. Having everything in one layer = less confusion and reduced amount of weird bugs created by strange interactions between multiple layers.

4. AngularJS is fresh

There are plenty of good PHP-based frameworks that work with MySQL but each is a big different and moving in its own direction, so, for the most part if you wish to perform any actions on the client side, you’re on your own. For instance, WordPress, Joomla and Drupal offer differing strategies, making it hard to switch between them, let alone transfer code from one to another. Appointing one client framework adds consistency and stability. AngularJS’s templating system and logic layers are significantly clearer than what we have seen before, and this makes it a perfect candidate to run your project.

5. Make your code isomorphic

The simplicity doesn’t end with using JavaScript on the server but rather continues with being able to use it on the client side too! Let’s say for example, you write code for Node and decide it would be better placed in AngularJS you can transfer it with ease and be almost certain that it would run the same way. This adaptability makes programming MEAN based apps A LOT easier. Moreover, in terms of staffing for a project you don’t need to look for a PHP expert, a front-end and back-end specialist, it’s all JavaScript across the stack.

6. Uniformity with JSON

MongoDB, Node.js, AngularJS, and Express.js all speak JSON. This helps the data flow neatly among all layers without rewriting or reformatting. PHP may already have the code to import to MySQL data and make it easy to process in PHP but that doesn’t help in the client layer. MEAN uses the same JSON format for data everywhere, making it simpler and more time sensitive in terms of reformatting  as it passes through each layer. JSON’s popularity through the MEAN stack makes it easier to work with external APIs.

Signing Off

Of course, you can always mix and match! ….if you’re really picky. Plenty of developers use MongoDB with Apache and PHP while others prefer to use MySQL with Node.js. More than that, AngularJS works really well with any server. So, don’t become a slave to the acronyms!

The Famous Node.js Apps

Node.js is a JavaScript runtime that runs on top of Google’s open-source JavaScript engine called V8. Pairing JavaScript’s naturally event-driven, asynchronous coding style with non-blocking I/O libraries makes Node.js fast, lightweight, and efficient.

It’s built to handle asynchronous I/O from the ground up and is a good match to a lot of common web- and network-development problems.  In addition to fast JavaScript execution, the real magic behind Node.js is called the Event Loop. To scale to large volumes of clients, all I/O intensive operations in Node.js are performed asynchronously.

In addition to it’s innate capabilities, Node.js has a thriving open source community which has produced many excellent modules to add additional capabilities to Node.js applications. One of the most famous is  Socket.io, a module to manage persistent connections between client and server, enabling the server to push real-time updates to clients. Socket.io abstracts the technology used to maintain these connections away from the developer, automatically using the best technology available for a particular client.

It is the pivotal tool for many big giants, and has helped them build a huge business.

Let us have at a few web apps that used Node.js

Paypal

PayPal Holdings, Inc. is an American company operating a worldwide online payments system that supports online money transfers and serves as an electronic alternative to traditional paper methods like checks and money orders. PayPal is one of the world’s largest Internet payment companies.

Linkedin

LinkedIn is a business- and employment-oriented social networking service that operates via websites and mobile apps. Founded on December 28, 2002, and launched on May 5, 2003, it is mainly used for professional networking, including employers posting jobs and job seekers posting their resumes. As of 2015, most of the company’s revenue came from selling access to information about its members to recruiters and sales professionals.

Yahoo

Yahoo! is a web services provider, wholly owned by Verizon Communications through Oath Inc. and headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. Yahoo was one of the pioneers of the early Internet era in the 1990s.

Mozilla

Mozilla is a free software community created in 1998 by members of Netscape. The Mozilla community uses, develops, spreads and supports Mozilla products, thereby promoting exclusively free software and open standards, with only minor exceptions.

Netflix

Netflix is an American entertainment company founded by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph on August 29, 1997, in Scotts Valley, California. It specializes in  providing video streaming online and DVD by mail. In 2013, Netflix expanded into film and television, as well as online distribution.

Uber

Uber Technologies Inc. is an American company headquartered in San Francisco, operating in 633 cities worldwide. It develops, markets and operates the Uber car transportation and food delivery mobile apps. Uber drivers use their own cars, although drivers can rent a car to drive with Uber.

Groupon

Groupon is an American worldwide online marketplace connecting subscribers with local merchants by offering activities, travel, goods and services in more than 28 countries. By the end of March 2015, Groupon served more than 500 cities worldwide, nearly 48.1 million active customers and featured more than 425,000 active deals globally.

GoDaddy

GoDaddy Inc. is an American publicly traded Internet domain registrar and web hosting company. As of May 2017, GoDaddy has served approximately 17 million customers and had over 6000 employees worldwide. The company is known for its advertising.

Ebay

Ebay is a multinational e-commerce corporation, facilitating online consumer-to-consumer and business-to-consumer sales. It is headquartered in California. eBay was founded by Pierre Omidyar in 1995, and became a notable success story of the dot-com bubble.

Walmart

Walmart is the world’s largest company by revenue, approximately $480 billion according to the Fortune Global 500 list in 2016, as well as the largest private employer in the world with 2.3 million employees. It is a family-owned business, as the company is controlled by the Walton family.

Medium

Medium is an online platform developed by Twitter co-founder Evan William, and was launched in August 2012. It is owned by  Medium Corporation. The platform is an example of social, having a hybrid collection of amateur and professional people and publications.

Node.js allows you to build effective apps, in a turnaround time that is quick and real!

Your app could be the next big one!

Get in touch with us for a kickass Node.js App!