Node.js is an open-source, event-driven runtime environment built with Google's V8 JavaScript Engine. It is used for scalable web apps that require real-time interaction between a server and the Internet users and can significantly accelerate the overall performance of any website that’s using it. Node.js is intended to handle HTTP web requests and responses and constantly delivers tiny amounts of info. For instance, if a new user fills a signup form, the moment any information is inserted in one of the boxes, it is delivered to the server even if the other fields are not filled out and the user has not clicked any button, so the info is handled a whole lot faster. In contrast, conventional systems wait for the whole form to be filled and one big hunk of information is then forwarded to the server. Irrespective of how small the difference in the information processing speed may be, things change if the website grows bigger and there’re many individuals using it at the same time. Node.js can be used by online reservation portals, interactive web browser-based video games or live chats, for instance, and numerous companies, including eBay, LinkedIn and Yahoo, have already incorporated it into their services.
