How Difficult is it to Learn Node.js?

Are you curious about learning Node.js but worried that it might be too hard? Of course, the difficulty that comes with learning a new skill is somewhat subjective. The challenges of learning Node.js depend on factors likeyour prior coding experience and the kinds of different projects that you intend to work on using your Node.js training. 

No matter your current schedule or comfort level with Node.js, plenty of tools are available to help make learning easier than you might think.

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.

What Are the Most Challenging Parts of Learning Node.js?

The most challenging part of learning Node.js is acquiring the programming skills required to be in a position where you can learn Node.js. Students will need to learn HTML/CSS and JavaScript before they can begin to use Node.js. This introductory coding training is the challenging part of the process, as students who know how to use JavaScript often find Node.js among the more accessible frameworks.

How Does Learning Node.js Compare to Other JavaScript Frameworks?

While some other coding libraries and frameworks provide the same functionality as Node.js, the ubiquitousness of JavaScript and its uptake in the corporate world makes it less than ideal to try and find an alternative framework to replace Node.js training. However, Node.js isn’t the only important JavaScript library students can learn. While it will ultimately benefit JavaScript Developers to learn all the important frameworks, picking which to learn first and which to prioritize is an important decision.

React is the most utilized JavaScript library currently available. Using React, developers can build reusable, stable component pieces of code that are easily modifiable and replicable. These blocks of code, called components, let developers work faster and more efficiently on JavaScript projects, making React an incredibly popular library, especially in mobile application development.

Express.js is a skill that is closely related to Node.js. Express.js lets developers build the infrastructure that manages the data flow that enters and leaves an application. It is also helpful for building the middleware that sorts and processes data requests from an application. To build APIs in JavaScript or Node.js applications, you’ll need to learn Express.js.

Most JavaScript training courses will also teach MongoDB, an object-oriented programming framework for building and organizing databases in applications running Node.js. Like Express.js, this is often taught alongside Node.js to create more well-rounded JavaScript Developers. 

Whether you want to learn Express.js, MongoDB, or React, Noble has course options available for you. They also offer a comprehensive JavaScript Development Certificate program in which you can learn all of these frameworks alongside JavaScript and Node.js.

Programming Background

Since Node.js is an advanced programming skill, the more computer science experience and training you have, the easier it will be to learn. The biggest hurdle for Node.js students is already surmounted because it is learning HTML/CSS and JavaScript, which is required to start learning Node.js.

Alternative Frameworks

Students who know other JavaScript frameworks or who know other runtime frameworks will have an easier time learning Node.js. This is also true in reverse since learning Node.js will make learning things like React and Express.js easier. These will be less impactful than prior coding experience, but they are steps students can meaningfully take since they aren’t hard requirements.

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.