Is Node.js Still The Most Popular JavaScript Framework? Our Expert Evidence

NodeJS is a JavaScript runtime event-driven, trusted platform for the creation of scalable network applications. Today, we will analyze Is NodeJS Still The Most Popular framework

To top this off, this cross-platform environment is open-sourced and entirely free for use by developers. Our Professionals highly recommend Node.js as it has gained quite the notoriety and have become consistent technology loved by programmers and experts.

An example of a popular application using NodeJS is the infamous online streaming platform Netflix, and that tells you the extent of its popularity.

Node.JS has the potential to build high-tech solutions and to make it more easier rent a coder who can provide support with all their expertise in the stack.

It can quickly help build a variety of apps, such as social media, tracking, gaming, as well as messaging apps. This JavaScript runtime can help develop small yet fast server-side applications.

Key Things About Node.js Popularity

The years prior to the creation of Node.js had developers creating web servers that came with restricted prospects.

However, with the arrival of Node JS, this problem got solved. That’s why there is so much demand for Leading Nodejs Development Company.

This is one of the primary reasons that gave its developer the motivation for creating Node.js. Node.js was invented by Ryan Dahl in 2009, after almost 13 years of establishing the first-ever server-side JavaScript environment.

JavaScript was gaining widespread acceptance and led to the creation of successful web applications like Gmail and Flickr.

This was another top motivating factor which further pressed on its inception. Node.js brought with its new approaches and innovations for JavaScript server-side development.

The Node.js functions have multiple runtime libraries that are composed of JavaScript. Its execution is done by V8, which was specially designed for Google Chrome.

The architecture is a single-threaded event loop that can support all concurrent requests. Node.js makes use of ECMAScript standardization JavaScript to guarantee the interactivity of web pages throughout web browsers.

Express.js and Socket.io

Built from Node.js are its frameworks that enable customization of codes to direct routes and servers. So, What Is the Most Popular Web Framework for NodeJS? On top of the list always are Express.js and Socket.io.

Express.js

It is a Node.js framework that is speedy, open-minded, and requires minimal configuration. Express.js possesses 43,000 GitHub stars, making it the most famous among the bunch of frameworks. The tools it provides for the HTTPS servers are lightweight yet powerful.

These HTTPS servers are used in the creation of single-page apps, Public APIs, websites, or hybrids. It also offers a variety of features such as template engines, database integrations, and even routing.

Socket.io

Socket.io possesses 50,200 K GitHub stars. It allows bidirectional, event-based, as well as real-time, connections between the server and the browser.

The framework acts as a server-side library in Node but as a client-side library in the browser. It is essential to mention that both components will possess approximately the same API.

Feature of the Socket.io aid in the construction of application’s that allow customer support chats and binary streaming.

Socket.io using XHR-polling creates long-polling connections and subsequently manages to upgrade to better connection means available.

Why Is Node.js Loved by Major Industry Players?

Node.js has been in the market for over ten years, and people often wonder if NodeJS is Still Popular?

Yes! Then let us tell you that Node.js is loved by major industry players like Linkedin, PayPal, Uber, and Netflix.

They are some of the infamous web and mobile phone applications that you may have used or heard of. The question is, Is NodeJS Getting Popular?

Before using Node.js, the company’s developers had to deal with numerous scalability glitches in the case of Netflix.

A simple solution was required to tackle their 1 billion hourly users, a framework that is scalable and also lightweight. The jump from Java to Node helped Netflix to diminish booting time by 70%.

Linkedin, the professional social networking giant, shifted from Ruby on Rails to Node. Node brought with it features the ability to interact with APIs as well as databases.

Ever since their use of Node, their apps have grown 2-10 times faster and even lightweight.

Reasons For Node.js Popularity

JavaScript Based

JavaScript is a popular programming language and is popularly known for its scalability.

Since Node.js is a runtime utilizing JavaScript for creating any application, it automatically makes it famous.

JavaScript today is the top and stand-alone choice for the production of web applications on a browser.

The combination together makes up easy to scale and super-fast applications. So, you can get your answer to the question Is NodeJS Still The Most Popular framework.

It also helps Node.js achieve low latency along with a non-blocking method to service requests. Thus, enhancing the overall experience of a developer.

Easy to Maintain

As the year has progressed, so has the technology, and it has come a long way from complicated and rigid program styles that added difficulty in making web applications.

Today, web applications are more comfortable, less restrictive, and adapt to the programmer’s requirements. Node.js allows the creation of multiple smaller applications instead of a single application.

It increases or changes the functionality with a much more relaxed approach. So, if there were changes made in the application, a developer wouldn’t have to make any in the source code. This makes it very easy to maintain.

Lightweight

Node.js is known to take advantage of an architectural style that is event-driven. This culminates in every call, and operation is a sequence of the asynchronous callback.

It is further allowing the node.js runtime to function on a single thread, which is quite unlike its contemporaries in web technology. This is an answer to Is NodeJS Still The Most Popular framework.

Usually, on multi-threaded web technology, the thread is according to the client’s demand. The single-threaded pattern followed by Node is lightweight and creates an institution for non-blocking I/O features, making it incredibly lightweight.

Fast

The node.js runtime powered by the V8 development of Google for Chrome. The V8 is well-known for its knack for executing and compiling JavaScript faster than usual, and it is able to do so because the compilation turns JavaScript into a native machine.

Apart from this, Node.js also uses a magical event loop that is responsible for running the single thread asynchronously performing I/O operations. So, the whole application will be playing the I/O operations once the syncing is complete.

A Single Codebase

Node.js uses the same language throughout the application and is one of the significant benefits of using it.

A look at its contemporaries such as the Spring, where the developer required to possess intimate knowledge of a different server-side and different client-side language.

At the same time, Node.js requires intimate knowledge of only one language, which is JavaScript.

It is using the same language for both the server-side and the client-side.

This helps assert uniformity and also enhances the general web application’s architecture. Thus, it ensures the flexibility of reuse in future interactions as well.

High Performance

Popular Application Using NodeJS such as Uber, a transportation company famously known for its ride-hailing services app was one of the first to jump to make use of Node.js to construct a large matching system.

This change led to drastic improvements in performance, like processing the information promptly, boosting the app’s operational speed, and tackling errors with speed and precision. Today the app is in 85 countries and 900 cities!

They are able to juggle 18.7 million trips a day without crashing and restarting. Uber was able to accomplish this because of Node.js and is indicative of its performance abilities. This an answer to Is NodeJS Getting Popular?

Reusability

Sharing code throughout the components and modules is essential as it teaches the creation of maintainable, scalable, and stable codebases.

This comes as an inbuilt feature in Node.js and thus regulated all over the applications/projects/services. You can create the modules for the sole purpose of reusing and sharing amongst projects.

These modules can be tested separately and are all reusable code-units or components. The reusability feature ensures the building of better, more manageable, and faster development.

Built-in Support for Object DB

Object database/DB goes hand in hand with Node.js applications. The commonly used object databases are Mongo DB. Mongo DB, and unlike conventional SQL databases. Node.js utilizes a document-centric model.

A document style model is in place of a relational model that increases complexity as growth in data occurs. This further complicates the relationship between pieces of data. So, node.js will be using objects that resemble JSON.

Support from IDEs

The IDE is a software application that offers extensive facilities to programmers for software development.

Node.js is supported by the presence of a powerful IDE called the Visual Studio, which was developed by Microsoft. It comes built-in and hence needs no extra effort for adding it.

The Visual Studio is a code editor that is lightweight and completely free for use. It ensures the developer has boosted productivity as there is a reduction in the set-up time. It is thereby increasing the development of tasks!

Low Learning Curve

Since Node.js takes its basis on JS, which is rather comfortable to use and learn by beginners, therefore, the runtime easily mastered if the programmer masters JavaScript.

The event-driven architecture can be challenging to understand but an integral part of the node.js as it affects the app execution.

The top reason that Node.js has a low learning curve because it involves mastering the same language on the server and client-side.

Suitable for Modern Web Development

The need for Node.js has grown by leaps and bounds over the years. Numerous web applications like Yahoo and Mozilla jump sails to adopt Node.js to improve performance, scalability, and easily manage the increased requests a web application can receive.

Node.js can help reduce servers in third-party hosting websites like GoDaddy and further enable new features as technology progresses. It is perfect for the creation as it can keep up with the changes!

Scalability

Scalability represents a system’s ability to manage an increase in the work or just accommodate growth.

Node.js ensures its applications scaled both vertically or horizontally. It happens automatically in the runtime as the feature comes built-in.

This aids programmers in creating a set of modules or microservices instead of one massive core.

The multiple modules make the application lightweight and simplify the functions to make them more flexible.

Cross-Platform

Node.js possesses cross-platform abilities to develop applications. The runtime being possessing cross-platform development abilities means it can operate on Linux, Windows, or OSX. So, if a developer is writing Node.js on OSX, it can be deployed on Linux.

It is becoming popular amongst the start-ups and is perfect for helping in the development of an agile business environment.

Free and Open-Sourced

Software, if open-source, can also be free as its programmer can avail its services for free. This means one can share the source code easily.

The Node.js runtime open-sourced as per its license under MIT. It contains the biggest libraries of tools and modules; everything available on it is entirely free.

The open-sourced platforms are speedy as a developer can take advantage of the free community versions of the same software.

This also means a decrease in production costs! As is the nature of the Node.js, it will regularly update the projects created on it.

Read also: Diving Deep Into Top 10 Node.js Performance Tips

Reduced Development time

Node.js is extremely flexible, but its most significant advantage is the fact that it employs the same language on the client and the server-side as well.

When the same language is for the front as well as the back end then there is a reduction in the application creation time.

It also offers the developers to reuse the code for the commonly shared operations throughout the ecosystem. So, Is NodeJS Getting Popular? The answer is YES.

Chintan Gor

CTO, eSparkBiz

Enthusiastic for web app development, Chintan Gor has zeal in experimenting with his knowledge of Node, Angular & React in various aspects of development. He keeps on updating his technical know-how thus pinning his name among the topmost CTO's in India. His contribution is penned down by him through various technical blogs on trending tech. He is associated with eSparkBiz from the past 14+ years where one can get premium services.