Node.js – JavaScript Runtime

Node.js is a JavaScript runtime built on Chrome’s V8 engine. It enables server-side JavaScript execution, powering everything from web servers to CLI tools, making JavaScript a full-stack language.

Key Features

• Event-Driven: Non-blocking I/O model
• npm Ecosystem: Largest package registry
• Single Language: JavaScript front-to-back
• High Performance: V8 engine optimization
• Active Community: Extensive tooling and frameworks

Installation

Install Node.js on Ubuntu:

# Using NodeSource
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install nodejs

# Verify installation
node --version
npm --version

Usage Examples

Node.js examples:

// HTTP server
const http = require("http");

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
  res.writeHead(200, {"Content-Type": "text/plain"});
  res.end("Hello World");
});

server.listen(3000);

// File operations
const fs = require("fs").promises;

async function readFile() {
  const data = await fs.readFile("file.txt", "utf8");
  console.log(data);
}

Benefits

Node.js enables full-stack JavaScript development. Its asynchronous nature excels at handling concurrent connections, making it ideal for real-time applications.

Download Node.js