Choosing the right tech stack from the beginning of an application development project is vital. In recent times, many developers have been seen to opt for Node.js when it comes to developing eCommerce sites, messengers, and streaming services. The reason isn’t far-fetched; Node.js is considered one of the best environments for building these kinds of applications.
Node.js embodies a runtime environment that can execute an application code regardless of a browser or operating system type. It has features such as a single-threaded non-blocking input/output, JavaScript for Back-End development, a package manager for Node.js, sockets and event-driven architecture, and a variety of tools for building diverse applications.
What then is Node.js used for?
It’s an environment that is lightweight, robust, easy to scale, and facilitates software development. A quick look through where we can use Node.js
Internet of Things
This ecosystem of various automated devices and digital machines can exchange data without any human interference. IoT devices generate many requests requiring quick processing, and Node.js handles this effectively without downtime. Asides from this, Node.js servers can store a large amount of data produced by IoT devices. Furthermore, Node.js can be integrated with single-board controllers to build digital devices for the IoT ecosystem.
Real-Time Applications
Node.js is well suited for building social networking applications, collaboration tools, and interactive commercial websites. With its structure and the use of computer communications protocol, Node.js is swift when processing real-time flows. Its level of effectiveness makes it work well even under enormous traffic while still ensuring that the level of data streaming is top-notch. This characteristic endears it to users as there’s no impediment to data update or exchange in any form.
Applications with a Single Page
This represents a single page on a browser with dynamically changing data. It simply means that the website utilizes a form of interaction with the user that dynamically rewrites the current web page with new data from the server. Applications with a single page are known to load much faster than regular websites, enhancing user experience in areas with low-speed internet connections. Node.js is well suited for building SPAs as it can handle intensive workloads and works excellently with asynchronous calls.
Applications with Microservices Architecture
Any application based on microservices architecture can be easily built with Node.js. Software developers use microservices architecture to build complex and large enterprise applications. Frameworks such as Koa.js and Express.js are tools used for microservice architecture by Node.js to develop robust applications.
Things to consider when choosing Node.js
Put Node.js into serious consideration when you need to build;
- Real-time applications with live streaming services
- Complex, enterprise-level applications with microservices architecture
- Collaboration tools for teamwork
- Applications that heavily rely on scalability with heavy traffic and a constantly rising number of users
If Node.js does not fit well for building your digital solution, you could consider other development frameworks such as Django on Python, Ruby on Rails, Symfony on PHP, among others.
Node.js is a fast-rising back-end development environment that facilitates the development of versatile applications for large companies and even startups. However, just like any other development tool, Node.js has its limitations. Therefore, try to seek the needed expertise when choosing Node.js for building your applications.
