Where to use Node.js

It’s a topic which every developer faces now a day. Every architect or developer having experience in java always reluctant to go for node.js and prefer java. Before inclining towards any language we need to understand the basic fundamental of that language. Understanding of basics will help us to find suitable language for our server which can fulfill our requirements best. The basic nature of java and node.js is different in way they handle the requests.

                                      Java is multi-threaded language where requests can be entertained by multiple threads so it uses the processor in better way. The basic programming nature of java in Synchronous. If it is executing a code, then it waits for its finish before going to next line of code. In simple words let’s take an example that we have two block of codes where in first block we have a HTTPS call and in second block we have code which logs a message in log file. The HTTPS call takes 5 seconds on an average so java code will wait on first code block for 5 seconds to receive the response and complete that call before proceed to second block which make the whole process a bit slow.

                        We can consider node.js as single thread language where whole application uses a single thread to fulfill all the requests on queue base architecture. All required actions are stored in queue and executed by single thread. The basic programming nature of node.js is asynchronous. If it is executing a code, then it does not wait for its finish before going to next line of code. In same example which we took for java that we have two block of codes where in first block we have a HTTPS call and in second block we have code which logs a message in log file. The HTTPS call takes 5 seconds on an average so node.js code will not wait on first code block for 5 seconds to receive the response and complete that call rather it execute it and proceed to second block the action which we require on response of first call is also queued.

                                       Node.js inherit this Asynchronous feature from JavaScript which makes it suitable for developing high IO operation, data intensive, non-blocking applications like Web-servers and node.js is not suited for application where high calculation, complex business logic or processor intensive operation are required as it has single thread which can get busy for executing that calculation.