Initial release date: 27 May 2009
Operating system: z/OS, Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows, SmartOS, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, IBM AIX
License: MIT License
Repository: github.com/nodejs/node
Stable release: 19.8.1 / March 15, 2023
Developer: Microsoft Corporation, Ryan Dahl, OpenJS Foundation, Bryan Cantrill
Programming languages: JavaScript, C, C++, CoffeeScript
Node.js is a cross-platform, open-source server environment that can run on Windows, Linux, Unix, macOS, and more. Node.js is a back-end JavaScript runtime environment, that runs on the V8 JavaScript Engine and executes JavaScript code outside a web browser.
Node.js lets developers use JavaScript to write command line tools and for server-side scripting. The ability to run JavaScript code on the server is often used to generate dynamic web page content before the page is sent to the user's web browser. Consequently, Node.js represents a "JavaScript everywhere" paradigm, unifying web application development around a single programming language, as opposed to using different languages for server- versus client-side programming.
Node.js has an event-driven architecture capable of asynchronous I/O. These design choices aim to optimize throughput and scalability in web applications with many input/output operations, as well as for real-time Web applications (e.g., real-time communication programs and browser games).
The Node.js distributed development project was previously governed by the Node.js Foundation and has now merged with the JS Foundation to form the OpenJS Foundation. OpenJS Foundation is facilitated by the Linux Foundation's Collaborative Projects program.
Corporate users of Node.js software include GoDaddy, Groupon, IBM, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Netflix, PayPal, SAP, Walmart, Yahoo!, and Amazon Web Services.
Node.js is an open-source, cross-platform JavaScript runtime environment that allows developers to run JavaScript on the server side. It was first released in 2009 by Ryan Dahl and has since become very popular among developers for building scalable, high-performance applications.
One of the key features of Node.js is its event-driven, non-blocking I/O model, which allows it to handle a large number of simultaneous connections with high efficiency. Node.js is built on top of the V8 JavaScript engine from Google, which is also used in the Chrome web browser.
Node.js is often used for building web applications, APIs, and real-time applications such as chat applications or gaming platforms. It is also frequently used as a back-end tool for popular web frameworks such as React, Angular, and Vue.
Node.js has a vast ecosystem of third-party modules and packages available through its package manager, npm. This makes it easy for developers to find and use existing libraries and tools to speed up their development process.
History
The origins of Node.js can be traced back to 2009, when Ryan Dahl, a software engineer, was working on a project that required him to write a web server from scratch. He found that the traditional approach of using a threaded model for handling connections was not efficient, as it required a lot of memory and CPU resources to manage a large number of connections.
To address this issue, Dahl decided to build a new platform that would use an event-driven, non-blocking I/O model to handle connections more efficiently. He used the V8 JavaScript engine from Google, which was designed for the Chrome web browser, as the basis for his platform.
The first version of Node.js was released in May 2009, and it quickly gained popularity among developers who were looking for a fast and efficient way to build scalable web applications. In 2010, Node.js was officially adopted by Joyent, a cloud infrastructure provider, and it has been managed by the Node.js Foundation since 2015.
Since its release, Node.js has become one of the most widely used platforms for building server-side applications, and it has spawned a large and active community of developers who contribute to its ongoing development and improvement. Today, Node.js is used by companies of all sizes, including Netflix, Walmart, LinkedIn, and PayPal, among many others.
Node.js is a versatile platform that can be used for a wide range of applications. Some of the most common use cases for Node.js include:
Web development: Node.js is often used for building server-side web applications, such as APIs, web services, and full-stack web applications. It provides an efficient way to handle HTTP requests and responses, and it can be used with popular web frameworks such as Express, Koa, and NestJS.
Real-time applications: Node.js is well-suited for building real-time applications that require frequent updates, such as chat applications, gaming platforms, and streaming services. It provides a fast and efficient way to handle real-time data and events, and it can be used with libraries such as Socket.io and WebSockets.
Command-line tools: Node.js can be used to build command-line tools and scripts, such as build tools, automation scripts, and test runners. It provides an easy way to interact with the file system and external processes, and it can be used with libraries such as Commander and Inquirer.
Internet of Things (IoT): Node.js can be used for building IoT applications that require real-time data processing and communication. It can be used with platforms such as Raspberry Pi and Arduino, and it provides an efficient way to handle data streams and sensor data.
Machine learning: Node.js can be used for building machine learning applications using libraries such as TensorFlow.js and Brain.js. It provides a way to handle large data sets and perform data processing tasks efficiently.
