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Is Node js really that great?

 
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Hi All,

I've been reading about node js lately.  
When I search for why somebody would use node js for server side rather than java or asp, it really seems like they are saying things that java and c# can already do easily.  
Also, when they mention downfalls like it's not multi threaded it's not a bad thing but a feature.
Writing the server side in javascript because the frontend is also javascript doesn't really make sense. You can use json with java and c# easily.
You would be basically giving up all the better stuff that java or c# has just so you can write in javascript.
If there is a really good javascript developer I'm sure learning java or c# would not be hard at all.

Is node js faster?  Setting up a web project for spring boot or asp core is just as fast if not faster if you have an ide.

I would imagine the more complicated your project gets, the easier it would be in java or c#.  
Java and c# frameworks also scale well.

Is it because it's cheaper?  Is that the real selling point?

 
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You'd be surprise how much 'new' technology, languages and frameworks and the like, come into existence just because they can. Somebody thought it was a good idea and they did it, then a bunch of other people thought it was a good idea and they used it too, then enough people thought it was cool and it became a mainline tool.

The decision on what tech to use for your backend in my experience rarely comes down to any specific capability or performance of any language or tool, but rather the skill set of the people making the decision. If you've a bunch of JavaScript devs in a room deciding on how to build out a backend server then it's quite likely that NodeJS will be high up on their list.
 
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Al Hobbs wrote:
Writing the server side in javascript because the frontend is also javascript doesn't really make sense.


With a bold name, such applications are called "isomorphic applications".
Honestly, I think that Tim's comment is correct: most of times, decision about which language to use for a project is driver by skill of already hired people.


 
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Node just enables developers to build both their app frontend and backend using the same technology. That's why it works for me. I know JavaScript more than I know Java or other technologies used for backend apps, so it's much, much easier for me to code there.
 
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Yah. How many job adverts for Ruby On Rails have you seen lately? Or SOAP experts. Or..... CORBA developers???

Node is popular because a lot of people are like John and they like the relative simplicity of using the same language on both sides of the application. I think, incidentally, that it's also more thread-friendly than it used to be, but I'm not an expert.

For those of us who prefer Java for "real" applications, Node is still a great tool for quick-and-dirty stuff that doesn't need the scalability or security of Java. Before I started using Node, I used PHP, but Node is more object-oriented and has better separation of concerns. Even on very small and simple apps this can be a big help.
 
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