Alex Rivera | Logout

How to decide when to use Node.js?

Asked 2011-02-21T05:20:51.360
2191

I am new to this kind of stuff, but lately I've been hearing a lot about how good Node.js is. Considering how much I love working with jQuery and JavaScript in general, I can't help but wonder how to decide when to use Node.js. The web application I have in mind is something like Bitly - takes some content, archives it.

From all the homework I have been doing in the last few days, I obtained the following information. Node.js

  • is a command-line tool that can be run as a regular web server and lets one run JavaScript programs
  • utilizes the great V8 JavaScript engine
  • is very good when you need to do several things at the same time
  • is event-based so all the wonderful Ajax-like stuff can be done on the server side
  • lets us share code between the browser and the backend
  • lets us talk with MySQL

Some of the sources that I have come across are:

Considering that Node.js can be

javascript node.js web-applications
Edit
Report

2 Answers

206

To make it short:

Node.js is well suited for applications that have a lot of concurrent connections and each request only needs very few CPU cycles, because the event loop (with all the other clients) is blocked during execution of a function.

A good article about the event loop in Node.js is Mixu's tech blog: Understanding the node.js event loop.

answered 2012-01-15T01:48:04.020
60

There is nothing like Silver Bullet. Everything comes with some cost associated with it. It is like if you eat oily food, you will compromise your health and healthy food does not come with spices like oily food. It is individual choice whether they want health or spices as in their food. Same way Node.js consider to be used in specific scenario. If your app does not fit into that scenario you should not consider it for your app development. I am just putting my thought on the same:

When to use Node.JS

  1. If your server side code requires very few cpu cycles. In other world you are doing non blocking operation and does not have heavy algorithm/Job which consumes lots of CPU cycles.
  2. If you are from Javascript back ground and comfortable in writing Single Threaded code just like client side JS.

When NOT to use Node.JS

  1. Your server request is dependent on heavy CPU consuming algorithm/Job.

Scalability Consideration with Node.JS

  1. Node.JS itself does not utilize all core of underlying system and it is single threaded by default, you have to write logic by your own to utilize multi core processor and make it multi threaded.

Node.JS Alternatives

There are other option to use in place of Node.JS however Vert.x seems to be pretty promising and has lots of additional features like polygot and better scalability considerations.

answered 2013-04-05T17:17:11.833

Your Answer