Introduction to Node.js

Node.js is a runtime environment that allows JavaScript to run outside the browser. It is built on Google Chrome’s V8 JavaScript engine and is designed for building fast, scalable, and network-intensive applications.

Unlike traditional server-side platforms, Node.js uses a single-threaded, event-driven, non-blocking I/O model, which makes it highly efficient and suitable for handling a large number of concurrent connections.

Why Node.js?

• JavaScript everywhere – Same language for frontend and backend
• High performance – Powered by the V8 engine
• Non-blocking I/O – Ideal for real-time applications
• Scalable – Handles thousands of concurrent requests efficiently
• Rich ecosystem – Huge package registry via npm

Where Node.js is Used

• REST APIs and backend services
• Real-time applications (chat apps, live updates)
• Streaming applications
• Microservices architectures
• CLI tools and automation scripts

Node.js is NOT

• Not a framework (it is a runtime)
• Not multi-threaded by default
• Not meant for CPU-heavy tasks

Node.js is best suited for I/O-heavy, real-time, and scalable backend systems, which is why it is widely used in modern web development.