Is Node.js a bad framework? Why should you not use Node.js?

In the technical world, trends come and go. Technologies that were once buzzing like Node.js with activity seem to fade away almost as quickly as they came. Even in the fast-paced world of software development, certain tools go out of style for a time. However, that does not mean they are no longer useful or relevant for a given task.

Introduction

We have seen an upsurge in adopting new technologies this past year. Some have even proven to be more resilient than we initially thought. One such example is Node.js. This JavaScript framework has stood the test of time and remains one of the most popular solutions for businesses looking to leverage server-side implementation for their web applications. But does that mean you should use it? As with any other software platform, you should use Node.js only if you understand its strengths and limitations.

What is Node.js?

There is a common misconception that people perceive Node.js as a framework, but it is not that. Node.js is a JavaScript runtime that allows us to execute JavaScript outside a web browser, like a backend platform. There are frameworks and libraries that are built on top of Node.js, but Node itself is not a framework. That being said, here are a few reasons why you should not use Node.js for your next project:

Disadvantages of Node.js

NPM Dependency Nightmare

When you are working with Node.js and JavaScript, the biggest concern is the fact that your code is completely dependent on the NPM package manager. This means that if there is a problem within one of your dependencies, it can cause problems for your entire application. Furthermore, you need to ensure that your dependencies are up-to-date because if they are not, you will soon find that your application is not working properly. When this situation arises, you need to identify the problem and then update your dependencies so that everything works as expected.

Furthermore, one of the packages you use may use hundreds of other packages as its dependency, and if one of those packages breaks, it can directly affect your application. For example, you can visit this link to see all the packages gatsby depends on.

Unstable API

The Node.js API is ever-changing whether with new features or changes to the API. Sometimes these changes are also backward-incompatible, which can create huge problems for your application. So you should be careful when updating your Node.js version. Hence, if you are working with a production codebase, it’s a better decision to use one of the Long-term Support versions (LTS) for your project.

Not Ideal for CPU-intensive tasks

Node.js, at its core, is single-threaded and event-driven (Learn more about Node.js architecture here). Its event-driven nature makes applications highly scalable. But if your application has to run tasks that are CPU-intensive and heavy computing, Node.js might not be the best choice for you. Because when a heavy task is running, it blocks the Node.js event loop from moving forward for a longer period of time. This is completely different than languages like Java or Go, which are multi-threaded and can perform several actions at the same time.

Conclusion

So is Node.js bad? Absolutely not! At the end of the day, Node.js is a great tool for building web applications. However, it is not right for everyone, and in certain circumstances, it is not the right solution. This means that you need to carefully consider the strengths and limitations of Node.js before making a decision. When selecting a software platform, it is important to understand where your strengths lie and where your weaknesses exist. If you can identify where Node.js is strong and where it is weak, you can make an informed decision.

Thank you for reading!