"Node Up and Running" reading notes

This book is an introductory usage guide to Node.js. It has two parts: one is practical "up and running" part with three chapters, the other is reference part with API, Data access, external modules etc five chapters.

In the first part, it gives quick introduction about Node.js, and how to install, how to build a chat server and twitter, also explains event loop, how to build robust node applications (patterns, error handling, and using multiple processors). Following the examples or code snippet, it is very easy to get node.js up and running. Also reader can get an introductory idea about what is node.js, how does it work, and what does it can do.

In the second part, it deep dives core APIs, helper APIs, Data Access, external modules, extending node. Event, http, I/O related APIs are core to build a web application using server side javascript. DNS, Crypto, and processes related help APIs are regularly useful for writing applications. In chapter 6, the books goes through a bunch of data stores from CouchDB, Redis, MongoDB, MySQL, PostgreSQL and also RabbitMQ. The last two chapters explore node modules, including popular Express (MVC framework), and Socket.IO (websocket), as well as extending node by building modules or creating packages.

nodejs.org has below definition:
Node.js is a platform built on Chrome's JavaScript runtime for easily building fast, scalable network applications. Node.js uses an event-driven, non-blocking I/O model that makes it lightweight and efficient, perfect for data-intensive real-time applications that run across distributed devices.

Node.js provides an unique opportunity for server side javascript to build scalable web or network applications, using one language on both client and server sides. High performance and high scalability application is the design goal of node, and its active community and extensive modules make programming javascript on server side very promising and attractive. After we deep understand Nodes' event-loop architecture, non-blocking I/O and event-driven model, using established design patterns, building node.js application will be a fun journey.

Next step, try out more node.js codes, and read Node.js in Action book.