How to Run Node Server?

A Node server runs JavaScript outside the browser to handle web requests. It listens for incoming requests, processes them, and sends responses. Unlike traditional servers, it handles multiple requests at once without waiting for each to finish.

Some of the key features of the Node Server are:

• Non-Blocking, Asynchronous I/O
• Single-Threaded Event Loop
• Fast Execution due to V8 Engine
• Cross-Platform
• Built-in HTTP Module

Steps to Run a Node Server

Here’s a step-by-step guide to running your first Node server:

Step 1: Install NodeJS

If you haven't installed NodeJS, follow the article- Install NodeJS in your System

To verify the installation, open your terminal or command prompt and type:

node -v

This will display the installed NodeJS version.

Step 2: Create Your Project Directory

Create a new directory for your project and navigate into it:

mkdir node-server
cd node-server

Step 3: Initialize the Project

Create a package.json file, which contains metadata about your project:

npm init -y

Step 4: Create a Basic Server

Create a file named server.js and add the following code to create a simple HTTP server

const http = require('http'); 

// Create the server
const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
    res.writeHead(200, { 'Content-Type': 'text/plain' });
    res.end('Hello World');
});

// Define the port and host
const port = 3000;
const host = 'localhost';

// Start the server
server.listen(port, host, () => {
    console.log(`Server running at http://${host}:${port}/`);
});

Run the server by using the below command

node server.js

Output

In this example

• http.createServer(): Creates an HTTP server that listens for requests.
• res.writeHead(): Sends a response header with the status code 200 (OK).
• res.end(): Ends the response and sends the message "Hello, World!" to the client.
• server.listen(): Starts the server on the specified host (localhost) and port (3000).

Applications of Node Server

• Real-Time Web Apps: Examples include chat apps, collaborative tools, and gaming.
• APIs: NodeJS is widely used for building RESTful APIs.
• Microservices: Can be used in microservice architecture for distributed systems.

Benefits of Using a Node Server

• High Performance: Built on Chrome's V8 engine, NodeJS provides fast execution, making it ideal for real-time applications.
• Real-Time Capabilities: NodeJS provides in building real-time applications, such as chat apps or live data streaming, with its ability to handle multiple simultaneous connections.
• Scalability: Its non-blocking, event-driven architecture allows NodeJS to handle thousands of concurrent requests efficiently, making it highly scalable.
• JavaScript on Both Ends: Developers can use JavaScript for both client and server-side programming, simplifying the development process.