Benefits from learning NodeJS

Question

Hey guys, can you please share with your experience with NodeJS? Was it hard to learn? Is it possible to learn it only by online tutorials(please provide sources)? How much time have you invested to learn NodeJS with obtained knowledge in JavaScript? Was it beneficial for your profession?

Answer 1

Honeyme Adding to Schindlabua response, NodeJS is an excellent runtime platform for building a variety of applications, services, utilities, RESTful APIs, developer workflow tools, desktop apps with Electron, etc.

It extends the Javascript language beyond the limited scope of running within the browser environment.

A major difference you may notice is your Javascript code will not have access to the browser DOM. So, you'll be learning to build applications that are more purely backend serverside rather than frontend web experience.

Also, I think your experience in NodeJS will likely make you understand Javascript much better than before which will improve you JS in the browser.

Answer 2

It's not hard to learn at all if you know javascript. You even use `console.log` to write to the console, nodejs is literally just browser javascript with more functions.

The only things that might be different to you as a browser person is that you are working from the command line, and that you use a package manager like `npm` to download other people's code.
And maybe the module system (you use `require()` instead of `<script>`).

But I'd say you can figure it all out in a weekend if you know js.

You can do many things in node that you can't in the browser, like read files or run http servers, but typically a quick look at the official nodejs documentation will do the trick. (Or you know, google "how do I X nodejs")

Answer 3

It's an alternative to the still widely popular PHP for server side scripting. I will let those with personal Node.js experience to fill in the details.

Answer 4

thanks all for answers! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼