1. Introduction to NodeJs

Some key highlights from the lectures which are quite good and interesting to learn to know about how such a powerful javascript framework NodeJs came into existence which power different application across internet like Trello, LinkedIn, PayPal, Uber etc.

• Node.js is a javascript runtime which is built on chrome V8 javascript engine. Different browser have different javascript engine in chrome it is know as V8, in Mozilla it is know as spidermonkey etc.

• Node.js is built by Ryan Dahl in 2009 and maintained by OpenJs Foundation.

• With the help of Node we can execute javascript code outside the web browser.

• Javascript is said to be language of the web and browser, but with node.js we can now run it everywhere. That’s why javascript is associated with phrase “Run javascript everywhere“.

• To run the javascript code we need js engine, everywhere we write js we need a js engine to run the code.

• Ryan started with the spidermonkey. However within few weeks he switched to v8

• Initially Joy was working independently but a company name Joyent was working something similar to Node.js. They hired Ryan to work under them with offering to fund his project.

• The original name of Node.js was “web.js“ but later named to Node.js because its scope extends beyond web server.

• At that time Apache was a blocking server (uses a single thread/process to handle single incoming request). So Ryan want to create a non-blocking server(a single thread/process able to handle multiple incoming request). This is why node js is a non-blocking I/O. Advantage is that it can handle multiple request with smaller number of threads.

• In 2010, npm was introduced. NPM is package manager for Node js. In general package manager is a set of tools to install, update and remove software.

• Initially Node js was supported only on MacOS and Linus, but in 2011 it was also supported on Microsoft Platform.

• In 2012 Isaac Z. Schlueter started maintaining Node js, who is also founder of npm.

• In 2014 a developer named Fedor Indutney developed a fork of node js names as “io.js“ leading to controversy in the company.

• In 2015 Node js and io js were merged forming a Node Js foundation.

• In 2019 “Js Foundation“ and “Node.js“ foundation merged to form the OpenJs Foundation, which currently maintain Node js.