The inside of building a real-time app with Node.JS
Now you know what it takes to build a real-time app, don't you? Come on, Node.js is great for such applications. But what is even better is a short guide that covers the main steps of building real-time apps. It is already on IH, so you can check it here. Now let's discuss the technologies behind the Node js real-time applications development.
Feather.JS and Express.JS frameworks are both open-source. Minimal and flexible Express.js is one of the most popular and has everything necessary for creating single or multi-page web applications. Feather.JS is rarer usable but focused more on real-time performance and is a datastore agnostic tool. It can be a simple data-controlling tool based on RESTful resources, sockets, and plugins.
The 'real time' existed before WebSockets came along. A WebSocket protocol streamlined achieving the real-time mode, accelerated performance, and replaced workarounds applied to non-real-time technologies typically used. WebSockets support for JavaScript and Node.js is available across all major browsers. The protocol allows maintaining real-time communications in your real-time application while the connection is open.
TypeScript is a language for application-scale JavaScript development. Due to the strong data typing, it can reduce the time for data validation. It will result in increased app speed, which is an attractive option for those like you looking for the perfect technology for development. Its features enable it to extend functionality pretty quickly. What is more, TypeScript can prevent about 15% of the bugs in committed code. According to postmortem analysis, Airbnb could prevent 38% of bugs if they opt for TypeScript in time.
Streams lay at the core of Node.js applications. This concept is not new, but streams in Node.js allow piece-by-piece file reading and content processing beyond the memory. The stream module helps to send data in parallel. There is an API for implementing the stream interface.
Take this list as our recommendation, but stay open to other options. You should know that cloud computing and cloud platforms provide features that can be added to enhance instant data transfer. For example, AWS Lambda or Google Functions are used to strengthen real-time capabilities on Node.js.
Socketio and Redis are libraries widely used to enhance the power of concurrency. Socketio works well for instant messaging avoiding HTTP calls. Redis is an in-memory database the most fitted to store cache. It shows incredible operation speed. Their combo provides extra perks for applications with live data transfer. Have you ever tried to create something like a real-time app before? What was your technology of choice? You can also check this article to learn more on this topic:
