Getting Back to Node.js

Javascript is the most popular language on GitHub.  There is roughly 5 times more Javascript than Ruby code!

Node.js has been moving very fast since it was first released 5 years ago.  It has been pushing the development of Javascript to expand into numerous other areas including commandline tools and servers.  Coming back to it now after a year, it’s amazing to see how it has matured.

The bleeding edge ECMAScript 6 Harmony language changes to Javascript have helped to tame callback hell, Express has become the defacto standard for web servers, and there are now libraries available for just about everything you could want.

One thing about Javascript that is interesting is the uniqueness and flexibility of the language. When you read other people’s code and say “that is clever” it feels like you’re understanding how another developer really understands what the code is doing.

Most developers who haven’t worked with Javascript make the mistake of assuming they know Javascript.  However Javascript deceptively complex.  Understanding the subtleties of how ‘this’ is defined gets tricky.  Being able to write idiomatic, properly encapsulated, testable code is requires some dedication.  Good code is much different than just using jQuery to hide a div.

I just finished reading Node.js the Right Way: Practical, Server-Side JavaScript That Scales and though I picked up a few tricks it left me wanting to dig much deeper to understand and learn more.  Thankfully there are now plenty of books to read on the subject.

It seems as though Node.js and Javascript have been infiltrating the enterprise.  Using the same language from front end to backend is a great selling point.  The high performance is perhaps more valuable.  What this means to you is that learning Node.js has actually become a good career move.