When developing a web application or a similar type of project, efficiency is a key factor. After all, the longer a project takes, the more costly it becomes. That means you'll likely end up looking for ways to complete your next web development project in less time.
In that case, Node.js may be the answer you’re looking for. Not only does it produce high-performing web applications, but it also does so faster than many other frameworks. There’s a reason it has found a prominent position in the world of web development.
In this piece, we’ll take a brief look at Node.js and how it works. Then we’ll discuss several reasons to consider using it for your next project. Let’s get to it!
An Introduction to Node.js
Node.js is an open-source runtime environment for executing JavaScript. In other words, it's a cross-platform way to execute code. In addition, it is light, scalable, and efficient. For those reasons and more, Node.js is commonly used for developing web servers, real-time applications, and mobile apps.
Originally, this environment was developed by Ryan Dahl in 2009 as a more efficient way to write web servers than Apache HTTP Server. However, since then it has become the leading framework for application development as well. This is due, in part, to the module library that was introduced in 2010 to handle core functionalities.
In a nutshell, Node.js works by combining Google's V8 JavaScript engine, an event loop, and a low-level I/O API to handle more concurrent requests than Apache. It does this by processing requests in a loop, rather than creating a new thread for each one. This event-driven I/O model has proven to be a powerful solution for developers.
6 Reasons to Choose Node.js for Your Next Web Development Project
No matter the functionality of the web application you're developing, Node.js is well worth considering. Let's explore six reasons to choose it for your next web development project.
1. It Enhances Development Speed and Flexibility
First, developing applications with Node.js is faster and requires fewer lines of code than with Java. To illustrate the point, Jeff Harrell of PayPal conducted a case study that found that a team using Node.js was able to complete the same project sooner than a team of Java developers.
In this study, Harrell employed two teams, one made up of two Node.js developers and another of twenty Java developers. In two months, the Node.js developers had completed the project, while the Java developers continued to work for another six months before they were done.
On top of that, the Node.js team used 33 percent fewer lines of code to produce a comparable result. In other words, Node.js can speed up your development and keep your code tighter.
2. The Learning Curve Is Short
Another great thing about Node.js is that it is a JavaScript-based system. Many developers are already familiar with this type of coding, making it far easier to learn than if you were starting from scratch.
Furthermore, Node.js uses the same language for both the server and client sides. This streamlines development, and brings the learning curve down since you don't have to work in more than one language. On top of that, Node.js requires fewer lines of code, which also means fewer files to work with.
3. Node.js Has a Rich Ecosystem of Modules
One of the features that makes Node.js so powerful is its library of modules. These tools can be found in the Node Package Manager (NPM), and provide lots of pre-coded functionalities for use in development.
As of this writing, the NPM has around 300,000 packages available. Using these packages to fill in common functionalities for your projects makes coding easier and faster.
4. You'll Benefit From Easily-Shareable Components
The need to collaborate often causes issues in web development projects, and can slow the entire process down. Fortunately, Node.js includes synchronization features for managing client-side and server-side coding.
Of course, one way it does this is by using the same programming language for both the client and server sides, as we mentioned earlier. It also enables components to be shared and synchronized as needed, making coding much easier.
5. It Produces High-Performance Web Applications
Node.js produces applications that are faster than those created with Java and other popular languages. For many developers, this is one of its most appealing features.
Node.js does this by operating on a single thread, enabling it to handle a million concurrent connections at once. In addition, its use of JavaScript makes transferring JSON data – the most common interchange on the web – lightning fast by default.
6. Your Development Will Be Supported By a Thriving Community
Last but not least, Node.js is supported by a thriving community. Due in part to its popularity, it has a large group of developers actively producing new modules for it all the time.
On top of that, there are many active forums for Node.js, where you can ask other developers questions and get the help you need with your project. Plus, it has strong support from many leading companies, such as Medium, Uber, and Trello.
How Hosting.com Makes Node.js Even Better
In addition to the many benefits listed above, here at Hosting.com we offer web hosting plans specifically designed for Node.js developers:
In other words, our servers are optimized for these types of web development projects. In addition, we make setup easy via cPanel. You even have the option to opt for our Turbo Servers, which are up to 20 times faster than many competing Node.js hosting providers.
Conclusion
Node.js may just be the best choice for your next web development project. This cross-platform way to execute code is lightweight, scalable, and efficient. It can make your applications faster, and your development time shorter.
In this post, we’ve outlined several reasons to choose Node.js for your next web development project. It provides:
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Enhanced development speed and capability
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A short learning curve
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A rich ecosystem of modules
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Easily-shareable components
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High-performance results
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Support from a thriving community
Image credit: Gerd Altmann.
