What is NodeJs. How to Install NodeJs

What is NodeJS?

Node.js is an open-source, server-side JavaScript runtime environment built on Chrome’s V8 JavaScript engine. It allows you to run JavaScript code on the server, outside of a web browser, enabling you to build scalable and high-performance network applications.

Traditionally, JavaScript was primarily used for client-side scripting in web browsers. However, Node.js extends JavaScript’s capabilities by providing a runtime environment that allows developers to execute JavaScript code on the server side. This opens up new possibilities for building web servers, command-line tools, desktop applications, and even Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

Key features and advantages of Node.js include:

Asynchronous and Event-driven: Node.js uses an event-driven, non-blocking I/O model, which makes it highly efficient and capable of handling a large number of concurrent connections without getting stuck waiting for responses. This allows for fast and scalable applications.
Single-threaded, Non-blocking: Node.js operates on a single-threaded event loop, which enables it to handle concurrent requests efficiently. It uses non-blocking I/O operations, allowing the server to handle multiple requests concurrently without creating threads for each request.
NPM (Node Package Manager): Node.js comes with a built-in package manager called npm. It is the largest ecosystem of open-source libraries and modules for JavaScript, which makes it easy to integrate third-party libraries into your projects and share your own code with others.
Fast and Lightweight: Node.js is designed to be lightweight and efficient. Its underlying engine, V8, compiles JavaScript code to machine code before execution, resulting in high performance.
Cross-platform: Node.js runs on various operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, allowing you to develop and deploy applications on different platforms.
Full-stack JavaScript: With Node.js, you can use JavaScript both on the server side and the client side, creating a consistent development experience and code sharing between frontend and backend.

Node.js has gained widespread popularity among developers and is widely used for building web servers, RESTful APIs, real-time applications (such as chat apps and gaming servers), microservices, and more. It has a vibrant and active community that continually contributes to its growth and improvement.

How to Install NodeJs

To install Node.js on your computer, follow these steps:

Visit the official Node.js website: https://nodejs.org
On the homepage, you will see two versions available for download: LTS (Long-Term Support) and Current. The LTS version is recommended for most users, as it provides stability and long-term support. Click on the “LTS” button to download the latest LTS version.
Once the installer file is downloaded, locate it on your computer and run it.
The installer will guide you through the installation process. You can choose the default settings or customize them based on your preferences.
Read and accept the license agreement.
Choose the destination folder where you want Node.js to be installed. By default, it is installed in the “Program Files” directory on Windows.
Select the components you want to install. In most cases, you can leave the default selections as they are.
Choose whether to add Node.js to your system’s PATH variable. Adding it to the PATH allows you to run Node.js from the command line without specifying the full path to the executable. Enabling this option is recommended.
Select the additional tasks you want to perform, such as automatically installing the necessary tools for building native modules.
Click the “Install” button to start the installation process.
Wait for the installation to complete. It may take a few minutes.
Once the installation is finished, you will see a “Complete” message. You can close the installer.
To verify that Node.js is correctly installed, open a command prompt or terminal window and type the following command: node -v. It should display the installed version of Node.js.
Additionally, you can also check the version of the Node Package Manager (npm) by typing npm -v.

That’s it! You have successfully installed Node.js on your computer. You can now start developing applications using Node.js and its associated packages and frameworks.

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