What is Node.JS

[durango_d]

I have heard of node.js, i have heard that some developers use it for such things as coding chat rooms. I have also heard that it has alot of issues.  Other than that i have no clue what node.js is or does.  Ill try to find a video on it.  If you have time if you could possibly just give a short simple tutorial on what it is or how you use it, that would be great.

Thanks

[Jason Knight]

Node.js is an absolutely horrible and uninspired name for where some folks took the V8 javascript engine -- which is what runs JavaScript in Chrome and Chrome-likes -- and made it a standalone without the browser that you can run server-side.

It basically turns JavaScript into a server-side language, instead of its traditional role as a client-side one.

Given what a ****-show Javascript is, how even bigger garbage seems to be getting layered atop it, and how from a performance and usability standpoint there are far better languages, I'm a bit shocked it's as popular as it is.

BUT -- I can understand the appeal of being able to use the same language server-side as you do client-side.

Problem is there are a LOT of things you can do server-side that has zero damned business in the browser, and vice-versa.

You might have heard of node-webkit, nw-js (which is same thing but using node.js instead of webkit), or electron? They are basically browser engines running atop node.js -- for all intents and purposes a browser turned inside-out -- that allow you to make full stack applications in JavaScript with HTML/CSS as your UI.

Visual Studio Code -- the editor -- is an Electron application, as is the Atom editor for which Electron was created.

Such programs are horrifyingly bloated and inefficient... I can't even use Atom or VSC because I can outrun the keyboard buffer. BUT, they do have the advantage of being fully cross platform off of one codebase. If you can port electron to a platform, you can run your program unmodified on it.

[durango_d]

Thanks for the reply, interesting...  now i know why i hear so many developers say bad things about it, and i am glad i didnt use it for my project back then..   Creating and mixing duties of what once was  userside  or serverside specific programs is like building frankenstein code and that was a lesson that should have been learned from the novel.   Even the monsters are digital now days lol