Getting Started with Node.JS with Derek Watson

Intro to Node.js Derek Watson

Mar 29, 2014

Story time!

JavaScript

Pretty cool language #javascript

The Working Group

Software shop @twg

Derek Watson

Developer guy @dcwca

and me

what is it good for?

What is it good for?

• JSON APIs

#twg@twg

What is it good for?

• JSON APIs

• Network servers

#twg@twg

What is it good for?

• JSON APIs

• Network servers

• Realtime applications

#twg@twg

!

MODULES

everything is a module

Modules everywhere

• Your app code is written as modules

• Libraries you use are modules

• Your whole app is one big module

#twg@twg

doge.js: An example module

#twg@twg

doge.js

program.js

Try it out!

“The main thing that distinguishes legacy code is a lack of tests.”

- Michael Feathers

test/doge.js

test/doge.js

test/doge.js

server.js

server.js

Try it out!

server.js

package.json

Module Learnings

• Write some code

• Export: module.exports = { say: say }

• Import: var doge = require(‘../doge’)

• Write some tests

• Compose modules into apps

• The outside world: package.json

#twg@twg

NODE.JS API

QUALITY: • Very well documented • Almost completely stable • Moving towards 1.0

!QUANTITY:

• As small as possible • You can learn it in a day or two

Core API

#twg@twg

NODE PACKAGE MANAGER

65,000 packages

But which packages are good?

• Learn to sniff out the quality

• Read npm’s Most Starred, Most Required

• Build your own bag of tricks

#twg@twg

express, restify jade, stylus

mongoose, sequelize async, q

ws, primus mocha, chai

yargs bunyan forever

“It’s not what you know, it’s who you know”

- Abraham Lincoln

substack

caolanbriancv1feross

tjholowaychuk isaacs henrikjoreteg

Node.js is General-Purpose

• Conventional web apps

#twg@twg

Node.js is General-Purpose

• Conventional web apps

• Realtime web apps

#twg@twg

Node.js is General-Purpose

• Conventional web apps

• Realtime web apps

• Cross-platform desktop apps

#twg@twg

Node.js is General-Purpose

• Conventional web apps

• Realtime web apps

• Cross-platform desktop apps

• Network servers

#twg@twg

CONTROL ROBOTS

#twg@twg

Inclusive, friendly people who are open to learning and teaching

!Toronto Node.JS Meetup

Currently hosted at the TWG studio !

Amazing conferences Such as this one! And many others

Vibrant Community

#twg@twg

#twg@twg

NodeUp Podcast - Team Episodes

#twg@twg

Node.js Low barrier to entry

Simple

Powerful

BE EXCITEDbe, be excited

QUESTIONS?

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @dcwca

Thank You.