5 Types of Apps Developed in Node.js

Today, Node.js is undoubtedly among the most exploited technologies by developers. According to various reports in 2022, 46% of developers have used the Node framework professionally at least once (Source: StackOverflow). Numerous sites currently online are indeed built using this JavaScript runtime environment, among them some giants like Amazon, Netflix, eBay, Reddit, LinkedIn, Tumblr, and PayPal.

But what exactly is Node.js and why is it chosen by some of the world's largest companies?

What is Node.js

Released in 2009 by Rahn Dahl, a Californian software engineer, Node.js is an asynchronous event-driven and Open Source JavaScript runtime, designed to build scalable web applications. It is an efficient, fast, and lightweight development environment, built with Google Chrome's V8 engine.

The fact that projects developed in Node.js are written in JavaScript, one of the most popular client-side programming languages around, is one of the main reasons for its widespread use. But the advantages of this technology are many, firstly, it is easy to use and can rely on a plethora of available libraries (such as Express and Gulp) and the support of a very active community. Secondly, it provides high scalability and allows for accelerated development cycles.

According to the latest Node.js report, this technology significantly impacts businesses that choose to adopt it, generating a productivity increase of 68% for developers and an application performance improvement of more than 48%. It’s not just companies and developers that benefit, but also users, whose experience was found to be 13% superior compared to sites based on different environments.

Examples of Applications in Node.js

1. Internet of Things (IoT)

The term IoT refers to a network of devices that share and exchange data over the internet. These are generally complex systems, involving a large number of devices, generating extremely complex requests and data exchanges. Managing these data flows can prove extremely complicated.

The asynchronous data processing offered by Node.js allows for the efficient processing and management of the numerous requests coming from the IoT system, generating an efficient data flow without server blocks.

Furthermore, this runtime system has minimal memory requirements, a factor that makes it easily integrable with single-board controllers like Arduino, frequently used in setting up systems that can be categorized as Internet of Things.

2. Messaging Apps

Node.js is based on the concept of event-driven and asynchronous programming thanks to the use of specific APIs provided to developers. This functionality is very useful in implementing server-side events and push notifications, features almost always present in instant messaging applications.

The event-driven structure is particularly suitable for leveraging the "Web Socket" communication protocol, essential for quick message exchanges between client and server.

In addition, in apps developed with this technology, latency is minimal and data transmission is very swift if one chooses to adopt the WebSocket protocol for both server-side and client-side communication.

3. Collaboration Applications

By collaboration tools, we mean all those tools that allow users to work simultaneously on the same application. Examples include Trello for project management and Google Doc for text document editing.

Collaborative tools, like messaging chats, are characterized by immediacy. The asynchronous and event-based architecture of Node.js is thus perfectly suited.

Collaborative applications indeed continuously generate events and simultaneous input and output requests. In this case as well, Node.js utilizes WebSockets and Event APIs to ensure all the data is correctly transmitted and arrives from the server to the client with latency imperceptible to the user. The ability to manage push notifications is also a very useful and appreciated feature in this type of application, as it allows all team members to remain constantly updated.

4. Video Streaming Applications

Another type of application for which it is ideal to use Node.js is video streaming apps, thanks to the stream APIs, an intrinsic feature of this system.

The most emblematic example of a streaming application built in Node.js is Netflix, which thanks to its implementation has also been able to reduce startup time from 40 to less than 1 minute (source: Hackernoon).

5. Single Page Applications

SPAs are applications or websites that can be used on a single web page, providing a smoother user experience similar to desktop applications. Single-page applications are used for various types of platforms, including social networks, project management tools, and much more. A great example is Gmail, which leverages reverse AJAX for continuous updates of recent messages.

Node.js is capable of handling asynchronous calls and very heavy input/output loads extremely efficiently, making it ideal for developing even complex SPAs. The event loop indeed allows delaying several simultaneous requests from the client, ensuring a constant and uninterrupted flow of updates.

Furthermore, since these projects are developed in JavaScript, the implementation activity is rather rapid for developers, who can use the same language and data structure on both the server-side and client-side.

When to Choose Node.js for Your App Development

As we have seen, the possibilities for use are varied, but in general, we can say that the use of Node.js is advisable if one wants to obtain a scalable application with high performance and in all cases where a significant simultaneous data flow needs to be managed.

This technology can offer your company various competitive advantages, including a faster, more efficient, and affordable development process compared to using other programming languages.

If you are planning the development of an application and are undecided about the most suitable technology to adopt, our team of developers can support you through strategic consulting.