

Given that Node.js is built around JavaScript programming, you’ll need to have at least a foundational understanding of JavaScript’s basic syntax and conventions before you attempt to learn Node.js.Īt the very least, you should have a grasp of key coding concepts such as data types, loops, functions, arrays and bug fixing. You might feel comfortable designing a website with HTML, CSS and JavaScript - but using your JavaScript savvy to build an application in Node.js? That’s an entirely new challenge.īut don’t worry in the below sections, we’ll walk you through a few Node.js tutorials and help you familiarize yourself with the framework’s basics. It’s easy to feel intimidated by Node.js as a new coder, especially if your experience has mostly revolved around front end (client-side) programming.


In short, Node.js extends JavaScript’s capabilities into server-side development. It can run on a wide array of platforms and operating systems, including Linux, Windows and macOS. The framework also allows the server to handle multiple requests simultaneously.Īs an open-source server environment, Node.js is free, non-proprietary technology. Today, the framework allows JavaScript developers to create standalone applications and software.īecause Node.js uses an event-driven, non-blocking input-output (I/O) model, it is lightweight and efficient.

However, without a suitable runtime environment, JavaScript’s uses were limited mainly to front end work.īut with Node.js, those limitations disappeared. Along with HTML and CSS, it stands as one of the three core web development technologies and empowers programmers to create dynamic websites. The language was - and continues to be - an invaluable web-building tool. This is a bigger deal than you might think - before Node.js came onto the market, JavaScript could only function within the web browser. Today, it allows JavaScript coders to adopt a full stack mentality and embrace front and back end challenges alike. The framework itself was developed in 2009 and was based on Google Chrome’s JavaScript engine. This functionality makes it an invaluable tool for those who want to write back end (server-side) programs in JavaScript. As a runtime environment, Node.js has the software and hardware infrastructure necessary to execute a program in real-time. Node.js is an open-source, cross-platform, dynamic JavaScript runtime environment.
