Preface

Node.js is now over a decade old and has matured as a technology. Today, it is a common technology of choice for building applications of all sizes. Many large enterprises use Node.js in production, including the likes of Netflix, PayPal, IBM, and even NASA. Due to the widespread usage and dependence on Node.js, Node.js was moved under the OpenJS Foundation (formerly the Node.js Foundation). The OpenJS Foundation provides a neutral home for JavaScript projects, with a strong focus on open governance.

Created in 2009, Node.js wrapped Google Chrome's JavaScript Engine, V8, to enable JavaScript to be run outside the browser. Node.js brought JavaScript to the server and was built following a single-threaded event loop architecture, which enables it to effectively handle input/output and concurrent operations. Today, Node.js is a popular technology choice for building many types of applications, including HTTP web servers, microservices, command-line applications, and more. Key to Node.js's success is that it enables full-stack development in a common language, JavaScript.

The massive ecosystem of Node.js modules has supported Node.js's success. There are over 1 million modules available on the npm registry, with many abstracting lower-level implementation details to higher-level and more easily consumable APIs. Building your applications atop npm modules can speed up the development process while promoting code sharing and reuse.

Node Cookbook, Fourth Edition, is an updated version of Node Cookbook, Third Edition. The content has been updated in line with the latest long-term supported version of Node.js, Node.js 14.