**Course Title:** Modern JavaScript Programming: From Fundamentals to Full-Stack Development **Section Title:** Back-End Development with Node.js and Express **Topic:** Introduction to server-side JavaScript with Node.js. **Introduction** In the previous sections, we explored the fundamentals of JavaScript and its application in front-end development. However, JavaScript is not limited to client-side development only. With the advent of Node.js, JavaScript has become a popular choice for server-side development as well. In this topic, we will delve into the world of server-side JavaScript with Node.js, exploring its core concepts, benefits, and applications. **What is Node.js?** Node.js is a JavaScript runtime environment that allows developers to run JavaScript on the server-side. It provides an event-driven, non-blocking I/O model that makes it lightweight and efficient, perfect for real-time web applications. Node.js is built on top of Chrome's V8 JavaScript engine, which provides a high-performance environment for executing JavaScript code. **Key Features of Node.js** * **Event-Driven**: Node.js is an event-driven platform that uses callbacks, promises, and async/await to handle asynchronous operations. * **Non-Blocking I/O**: Node.js uses non-blocking I/O operations, which means that it can handle multiple requests concurrently without blocking the main thread. * **Lightweight**: Node.js is a lightweight platform that requires minimal resources to run, making it perfect for real-time web applications. * **High-Performance**: Node.js uses the V8 JavaScript engine, which provides a high-performance environment for executing JavaScript code. **Why Use Node.js?** * **Fast and Scalable**: Node.js is designed to handle large volumes of concurrent connections, making it perfect for real-time web applications. * **JavaScript Everywhere**: Node.js allows developers to use JavaScript on both the client-side and server-side, making it a great choice for full-stack development. * **Easy to Learn**: Node.js has a relatively low barrier to entry, making it easy for developers to get started with server-side development. * **Large Ecosystem**: Node.js has a large and active ecosystem of packages and modules, making it easy to find libraries and tools for various tasks. **Node.js Core Modules** Node.js comes with a set of built-in modules that provide core functionality for building server-side applications. Some of the most commonly used core modules include: * **HTTP**: The HTTP module provides a built-in HTTP server that allows developers to create web servers. * **File System**: The File System module provides a way to interact with the file system, allowing developers to read and write files. * **Path**: The Path module provides a way to work with file paths and directories. **Example: Creating a Simple HTTP Server with Node.js** ```javascript const http = require('http'); const server = http.createServer((req, res) => { res.writeHead(200, {'Content-Type': 'text/plain'}); res.end('Hello World\n'); }); server.listen(3000, () => { console.log('Server running on port 3000'); }); ``` **What's Next?** In the next topic, we will explore how to set up a simple Express server and create routes. Express is a popular Node.js framework that provides a flexible and modular way to build web applications. **Practice and Homework** * Create a simple HTTP server using Node.js that responds with a greeting message. * Experiment with different Node.js core modules, such as File System and Path. * Research and explore popular Node.js frameworks, such as Express and Koa. **Additional Resources** * Official Node.js Documentation: <https://nodejs.org/en/docs/> * Node.js Tutorials on MDN Web Docs: <https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Learn/Server-side/Express_Node.js> * Node.js Course on FreeCodeCamp: <https://www.freecodecamp.org/learn/back-end-development-and-apis/> **Leave a Comment or Ask for Help** If you have any questions or need help with the material, please leave a comment below.