Node.js Is Helping Developers Get the Most Out of JavaScript

Node.js continues to gain momentum. As noted, it excels in supporting data-intensive apps such as Uber’s ride-sharing system, which books several million rides a day, and Netflix, which has 75 million members streaming 100-plus million hours of video a day.

Moreover, the richer an app’s API layer becomes, the better-suited it is to Node.js, Rogers said. And Node.js apps can handle thousands of concurrent connections.

“In total JavaScript is making gains as a programming language and potentially challenging Java in the near feature in terms of adoption,” IDC’s Hilwa said. “The average level of skill of JavaScript developers is lower than that of Java developers, making it hard to compare apples to apples. Node developers tend to be highly skilled full-stack developers and the surveys we are seeing show Node to be on the upswing in adoption.”

Gaining Momentum

This brings us back to Carl Franklin and his dilemma as a .NET guru working in a world that’s moving to Node.js. The reason the startup “fired” him and his team was twofold. First, the company didn’t know .NET internally and were uncertain about hiring outside help.

“Secondly (sic), and perhaps more alarming, is that in the space of time where they asked me to come onboard and the next two days, someone had convinced them that they should get off the Microsoft platform,” Franklin said.

“Even though they were steadfast in their decision, they couldn’t give me any real reasons, and in my expert opinion they are misinformed,” he added. “There may have been good reasons not to embrace .NET five years ago, but everything has changed in favor of it. ASP.NET Core has surpassed Node in performance. Azure makes it easy and affordable to leverage cloud computing. Microsoft continues to push its offerings into open source. The list goes on and on.”

And to be sure, the battle between .NET and the rising Node.js will rage on.

Franklin further noted that one of his former developer employees recently took a job with a major consulting firm. “He reports that customers are starting new projects using ‘anything but .NET,'” as a mantra, Franklin said. “I feel like there are dark, misinformed forces out there, looking back at a time when Microsoft was all about Windows. It wasn’t that long ago, and yet, so much has changed.”

Originally published on eWeek