What to Learn Before Node.js (2024)

Node.js is an industry-standard cross-platform JavaScript runtime framework. It allows software applications to run JavaScript code without opening a web browser, making it vital to the function of things like mobile applications and smart devices. You might worry that Node.js will be too hard to learn. This guide will help you understand the best methods for learning Node.js and what you should study first to make the learning process easier. This way, you’ll be successful however you choose to apply your new skills.

What is Node.js?

Node.js is a commonly used JavaScript library and is an open-source, cross-platform JavaScript runtime environment. Node.js is among the most commonly utilized JavaScript libraries. It is far and away the most commonly used runtime environment in the professional sector, with Node.js being utilized by upwards of 98% of Fortune 500 companies. It allows users to create server-side architecture using JavaScript to build applications and webpages that constantly communicate information to server architecture without needing specific input from either the user or the server. This makes Node.js a vital programming language for any application that needs to be constantly connected to a server without needing to query that server at any given moment. For instance, it is part of the server architecture that allows users to stream video content on the internet without needing to download an entire video file. It is what allows online chat tools to function.

Node.js is also an integral tool in the continued development and refinement of the Internet of Things. More and more of our daily lives involve interacting with devices connected to the internet, ranging from our watches and phones to our cars and refrigerators. The various applications that these objects run to serve their niche functions tend to rely on Node.js to build the server environments and the asynchronous data processing events that allow multiple physical objects to be in meaningful conversation with one another over an internet connection. If you are using your voice to tell the virtual assistant on your desk to tell your thermostat to lower the temperature, Node.js infrastructure was likely vital in that exchange.

Read more about what Node.js is and why you should learn it.

What Can You Do with Node.js?

Node.js is an incredibly versatile runtime environment that lets users construct virtually any program that seeks to use the functionalities of a webpage without needing to open up a web browser. This is vital for many web applications, such as almost all direct messaging programs and chatbot software. If you are designing an application and want to include a live chat feature, you will likely need to use Node.js. Node.js is also used for single-page web applications like Google Docs and Gmail. Even something as simple as including push notifications or scrolling news and weather updates in your application will require using Node.js.

Node.js is also a vital part of making the Internet of Things possible. Node.js is one of the key frameworks and runtime environments that allow sensors to detect changes and stimuli and relay that information to a device connected to the internet. This means that if you use the voice command on a digital assistant to tell your Bluetooth speaker system to lower its volume, you are using a program made possible thanks to Node.js. As this technology becomes more advanced and enters into sectors like the automotive and medical fields, skilled Node.js programmers will be able to construct complex, interconnected, potentially life-saving new technologies.

Is Node.js Easy to Learn?

Node.js is not a particularly hard framework to learn if you are well-versed in all of the significant prerequisites to using the framework. Experienced JavaScript programmers will find Node.js relatively easy to learn, while students who are not versed in JavaScript will need substantive supplementary training to learn Node.js

What to Know Before Learning Node.js

Node.js is a programming framework for JavaScript, meaning that users will need to learn all of the skills that go into knowing how to use JavaScript. Node.js has a few hard prerequisites, since, without these skills, users won’t be able to use Node.js for programming purposes.

JavaScript

As obvious as it may seem, to use Node.js, you will need to learn how to use JavaScript. Since Node.js is a JavaScript runtime environment, Node.js doesn’t really do anything on its own. Rather, it helps software applications run JavaScript on the server side. However, this isn’t a significant issue for most students, since most live online or in-person training courses, such as those offered through Noble Desktop, will teach JavaScript alongside Node.js. This means that most students without JavaScript training will have the chance to learn the two skills side-by-side.

HTML & CSS

HTML and CSS are the programming languages that form the basis of modern web applications. While they are far from the only languages that go into webpage design, they are essential to their operation. JavaScript is a programming language built to function alongside and on top of HTML/CSS code, meaning that if you want to learn JavaScript, you will need to know HTML/CSS, and since you’ll need to know JavaScript to learn Node.js, this means that Node.js students will need to learn HTML/CSS. Most JavaScript training courses will assume knowledge of HTML/CSS, so students interested in learning all of the skills required for Node.js training will want to ensure that they receive all the programming training required.

Key Insights

• Node.js is a JavaScript framework that allows software applications to run JavaScript code without needing to access a web browser. It is an essential element of cutting-edge software design projects.
• Node.js is a relatively accessible JavaScript framework relative to other advanced programming frameworks. However, it is still an advanced framework, meaning that it carries many important prerequisites.
• As a JavaScript framework, Node.js requires users to be familiar with JavaScript. This isn’t a major issue, however, since most immersive training courses will cover both skills.
• JavaScript requires users to understand how to use HTML and CSS to code web applications. those looking to learn Node.js must be proficient in these foundational programming languages.
• No matter your skill level, Noble Desktop provides courses to ensure that you meet the requirements to learn Node.js, and they offer their training in person and in live online training courses.

Learn Node.js with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Since Node.js is a JavaScript library, it is rarely taught on its own. It is so ubiquitous in professional JavaScript development that it is often taught alongside JavaScript as an equally crucial professional skill. Therefore, those looking to learn how to use Node.js will likely do so within the context of a JavaScript class or bootcamp. In these classes, students will learn the basics of using JavaScript to code web applications. Then they will receive training in how to utilize Node.js to expand the scope and functionality of those web applications. Many of these classes, particularly those with a significant Node.js component, presume that students are familiar with basic coding skills, particularly HTML/CSS, so looking at course prerequisites is advised.

At Noble Desktop, students can learn Node.js in a wide array of different course settings. However, no matter what program you enroll in, you’ll stand to benefit from the chance to interface with expert instructors in their field in small, intimate classes that rarely exceed twenty students. Even online, students will be placed in private classrooms with live instructors who can answer their questions and provide feedback in real-time. You can also retake any course within one year, giving them an extra chance to hone their Node.js skills.

Noble offers JavaScript and Node.js instruction in its web development certificate curriculum. These courses provide hands-on training in JavaScript and Node.js by giving them projects to code that mirror the kind of real-world projects they can expect to work on in their professional lives. You can opt to enroll in the JavaScript Development Certificate program or the Full Stack Development Certificate program. In these classes, you will receive professional career instruction in web development skills, including JavaScript. Students in the JavaScript Development Certificate program will learn how to use the advanced features of JavaScript and Node.js to build complex web applications. Students enrolled in the Full Stack Development Certificate program will receive this training alongside introductory HTML/CSS training, React training, and backend development instruction.

These courses are career-focused training seminars, meaning they are designed to take students from novices in their field and graduate them as trained professionals ready to enter the workforce as Web Developers. These courses deliver hands-on training in the kinds of Node.js projects students will be hired to work upon and provide one-on-one professional mentorship as a part of their professional development. Students will conclude the course by working on a final web development sample portfolio. Upon completion, they will be awarded a career development certificate which signals to employers that they are prepared to start working as Node.js experts.