Node.js Tutorial

Last Updated : 05 Feb, 2025

Node.js is a powerful, open-source, and cross-platform JavaScript runtime environment built on Chrome's V8 engine.

It allows you to run JavaScript code outside the browser, making it ideal for building scalable server-side and networking applications.
JavaScript was earlier mainly used for frontend development. With Node JS (Introduced in 2009), JavaScript became a backend language as well.
Non-blocking, event-driven architecture for high performance.
Supports the creation of REST APIs, real-time applications, and microservices.
Comes with a rich library of modules through npm (Node Package Manager).

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To start with Node.js, you need to install and set it up on your machine. Follow these articles to install depending on your system:

Let us now take a look at our first code example.

JavaScript

// Import the http module
const http = require('http');

// Create a server
const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
    res.statusCode = 200;
    res.setHeader('Content-Type', 'text/plain');
    res.end('Welcome to the Node.js Tutorial');
});

// Listen on port 3000
server.listen(3000, () => {
    console.log('Server is running on http://localhost:3000');
});

It will start a server, and when you visit http://localhost:3000, it will display

Welcome to the Node.js Tutorial

In this example

The http module is imported to create a basic HTTP server.
The createServer() method is used to handle incoming requests and send responses.
The server listens on port 3000, and a message is displayed in the browser when accessed.

Why Learn Node.js

Enables the use of JavaScript for both frontend and backend development.
Supports building real-time applications like chat apps and gaming servers.
Provides high scalability for I/O-heavy applications.
Backed by a vibrant community and extensive library support.

Getting Started with Node.js Tutorial

Prerequisites: JavaScript and basic knowledge of web development

Basics of Node.js

Node.js Complete References

Also Check: Recent Articles on Node

Node.js Interview Questions

Node.js Online Quiz Questions

Node.js Projects

Careers with Node.js

Around 6 million websites use Node.js, it is growing day by day. Most of the eCommerce, and IoT companies looking for pro Node.js developer.

Node.js Advantages

Easy Scalability: Node.js compiles and executes JavaScript at lightning speeds, making it highly scalable.
Real-time Web Apps: Node.js enables real-time communication for chat, gaming, social media updates, and more.
Microservices: Node.js is lightweight and ideal for microservice architectures.
JavaScript Everywhere: Learn JavaScript once, and you can use it both for front-end and back-end development.
Efficient Data Streaming: Node.js efficiently handles I/O processes like media transcoding during uploads.
Event-Driven Architecture: Unlike traditional servers, Node.js handles concurrent requests effectively.
Strong Community Support: Node.js has an independent community backing its development.

Node.js Jobs

If you are curious about what job profiles you will get after learning Node, then here in this section we have listed down some of the job profiles that any Node.jsdeveloper can easily get.

Backend Developer
Full-Stack Developer
API Developer
Microservice Developer
DevOps Engineer

Node.js vs Other Backend Technologies

Feature	Node.js	Python/Django	PHP
Performance	High for I/O operations	Moderate	Moderate
Scalability	Excellent for microservices	Moderate	Moderate
Learning Curve	Moderate	Easy	Easy
Community Support	Extensive	Extensive	Extensive
Use Cases	Real-time apps, APIs	Web development	CMS, Web development

Node.js Tutorial - FAQ'sHow to check the version of Node.js?

To the check the version of Node.js, open Terminal or CMD and type node-v and press Enter.

How to check the version of npm for Node?

Type npm -v in CMD or terminal and press Enter to check the version of npm for Node.

Are Node.js developers in demand?

Yes, Node.js developer are in demand because of its rich ecosystem and non blocking architecture

What is the difference between Node.js and React.js?

Well, most of the Node.js is used for backend for any application and React.js is used to create UI of any web application.

What is Node.js is used for?

A misconception among developer is that Node.js is only used for backend but, this is not a whole true. Actually, Node.js is used for both frontend and backend development.