WebSockets Explained: How Real-Time Communication Works on the Web

Most web applications start with a simple request-response model. The browser asks for something, the server responds, and the connection is done. That model works well for pages, APIs, forms, dashboards, and most CRUD applications. But some features need something different: chat messages that appear instantly live sports scores multiplayer game state collaborative editing cursors trading prices delivery tracking real-time notifications terminal sessions in the browser For these features, repeatedly asking the server “anything new?” becomes wasteful and slow. ...

May 3, 2026 · 12 min · Nitin

The Dramatic History of Node.js: From Humble Beginnings to Open Governance

Introduction Node.js, the ubiquitous server-side JavaScript platform, boasts a surprisingly dramatic history. This blog post delves into the history of Node.js, Ryan Dahl (Node.js creator), Isaac Schlueter (npm creator), and Myles Borins (early adopter and contributor). node.js From Snowboard Websites to Async IO Ryan Dahl’s journey to Node.js commenced unexpectedly. After leaving a math PhD program, he found himself coding snowboard marketing websites. Driven by a desire to tackle more abstract problems, he delved into web stack technologies, ultimately culminating in the birth of Node.js. ...

March 25, 2024 · 3 min · Nitin

Understanding Node.js Middlewares: A Comprehensive Guide

Introduction Node.js is a powerful runtime environment for executing JavaScript code server-side. One of the key features that make Node.js so versatile and popular is its middleware architecture. Middlewares play a crucial role in the request-response lifecycle of Node.js applications, enabling developers to modularize and streamline the handling of HTTP requests. What are Node.js Middlewares? Middlewares in Node.js are functions that have access to the request object (req), the response object (res), and the next function in the application’s request-response cycle. They can modify the request and response objects, terminate the request-response cycle, or pass control to the next middleware in the stack. ...

March 11, 2024 · 6 min · Nitin

Building a RESTful API with Node.js, Express, and MongoDB

Introduction In today’s web development landscape, building RESTful APIs has become a crucial skill for developers. Whether you’re creating a simple application or a complex system, REST APIs provide a standardized way for different software components to communicate with each other over the web. In this tutorial, we’ll walk through the process of building a RESTful API using Node.js, Express, and MongoDB, focusing on CRUD operations (Create, Read, Update, Delete) for managing products. ...

February 27, 2024 · 5 min · Nitin

Demystifying package.json, package-lock.json, SemVer, and npm outdated: Best Practices for Node.js Projects

Introduction When working on Node.js projects, managing dependencies effectively is crucial for maintaining project stability, security, and scalability. The package.json and package-lock.json files play vital roles in this process, along with understanding Semantic Versioning (SemVer) and utilizing npm outdated for dependency management. In this blog post, we’ll delve into each of these components, their significance, best practices, and how to handle them in your Git repository. 1. Understanding package.json: The package.json file is the heart of a Node.js project. It contains metadata about the project, such as its name, version, description, entry point, scripts, and most importantly, its dependencies. Developers define project dependencies and their versions in the dependencies and devDependencies sections. ...

February 25, 2024 · 3 min · Nitin