6 Reasons Why Node.js Is A Great Choice To Build Your Next App

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If you have anything to do with IT in your life - professional-wise or business-wise you probably have heard of Node.js. It is a powerful open-source, cross-platform JavaScript runtime environment, perfect for working on the back-end of your applications. It allows developers to run JavaScript code on the server side and execute scripts outside a web browser. Recently it is gaining more and more popularity among developers and frequently becomes their first choice when it comes to picking the right tools for app development. Why? We will try to respond to this question thoroughly and convince you that Node.js is a fantastic solution also for your next app!

1.    Node.js Is A Good Choice for Non-Relational Databases

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Node.js is a great option for working with non-relational databases (in other words the NoSQL databases). The reason for that is the fact that Node.js has a modular architecture, which works very well with a variety of databases, including non-relational databases like MongoDB, Cassandra, Couchbase, and Redis. Redis even provides an official Redis client for Node.js, which is available as a Node.js module through the Node Package Manager (NPM).

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Also, Couchbase provides an official Couchbase Node.js SDK (Software Development Kit) that allows developers to connect to a Couchbase cluster, create buckets, perform queries, and efficiently manage the data. The Couchbase Node.js SDK is also available as a Node.js module through the Node Package Manager (NPM). Another thing is that Node.js has an asynchronous and event-driven programming model, which is very well-suited for handling non-blocking I/O operations, such as database queries. Thanks to that Node.js allows you to handle multiple requests simultaneously, without blocking the main thread. As a result, this is improving the overall performance and scalability of the application.

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Another advantage of using Node.js with non-relational databases is that both technologies are designed to work with JavaScript, which can help you to integrate the development process and make it easier to manage your code across the stack. Therefore, if you are a developer and already familiar with JavaScript you can work with Node.js and non-relational databases to build high-performance, scalable, and real-time applications.

2.    Growing Developer Community

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The second reason, why you will find Node.js an excellent tool for app development is its great and constantly growing community. Node.js has been growing since its introduction in 2009. It is widely used for building scalable, high-performance, and efficient server-side applications. According to the Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2021, Node.js is one of the most used technologies among professional developers, with 51.4% of respondents reporting that they know and use it. Its strong community consequently helps to contribute to the ecosystem by building open-source modules and libraries and therefore making it easier to get started with Node.js development. There are also many helpful resources available for developers using Node.js. Here are some of them:

• ‍Complex documentation. Node.js has extensive documentation available on its official website. This covers a lot of useful data - from installation and setup to advanced topics like cluster modules and C++ addons.‍
• Online groups and communities. Node.js has a strong online community with many forums, social media groups, and chat channels. The official Node.js community can be found on their website, and in several active groups on Reddit, GitHub, and other platforms.‍
• Modules and libraries. There is a vast ecosystem of open-source modules and libraries that can be used to extend Node.js’s functionality. These libraries are available through the NPM registry and can be easily integrated into your Node.js projects.‍
• Events and conferences. Node.js brings together its community worldwide during many events and conferences. These events provide opportunities to learn from experts, network with peers, and stay up to date with the latest trends and best practices.‍
• Commercial support. There are also many companies offering commercial support for Node.js, including consulting, training, and support services. Some of the most popular companies providing commercial support for Node.js include IBM, Microsoft, and NodeSource.

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We have to admit that the level of commercial technical support for Node.js is very diverse and extensive, providing developers with the resources needed to successfully build applications with Node.js.

3.    Advanced Expansion of Node.js Ecosystem and Tooling

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Another critical aspect of the strong development and popularity of Node.js is its vast tooling system and useful infrastructure available. Both are also improving very fast, constantly making it easier to develop, test, and deploy even complex Node.js applications. Here are some key examples of the Node.js ecosystem and tooling:

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• ‍Package management. Node.js has a powerful package management system called NPM, which allows developers to easily install and manage dependencies for their projects.‍
• Frameworks. There are various Node.js frameworks available, such as Express, Koa, and Hapi. They all provide a structured approach to building web applications and APIs.‍
• Testing tools. There are several testing tools available for Node.js, available for use to use, such as Mocha, Jest, and Chai. By using them you can write automated tests and therefore ensure the quality of your code.‍
• Deployment tools. Node.js code can be easily deployed on a wide range of platforms, including cloud-based platforms like AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. To do so, you can use one of many deployment tools like Docker, Kubernetes, and Serverless.‍
• Monitoring and logging tools. There are various monitoring and logging tools available for Node.js, such as New Relic, Datadog, and Loggly. All of them make monitoring and troubleshooting Node.js applications way easier.

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In total, the brisk expansion of the Node.js ecosystem and tooling has made it easier and more efficient for developers to build, test, and deploy applications with Node.js. This has contributed to the popularity of Node.js as a server-side technology and is likely to continue to drive its growth in the future.

4.    Asynchronous Programming

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Asynchronous programming is one of the basic concepts in the case of JavaScript programming. It has great advantages when it comes to building scalable and high-performing applications, such as:

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• ‍Non-Blocking I/O. Asynchronous programming allows applications to continue performing other tasks while waiting for I/O operations to complete. This helps to prevent the application from becoming unresponsive and enables it to handle a more significant number of requests simultaneously.‍
• Efficient Resource Utilization. Asynchronous programming allows applications to utilize system resources more efficiently. By performing I/O operations asynchronously, an application can vacate the system resources, such as CPU and memory, to perform other tasks, instead of waiting for I/O operations to complete.‍
• Faster response times. Asynchronous programming can significantly reduce the response time of an application. By processing multiple requests concurrently, an application can handle more requests in a given time frame.‍
• Scalability. Asynchronous programming enables an application to scale easier. By utilizing resources more efficiently, an application can handle a larger number of requests without additional resources.‍
• Better UX. Asynchronous programming can improve the user experience by reducing the time it takes to complete tasks. This can be particularly important for applications that require real-time responsiveness, such as chat applications or online games.
  
  

5.    Ready-to-Use NPM Packages

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Node.js allows using pre-built packages which can help you write your code faster and more efficiently as well as reduce the number of errors. Pre-built packages help developers quickly and easily add different functionalities to their applications without having to spend time writing all the code themselves. This can significantly speed up development time and reduce the time to market for the application.

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What’s important is that the pre-built packages have already been tested and refined by other developers, which means they are less likely to contain errors or bugs. This can save you time and resources in debugging. By using commonly used packages, developers can more easily understand and work with each other's code. Additionally, the pre-built packages are often designed to be scalable, meaning that they can handle increased usage and traffic. This can be particularly important for applications that are expected to grow rapidly or handle large amounts of data.

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To give you a better understanding of what the pre-built packages are, we have prepared some examples:

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• ‍Express. This is a fast, minimalist, and flexible web framework for Node.js. It provides a robust set of features for building single-page, multi-page, and hybrid web applications.‍
• Mongoose. It is an Object-Document Mapper (ODM) for MongoDB. It provides a simple, schema-based solution to model application data.‍
• Lodash. A utility library that provides a wide range of helper functions for common programming tasks. ‍
• Async. A utility library that provides powerful control flow functions for asynchronous JavaScript. It helps manage complex workflows and provides error handling and concurrency control.‍
• Socket.io. A library that enables real-time, bidirectional, and event-based communication between the browser and the server.‍
• Nodemailer. A module that enables email sending from a Node.js application. It supports both plain text and HTML messages, as well as attachments and inline images.‍
• Passport. A middleware that provides authentication for Node.js apps. It supports authentication via many different strategies, including local authentication, social authentication (e.g., Google, Facebook, Twitter), and OAuth.

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Those are just a few popular examples, but you can be sure that there are thousands more available for various use cases, from database drivers to logging libraries to machine learning frameworks.

6.    Single programming language – JavaScript

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You can use Node.js for back-end development and it will prove to be very efficient. Using a single language - JavaScript, for app development, significantly reduces the learning curve for developers. Thanks to that you can share some code between the front-end and back-end at the same time reducing the development time and improving the app’s maintainability. By using Node.js for front- and back-end development you can provide a consistent data model, making it easier to work with data across the application.

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One more thing we have to mention is the use of TypeScript in Node.js programming. In this case, TypeScript can significantly improve the reliability and maintainability of the codebase in several ways, such as: catching errors at compile-time; improving the code navigation and documentation; enhancing code refactoring; ensuring better team collaboration (teammates can work together more effectively); improving code quality which leads to a more stable and maintainable codebase over the time.

We hope that this portion of knowledge at least has sharpened your appetite for more. If you have some thoughts about Node.js you want to share or maybe need some help with your upcoming app project, please do not hesitate to contact us, by clicking the link below.