NodeJS Overview
Node.js Basics Introduction
Node.js Overview
Node.js is a JavaScript runtime built on Chrome's V8 JavaScript engine.
It allows you to run JavaScript on the server-side, enabling full-stack
development with a single language.
It's known for its non-blocking, event-driven architecture, which makes it
suitable for building scalable network applications.
Key Components of a Simple Node.js Application
1. Server: The core component that handles incoming requests and sends
responses.
2. Request: Represents the incoming client request, containing data such as
URL, headers, and payload.
3. Response: Represents the server's response to the client, including status
code, headers, and the response body.
Event-Driven Architecture
Event-Driven Programming
Node.js uses an event-driven, non-blocking I/O model.
In this model, operations are handled asynchronously, allowing the server to
handle multiple requests concurrently without waiting for any single operation
to complete.
Components of Event-Driven Architecture
1. Events: Signals that something has happened, like a request or a timer.
2. Event Emitters: Objects that emit named events, and listeners can listen for
those events.
3. Event Listeners: Functions that are called when a specific event is emitted.
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The Event Loop
Event Loop Overview
The event loop is the heart of Node.js, enabling non-blocking I/O operations.
It continuously checks the event queue and processes events, allowing
Node.js to perform asynchronous operations.
Phases of the Event Loop
1. Timers: Executes callbacks scheduled by setTimeout and setInterval .
2. Pending Callbacks: Executes I/O callbacks deferred to the next loop iteration.
3. Idle, Prepare: Internal use, typically ignored.
4. Poll: Retrieves new I/O events, executing their callbacks.
5. Check: Executes callbacks from setImmediate .
6. Close Callbacks: Executes close event callbacks, e.g., when a socket or
handle is closed.
Event Loop Execution Flow
The event loop checks the queue for events and processes them in the order
of their arrival.
It handles each phase sequentially, moving to the next phase once the current
one is complete.
This cycle continues as long as there are events to process.
Here's an image to help visualize the event loop:
NodeJS Overview 2
Example Code Snippets
Synchronous Code Example
javascriptCopy code
const fs = require('fs');
try {
const data = fs.readFileSync('/path/to/file', 'utf8');
console.log(data);
} catch (err) {
console.error(err);
}
console.log('This will log after the file read operation');
This code reads a file synchronously, blocking the execution of the code until
the file is read. It uses fs.readFileSync .
Asynchronous Code Example
javascriptCopy code
const fs = require('fs');
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fs.readFile('/path/to/file', 'utf8', (err, data) => {
if (err) {
console.error(err);
return;
}
console.log(data);
});
console.log('This will log before the file read operation com
pletes');
This code reads a file asynchronously using a callback function, allowing the
rest of the code to execute while waiting for the file read operation to
complete.
Promises Example
javascriptCopy code
const fs = require('fs').promises;
fs.readFile('/path/to/file', 'utf8')
.then(data => {
console.log(data);
})
.catch(err => {
console.error(err);
});
console.log('This will log before the file read operation com
pletes');
This example uses Promises to handle asynchronous file reading, providing a
cleaner syntax compared to callbacks.
Async/Await Example
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javascriptCopy code
const fs = require('fs').promises;
async function readFile() {
try {
const data = await fs.readFile('/path/to/file', 'utf8');
console.log(data);
} catch (err) {
console.error(err);
}
}
readFile();
console.log('This will log before the file read operation com
pletes');
This code uses async / await for asynchronous file reading, making it look
similar to synchronous code while still being non-blocking.
Visualizing the Event Loop
Here's an image to help visualize the event loop:
By understanding these basics and practicing with the code snippets, you'll be
well-prepared to build and manage efficient Node.js applications and handle
interview questions on the topic.
Code Snippets to Understand Web API, Micro Task Queue, and
Callback Queue
1. Synchronous Code Example
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console.log('Synchronous 1');
console.log('Synchronous 2');
This code executes synchronously, with each line running in order without
delay.
2. setTimeout (Callback Queue) Example
console.log('Start');
setTimeout(() => {
console.log('Callback from setTimeout'); // This will be lo
gged last
}, 0);
console.log('End');
The setTimeout function schedules the callback to be placed in the callback
queue after the specified delay (0 ms in this case). It will execute after all
synchronous code is finished.
3. Promises (Micro Task Queue) Example
console.log('Start');
Promise.resolve().then(() => {
console.log('Promise resolved'); // This will be logged bef
ore the setTimeout callback
});
console.log('End');
Promises use the micro task queue, which has higher priority than the callback
queue. The promise resolution will execute after the synchronous code but
before any setTimeout callbacks, even if the delay is 0 ms.
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Combined Example
To see how these different mechanisms interact, here’s a combined example:
console.log('Synchronous 1');
setTimeout(() => {
console.log('setTimeout 1');
}, 0);
Promise.resolve().then(() => {
console.log('Promise 1');
});
console.log('Synchronous 2');
setTimeout(() => {
console.log('setTimeout 2');
}, 0);
Promise.resolve().then(() => {
console.log('Promise 2');
});
Expected Output Order:
1. Synchronous 1
2. Synchronous 2
3. Promise 1
4. Promise 2
5. setTimeout 1
6. setTimeout 2
Explanation:
The synchronous code ( console.log ) runs first.
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The setTimeout callbacks are scheduled to run after 0 ms, but they go into the
callback queue.
The Promises are resolved and their callbacks go into the micro task queue.
The micro task queue is processed before the callback queue, so the Promise
callbacks run before the setTimeout callbacks.
Visual Representation of Event Loop Phases
This diagram helps visualize the event loop, illustrating how synchronous code,
promises, and setTimeout callbacks are processed in Node.js. Understanding this
flow is crucial for mastering asynchronous programming in Node.js.
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