Search icon CANCEL
Arrow left icon
Explore Products
Best Sellers
New Releases
Books
Videos
Audiobooks
Learning Hub
Conferences
Free Learning
Arrow right icon
Professional JavaScript
Professional JavaScript

Professional JavaScript: Fast-track your web development career using the powerful features of advanced JavaScript

Arrow left icon
Profile Icon Hugo Di Francesco Profile Icon Philip Kirkbride Profile Icon Vinicius Isola Profile Icon Siyuan Gao
Arrow right icon
€32.99
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon 3 (2 Ratings)
Paperback Sep 2019 664 pages 1st Edition
eBook
€17.99 €25.99
Paperback
€32.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Renews at €18.99p/m
Arrow left icon
Profile Icon Hugo Di Francesco Profile Icon Philip Kirkbride Profile Icon Vinicius Isola Profile Icon Siyuan Gao
Arrow right icon
€32.99
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon 3 (2 Ratings)
Paperback Sep 2019 664 pages 1st Edition
eBook
€17.99 €25.99
Paperback
€32.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Renews at €18.99p/m
eBook
€17.99 €25.99
Paperback
€32.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Renews at €18.99p/m

What do you get with Print?

Product feature icon Instant access to your digital eBook copy whilst your Print order is Shipped
Product feature icon Paperback book shipped to your preferred address
Product feature icon Download this book in EPUB and PDF formats
Product feature icon Access this title in our online reader with advanced features
Product feature icon DRM FREE - Read whenever, wherever and however you want
Product feature icon AI Assistant (beta) to help accelerate your learning
Table of content icon View table of contents Preview book icon Preview Book

Professional JavaScript

2. Node.js and npm

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  • Install and use Node.js to build applications
  • Run JavaScript code using the Node.js execution environment
  • Install and manage multiple Node.js versions using nvm
  • Identify and use modules developed by other developers using npm
  • Create and configure your own npm package

In this chapter, we will switch gears to the backend world by learning about Node.js and the basic concepts around it. We will go through how to install and manage multiple versions of Node.js using nvm, and then we will learn about npm and how to find and use external modules.

Introduction

In the previous chapter, we learned about how HTML becomes the DOM and how to use JavaScript to query and manipulate the content of a page.

Before JavaScript, all pages were static. After Netscape introduced the scripting environment to its browser, developers started using it to create dynamic and responsive applications. The applications started to become more and more complex but the only place where JavaScript was running was inside the browser. Then, in 2009, Ryan Dahl, the original developer of Node.js, decided to create a way to run JavaScript on the server side, simplifying the web developer's life by allowing them to build applications without having to depend on other languages.

In this chapter, you will learn how Node.js works and how to use it to create scripts using JavaScript. You will learn about the basics of the Node.js core APIs, where to find their documentation, and how to use their read-eval-print loop (REPL) command line.

With the skills...

What is Node.js?

Node.js is an execution environment that runs on top of the V8 JavaScript engine. Its base premise is that it is asynchronous and event-driven. This means that all the blocking operations, such as reading data from a file, can be handled in the background while the other parts of the application continue to do their work. When the data has finished loading, an event is emitted and whoever was waiting for the data can now execute and do the work.

From its inception, Node.js was designed to serve as an efficient backend for web applications. Because of that, it was widely adopted by companies of all sizes and industry types. Trello, LinkedIn, PayPal, and NASA are some of the companies that use Node.js in multiple parts of their technology stack.

But what is an execution environment? An execution environment provides basic functionality, such as APIs, for a programmer to write applications. Think about the browser, for example – it has the DOM, objects such...

Node Version Manager (nvm)

Node.js and JavaScript have a huge community and a very fast-paced development cycle. Because of this rapid development and its release cycles, it is very easy to become out of date (check Node.js's previous releases page for more information: https://nodejs.org/en/download/releases/).

Can you imagine working on a project that uses Node.js and is a few years old? By the time you come back to fix a bug, you will notice that the version you have installed can't run the code anymore because of some compatibility issues. Or, you will find that you can't change the code using your current version since what is running in production is a couple of years old and doesn't have async/await or some other lifesaving feature you use a lot in the most recent version.

That issue happens with all programming languages and development environments, but in Node.js, this is prominent because of the extremely fast release cycles.

To solve this, it...

Node Package Manager (npm)

When someone talks about Node Package Manager or npm for short, they can be referring to one or more of the following three things:

  • A command-line application that manages packages for a Node.js application
  • The repository where developers and companies publish their packages for others to use
  • The website where people manage their profile and search for packages

Most programming languages offer at least one way for developers to share packages with each other: Java has Maven, C# has NuGet, Python has PIP, and so on. Node.js started to ship with its own package manager just a few months after its initial release.

Packages can include any type of code that developers think would be useful to others. And sometimes, they also include tools to aid developers in terms of local development.

As the packaged code needs to be shared, there needs to be a repository where all the packages are stored. And to publish their packages, authors...

Summary

In this chapter, we learned about what Node.js is and how its single-threaded, asynchronous, event-driven programming model can be used to build simple and efficient applications. We also learned about nvm and how to manage multiple versions of Node.js. Then, we studied npm and used external libraries in our Node.js applications. Finally, we learned what npm scripts are and some basic concepts related to them.

To help you understand what you learned about in this chapter, you can go to the npm repository, find some projects, and explore their code bases. The best way to learn about npm, Node.js, and the packages and libraries that exist out there is to explore other people's code and see what and how they are building and also what libraries they use.

In the next chapter, we will explore the Node.js APIs and learn how to use them to build a real web scraping application. In future chapters, you will learn how to use npm scripts and packages to improve the quality...

Left arrow icon Right arrow icon

Key benefits

  • Write and deploy full-stack applications efficiently with JavaScript
  • Delve into JavaScript’s multiple programming paradigms
  • Get up to speed with core concepts such as modularity and functional programming to write efficient code

Description

In depth knowledge of JavaScript makes it easier to learn a variety of other frameworks, including React, Angular, and related tools and libraries. This book is designed to help you cover the core JavaScript concepts you need to build modern applications. You'll start by learning how to represent an HTML document in the Document Object Model (DOM). Then, you'll combine your knowledge of the DOM and Node.js to create a web scraper for practical situations. As you read through further lessons, you'll create a Node.js-based RESTful API using the Express library for Node.js. You'll also understand how modular designs can be used for better reusability and collaboration with multiple developers on a single project. Later lessons will guide you through building unit tests, which ensure that the core functionality of your program is not affected over time. The book will also demonstrate how constructors, async/await, and events can load your applications quickly and efficiently. Finally, you'll gain useful insights into functional programming concepts such as immutability, pure functions, and higher-order functions. By the end of this book, you'll have the skills you need to tackle any real-world JavaScript development problem using a modern JavaScript approach, both for the client and server sides.

Who is this book for?

If you want to advance from being a frontend developer to a full-stack developer and learn how Node.js can be used for hosting full-stack applications, this is an ideal book for you. After reading this book, you'll be able to write better JavaScript code and learn about the latest trends in the language. To easily grasp the concepts explained here, you should know the basic syntax of JavaScript and should've worked with popular frontend libraries such as jQuery. You should have also used JavaScript with HTML and CSS but not necessarily Node.js.

What you will learn

  • Apply the core concepts of functional programming
  • Build a Node.js project that uses the Express.js library to host an API
  • Create unit tests for a Node.js project to validate it
  • Use the Cheerio library with Node.js to create a basic web scraper
  • Develop a React interface to build processing flows
  • Use callbacks as a basic way to bring control back
Estimated delivery fee Deliver to Denmark

Premium delivery 7 - 10 business days

€17.95
(Includes tracking information)

Product Details

Country selected
Publication date, Length, Edition, Language, ISBN-13
Publication date : Sep 30, 2019
Length: 664 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781838820213
Languages :
Tools :

What do you get with Print?

Product feature icon Instant access to your digital eBook copy whilst your Print order is Shipped
Product feature icon Paperback book shipped to your preferred address
Product feature icon Download this book in EPUB and PDF formats
Product feature icon Access this title in our online reader with advanced features
Product feature icon DRM FREE - Read whenever, wherever and however you want
Product feature icon AI Assistant (beta) to help accelerate your learning
Estimated delivery fee Deliver to Denmark

Premium delivery 7 - 10 business days

€17.95
(Includes tracking information)

Product Details

Publication date : Sep 30, 2019
Length: 664 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781838820213
Languages :
Tools :

Packt Subscriptions

See our plans and pricing
Modal Close icon
€18.99 billed monthly
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Simple pricing, no contract
€189.99 billed annually
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Choose a DRM-free eBook or Video every month to keep
Feature tick icon PLUS own as many other DRM-free eBooks or Videos as you like for just €5 each
Feature tick icon Exclusive print discounts
€264.99 billed in 18 months
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Choose a DRM-free eBook or Video every month to keep
Feature tick icon PLUS own as many other DRM-free eBooks or Videos as you like for just €5 each
Feature tick icon Exclusive print discounts

Frequently bought together


Stars icon
Total 94.97
Advanced JavaScript
€28.99
Professional JavaScript
€32.99
The JavaScript Workshop
€32.99
Total 94.97 Stars icon

Table of Contents

10 Chapters
1. JavaScript, HTML, and the DOM Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
2. Node.js and npm Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
3. Node.js APIs and Web Scraping Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
4. RESTful APIs with Node.js Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
5. Modular JavaScript Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
6. Code Quality Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
7. Advanced JavaScript Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
8. Asynchronous Programming Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
9. Event-Driven Programming and Built-In Modules Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
10. Functional Programming with JavaScript Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customer reviews

Rating distribution
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon 3
(2 Ratings)
5 star 50%
4 star 0%
3 star 0%
2 star 0%
1 star 50%
William Jun 04, 2020
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Good for someone with experience in programming including Javascript, since it does go into more advanced techniques later in the book, but also great for someone to gain a better understanding of Javascript. It fits the requirements of javascript developers: I wasn't sure which book to start with. Since they are quite different and I'm a pretty experienced Javascript developer I opted to start with this.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
GuitarHero Oct 27, 2022
Full star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon 1
Shows the code of each task in snippets and omits the whole code put together. Snippets are from different files as well. You need to refer to the downloaded code to see the whole examples completed. I found this really annoying and an unorganised way of learning. The formatting of the book looks like it was copied and pasted from MS word which doesn’t make for pleasant viewing and I would say (just like packt’s fullstack react projects book) makes for ugly representation. Too bad for me Packt disappoints once again and I should of listened to previous reviewers of packt: JavaScript algorithms book who also said they’re not up to scratch and the code was in separate places. O’Reilly seem to just do it better. Their JavaScript book is miles better and cheaper!
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Get free access to Packt library with over 7500+ books and video courses for 7 days!
Start Free Trial

FAQs

What is the delivery time and cost of print book? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Shipping Details

USA:

'

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the US within 10-15 business days

Premium: Trackable Delivery to most addresses in the US within 3-8 business days

UK:

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 7-9 business days.
Shipments are not trackable

Premium: Trackable delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 3-4 business days!
Add one extra business day for deliveries to Northern Ireland and Scottish Highlands and islands

EU:

Premium: Trackable delivery to most EU destinations within 4-9 business days.

Australia:

Economy: Can deliver to P. O. Boxes and private residences.
Trackable service with delivery to addresses in Australia only.
Delivery time ranges from 7-9 business days for VIC and 8-10 business days for Interstate metro
Delivery time is up to 15 business days for remote areas of WA, NT & QLD.

Premium: Delivery to addresses in Australia only
Trackable delivery to most P. O. Boxes and private residences in Australia within 4-5 days based on the distance to a destination following dispatch.

India:

Premium: Delivery to most Indian addresses within 5-6 business days

Rest of the World:

Premium: Countries in the American continent: Trackable delivery to most countries within 4-7 business days

Asia:

Premium: Delivery to most Asian addresses within 5-9 business days

Disclaimer:
All orders received before 5 PM U.K time would start printing from the next business day. So the estimated delivery times start from the next day as well. Orders received after 5 PM U.K time (in our internal systems) on a business day or anytime on the weekend will begin printing the second to next business day. For example, an order placed at 11 AM today will begin printing tomorrow, whereas an order placed at 9 PM tonight will begin printing the day after tomorrow.


Unfortunately, due to several restrictions, we are unable to ship to the following countries:

  1. Afghanistan
  2. American Samoa
  3. Belarus
  4. Brunei Darussalam
  5. Central African Republic
  6. The Democratic Republic of Congo
  7. Eritrea
  8. Guinea-bissau
  9. Iran
  10. Lebanon
  11. Libiya Arab Jamahriya
  12. Somalia
  13. Sudan
  14. Russian Federation
  15. Syrian Arab Republic
  16. Ukraine
  17. Venezuela
What is custom duty/charge? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customs duty are charges levied on goods when they cross international borders. It is a tax that is imposed on imported goods. These duties are charged by special authorities and bodies created by local governments and are meant to protect local industries, economies, and businesses.

Do I have to pay customs charges for the print book order? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

The orders shipped to the countries that are listed under EU27 will not bear custom charges. They are paid by Packt as part of the order.

List of EU27 countries: www.gov.uk/eu-eea:

A custom duty or localized taxes may be applicable on the shipment and would be charged by the recipient country outside of the EU27 which should be paid by the customer and these duties are not included in the shipping charges been charged on the order.

How do I know my custom duty charges? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

The amount of duty payable varies greatly depending on the imported goods, the country of origin and several other factors like the total invoice amount or dimensions like weight, and other such criteria applicable in your country.

For example:

  • If you live in Mexico, and the declared value of your ordered items is over $ 50, for you to receive a package, you will have to pay additional import tax of 19% which will be $ 9.50 to the courier service.
  • Whereas if you live in Turkey, and the declared value of your ordered items is over € 22, for you to receive a package, you will have to pay additional import tax of 18% which will be € 3.96 to the courier service.
How can I cancel my order? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Cancellation Policy for Published Printed Books:

You can cancel any order within 1 hour of placing the order. Simply contact customercare@packt.com with your order details or payment transaction id. If your order has already started the shipment process, we will do our best to stop it. However, if it is already on the way to you then when you receive it, you can contact us at customercare@packt.com using the returns and refund process.

Please understand that Packt Publishing cannot provide refunds or cancel any order except for the cases described in our Return Policy (i.e. Packt Publishing agrees to replace your printed book because it arrives damaged or material defect in book), Packt Publishing will not accept returns.

What is your returns and refunds policy? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Return Policy:

We want you to be happy with your purchase from Packtpub.com. We will not hassle you with returning print books to us. If the print book you receive from us is incorrect, damaged, doesn't work or is unacceptably late, please contact Customer Relations Team on customercare@packt.com with the order number and issue details as explained below:

  1. If you ordered (eBook, Video or Print Book) incorrectly or accidentally, please contact Customer Relations Team on customercare@packt.com within one hour of placing the order and we will replace/refund you the item cost.
  2. Sadly, if your eBook or Video file is faulty or a fault occurs during the eBook or Video being made available to you, i.e. during download then you should contact Customer Relations Team within 14 days of purchase on customercare@packt.com who will be able to resolve this issue for you.
  3. You will have a choice of replacement or refund of the problem items.(damaged, defective or incorrect)
  4. Once Customer Care Team confirms that you will be refunded, you should receive the refund within 10 to 12 working days.
  5. If you are only requesting a refund of one book from a multiple order, then we will refund you the appropriate single item.
  6. Where the items were shipped under a free shipping offer, there will be no shipping costs to refund.

On the off chance your printed book arrives damaged, with book material defect, contact our Customer Relation Team on customercare@packt.com within 14 days of receipt of the book with appropriate evidence of damage and we will work with you to secure a replacement copy, if necessary. Please note that each printed book you order from us is individually made by Packt's professional book-printing partner which is on a print-on-demand basis.

What tax is charged? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Currently, no tax is charged on the purchase of any print book (subject to change based on the laws and regulations). A localized VAT fee is charged only to our European and UK customers on eBooks, Video and subscriptions that they buy. GST is charged to Indian customers for eBooks and video purchases.

What payment methods can I use? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

You can pay with the following card types:

  1. Visa Debit
  2. Visa Credit
  3. MasterCard
  4. PayPal
What is the delivery time and cost of print books? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Shipping Details

USA:

'

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the US within 10-15 business days

Premium: Trackable Delivery to most addresses in the US within 3-8 business days

UK:

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 7-9 business days.
Shipments are not trackable

Premium: Trackable delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 3-4 business days!
Add one extra business day for deliveries to Northern Ireland and Scottish Highlands and islands

EU:

Premium: Trackable delivery to most EU destinations within 4-9 business days.

Australia:

Economy: Can deliver to P. O. Boxes and private residences.
Trackable service with delivery to addresses in Australia only.
Delivery time ranges from 7-9 business days for VIC and 8-10 business days for Interstate metro
Delivery time is up to 15 business days for remote areas of WA, NT & QLD.

Premium: Delivery to addresses in Australia only
Trackable delivery to most P. O. Boxes and private residences in Australia within 4-5 days based on the distance to a destination following dispatch.

India:

Premium: Delivery to most Indian addresses within 5-6 business days

Rest of the World:

Premium: Countries in the American continent: Trackable delivery to most countries within 4-7 business days

Asia:

Premium: Delivery to most Asian addresses within 5-9 business days

Disclaimer:
All orders received before 5 PM U.K time would start printing from the next business day. So the estimated delivery times start from the next day as well. Orders received after 5 PM U.K time (in our internal systems) on a business day or anytime on the weekend will begin printing the second to next business day. For example, an order placed at 11 AM today will begin printing tomorrow, whereas an order placed at 9 PM tonight will begin printing the day after tomorrow.


Unfortunately, due to several restrictions, we are unable to ship to the following countries:

  1. Afghanistan
  2. American Samoa
  3. Belarus
  4. Brunei Darussalam
  5. Central African Republic
  6. The Democratic Republic of Congo
  7. Eritrea
  8. Guinea-bissau
  9. Iran
  10. Lebanon
  11. Libiya Arab Jamahriya
  12. Somalia
  13. Sudan
  14. Russian Federation
  15. Syrian Arab Republic
  16. Ukraine
  17. Venezuela