Node.js vs Express.js: Introduction

When diving into the world of backend development, two terms that frequently surface are Node.js and Express.js. While they are interrelated, each serves distinct purposes if you're wondering whether you should use Node.js or Express. js—or both—this guide will clarify their roles, features, and when to use them.

What Is Node.js?

Node.js is a runtime environment that allows you to execute JavaScript code outside a browser. Built on Google Chrome’s V8 JavaScript engine, Node.js extends JavaScript's capabilities to server-side programming. It enables developers to build fast, scalable, and lightweight network applications.

Key Features of Node.js

• Asynchronous and Event-Driven:Node.js uses a non-blocking I/O model, making it efficient for handling multiple requests simultaneously.
• Cross-Platform:Node.js can run on Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it highly versatile.‍
• NPM (Node Package Manager):With over a million packages, NPM is a rich repository that simplifies dependency management.‍
• Single Programming Language:Developers can use JavaScript for both client and server-side development.‍
• Scalability:Node.js is well-suited for building applications that require high scalability, such as real-time chat or streaming services.

When to Use Node.js?

• Real-time applications (e.g., chat apps, live collaboration tools)
• APIs for handling multiple requests
• Microservices architecture
• Data-intensive applications

Components of Node.js Server Architecture

• Generally, server-side technologies like ASP.NET, PHP, Java, and Ruby use multi-threaded models. For each client request, traditional architectures create threads. With Node.js Single Threaded Event Loop Model Architecture, Node.js prevents creating multiple threads for each request. As a result, all client requests are processed through a single thread.
• Moreover, this single-threaded architecture is also referred to as the event-driven architecture of Node.js. Hence, Node.js is capable of managing several clients at once.

Node.js adheres to two fundamentals of its architecture

• Non-blocking I/O operations
• Asynchronous paradigm
• However, these two concepts are comparable to JavaScript’s event-based model. Now is the time to understand the components of Node.js application architecture and how it functions.

Node.js architecture is made up of six elements, which are:

‍1) Requests: The incoming requests can be blocking (complex) or non-blocking (simple), depending upon the specific tasks users want to perform in a web application.

‍2) Node.js Server: Node.js server is the foundation of the architecture. As a server-side platform, the Node.js server not only accepts requests from users but also processes these requests and sends those responses to corresponding users.

‍3) Event Queue: Event Queue in the Node.js server stores the incoming client requests and passes them one-by-one into Event Loop.

‍4) Event Loop: This is an infinite loop – that never ends. It continues to receive requests from the event queue, process them, and return the corresponding response to the clients.

This event loop has six phases that are repeated until no code is left to execute. The six phases of the event loop are:‍

• Timers
• I/O Callbacks
• Waiting / Preparation
• I/O Polling
• setImmediate() callbacks
• Close events
  

5) Thread Pool: The Thread Pool in Node.js backend architecture contains the threads for carrying out tasks required to process client requests.

‍6) External Resources: These External Resources are used for blocking client requests. They generally handle multiple blocking requests, like data storage, computation, etc.

Working Flow of Node.js Application Architecture

As we can see in the above NodeJS architecture diagram, incoming and outgoing requests fall under two categories.

Here, the incoming requests can either be basic, which equates to non-blocking, or complex, which equates to blocking. It relies on the tasks that web applications or software users are expected to do.

• Queries are used to find specific data within databases.
• Delete queries and sending requests to delete specific pieces of data are two examples of eliminating data.
• When you want to update data, you either have to send a request to edit or update a specific piece of data or execute an updating query on a specific table row to update a particular database record.
• Node.js collects the client requests as they come in and adds them to its Event Queue.
• The event loop then receives each incoming request individually to decide whether it requires external resources. If so, these requests are then assigned to external resources; otherwise, the process moves on to the next stage.
• Event Loop handles non-blocking (simple) requests using I/O polling and returns them to the associated clients as a response.
• After the phases mentioned above, each complex request is granted a single thread from the thread pool. This thread allocates external resources—like file systems, databases, etc.—to handle specific blocking requests.
• The response is sent back to the event loop as soon as the task is finished, which then transmits it to the client, making it a single-threaded event loop model.
• Now you must have got some idea about single-thread work in Node.js architecture, but you must be wondering how it works. So, let’s discuss this in detail now.

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What Is Express.js?

Express.js is a web application framework built on top of Node.js. It simplifies the process of building web applications and APIs by providing a robust set of features for routing, middleware, and request handling.

Key Features of Express.js

1. Minimal and Flexible:
   Express provides a lightweight foundation, allowing developers to add only the tools and libraries they need.
2. Middleware Support:
   Middleware functions in Express.js help process requests and responses efficiently.
3. Routing:
   Express comes with an advanced routing mechanism, enabling clean and maintainable URL handling.
4. Template Engines:
   Express supports various template engines like EJS, Pug, and Handlebars, simplifying server-side rendering.
5. Integration with Databases:
   Express integrates seamlessly with databases such as MongoDB, MySQL, and PostgreSQL.

When to Use Express.js?

• RESTful APIs
• Single Page Applications (SPAs)
• Server-side rendered web applications
• Middleware-heavy applications

Node.Js VS Express.js Comparison

How Node.js and Express.js Work Together

‍Express.js is built on top of Node.js, which means they complement each other rather than compete. Here’s how they work together:

1. Node.js handles the low-level operations like file system access, network requests, and thread management.
2. Express.js simplifies the process of routing, middleware integration, and request/response handling.

Example

Here’s a basic example of using Node.js with Express.js to build a simple web server:

Code

  const express = require('express');
  const app = express();
  
  // Define a route
  app.get('/', (req, res) => {
    res.send('Hello, World!');
  });
  
  // Start the server
  app.listen(3000, () => {
    console.log('Server is running on port 3000');
  });
      

In this example:

• Node.js is the runtime executing the JavaScript code.
• Express.js provides the framework for handling HTTP requests and responses.

Node.js vs Express.js Pros and Cons

Node.js Pros:

• High scalability
• Fast execution
• Unified language for client and server

Node.js Cons:

• Callback hell (manageable with async/await)
• Not suitable for CPU-intensive tasks

Express.js Pros:

• Minimalistic and flexible
• Middleware for streamlined request handling
• Rich ecosystem of plugins

Express.js Cons:

• Not opinionated, leading to inconsistent codebases without proper guidelines
• Depends on Node.js for execution

Which One Should You Choose Node.js or Express.js?

You don’t have to choose between Node.js and Express.js because they work best together. However, understanding when to use one over the other depends on your project:

• Choose Node.js if you need a raw, flexible runtime to build custom solutions for file handling, streaming, or networking.
• Choose Express.js if you want to simplify web app and API development, leveraging Node.js as the underlying engine.

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Conclusion

Node.js and Express.js are powerful tools for backend development, and understanding their relationship is key to building scalable and maintainable applications. While Node.js provides the core runtime, Express.js simplifies the development process with its rich set of features. Together, they offer an unbeatable combination for modern web and server-side application development.

Start experimenting with both to unlock the full potential of JavaScript for your backend projects!