Introduction

So far, you have covered the fundamentals and core basics of JavaScript. This includes understanding the core syntax of building interactive web-based programs using JavaScript code. A strong understanding of the foundation of this programming language will enable us to take a look at Node.js, which is beyond the browser. It forms the basis for the popularity of JavaScript.

In this chapter, you will be introduced to Node.js. Before Node.js, JavaScript was used primarily for client-side scripting as part of the browser. In 2009, Ryan Dahl developed Node.js, a cross-platform, open-source JavaScript runtime environment that executes JavaScript outside the browser. It allows developers to use command-line tools and carry out server-side scripting. Basically, it unites the entire process of web application development through a single programming language as opposed to the developer having to learn different languages and build different projects for the server-side and...