Pros and cons of "nodeJS+Express"

Nothing is perfect in this materialistic world and so is for NodeJS+Express. Express is a minimal yet efficient node.js framework. It provides all the amenities that we used to get from node.js but at a smaller size and in a flexible manner. NodeJS+Express can change your world of web application development in a magical way due to their unmatched quality of web development. Let's discuss in detail:

What is Node.js/Express?

Node.js was created as cross-platform runtime environment in open-source for developing server-side web applications. JavaScript language is used to write applications for Node.js and these applications can be worked on MS Windows, Linux, OS X, IBM AIX, IBM I, FreeBSD, NonStop, etc. Node.js is a non-blocking Input/Output Application Program Interface (API) optimizes the applications' scalability and output for instantaneous web applications. It is lightweight and extremely efficient.

Node.js has a complementary ecosystem "npm" which is the biggest ecosystem of open source libraries in the globe.

It executes code using Google V8 JavaScript engine and contains an inbuilt library to permit applications to behave like a stand-alone web server. Node.js is deployed by Go Daddy, Groupon, IBM, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PayPal, SAP, Walmart, Yahoo!, etc

Developers love Node.js because it enables them to apply their existing skillset and Javascript knowledge to the server side.

Node.js+Express is its' latest edition. It hosts in a special way via the npm and is faster than Rails. This is definitely an advantage. One should remember that the speed of a web app is limited by the server hosting it, although the majority of the work is done on the client side.

Why should developers use Node.js+Express?

1) Non-blocking code:

Node is entirely event-driven and maximum code works based upon callbacks. This methodology does not permit to pause or sleep and makes it accessible for alternative requests. This is the most important reason for choosing node.js as your server.

In Node, when a line of code is read, it starts reading the file and assigns a callback to it and subsequently proceeds ahead to the next line of code. Other parts of the program are executed and whenever the file is read, the callback will get the execution to process necessary statements.

2) Rapid processing:

Node deploys the JavaScript V8 Runtime engine, similarly as done by Google Chrome. Node not only runs on JavaScript engine, but also uses it to facilitate network building applications. C language is the core language in both Node wrapper and the V8 JavaScript engine and that makes it very rapid. It outperforms all competitors - Perl, Python and Ruby.

3) Parallel request handling

Node has capability to control thousands of parallel connections without any heavy overhead on a solo process.

4) Single environment

Developers utilising JavaScript on both the browser and web server have an upper edge as there is diminished impedance mismatch amongst both the programming environments. Data structures are easily transmitted visa JSON due to the inherent similarities. Further, server and client can shares duplicate form validation code.

5) Simplistic and Trouble-free learning

Node is created from JavaScript and therefore not much effort is required to learn Node. Moreover, Express the latest version of node is simply outstanding and it is extremely light weight and efficient than before.

6) Recognition and community

Programmers and a good number of people are well-versed with JavaScript development. This makes it the most prevalent programming language. This is indirectly transformed into a popular community. Larger the community size, in effect implies support or help is easily available.

Which applications can be best created using Node.js?

Node.js is perfect for creating applications such as:

1. Fast file upload client

Node enables multiple files upload simultaneously. At a given point of time, multiple files are being processed together. Speed is the one of biggest advantages of Node and file upload is extremely rapid.

2. Data streaming

Node works on the callback concept and this can be harnessed to stream data flow. The Travel industry has great number of applications especially where results from different APIs of different suppliers are to be extracted.

3. Broadcasting Applications

Node has a non-blocking architecture and applications gels very well with Chat servers enhancing their efficiency and making them real time. Similarly, other broadcasting applications or web socket server applications work perfectly with Node.

4. Advertisement server

Ad servers should be the quickest as if my advertisements are loaded before all the contents, the user may view / click the advertisement else might simply navigate to another web page. Node is very rapid and therefore best for advertisement servers.

5. Stock exchange software

Stock markets move dramatically within fractions of seconds. The applications have to be real time for immediate updates. Node is well suited for instantaneous web applications.

We shall now find out the pros and cons of the Node.js+ Express understand

Node.JS Express Pros:

1. Powerful libraries. Express Node features the library, libuv that is amazing and extremely fast. If speed is your criteria, you will definitely select Node.js.

2. Package management. Dependencies are installed locally instead of globally irrespective of Node.js's installation.

3. Ecosystem. Node.js Express is the latest framework and therefore, its community-driven libraries are also latest. Many of Rails libraries are outdated. However, Node's ecosystem is well developed to provide the library for desired application.

4. WebSockets. JavaScript was developed to handle asynchronous requests, such as WebSockets. Rails 4 also encourages WebSockets however, it does not gel as nicely.

5. Full stack. Node.js is the complete package from HTTP server to templating engine.

Node.JS Express Cons:

1. Error handling. If there is an error, the entire Node application crashes. You then have to depend on something like Forever to resume the Node process. This issue was there from the beginning and also present in Express.

2. Maintainability. Node.js is very flexible and this may be disadvantageous at times when other developers join and are clueless about the earlier developers' logic or intent.

It is not surprising that currently, Node is the most loved and popular environment for developing web based applications. It is not by luck. A good architecture, light weight, constructed from JavaScript with base building block of C language, server side applications, an exhaustive ecosystem, open source, rapid speed - all these parameters make Node the most desired server. No wonder, leading and prestigious platforms in today's world are structured using Node.

Source : articlesbase.com