node.js intro notes for Lighthouse Labs

lighthouse.md

node intro

Some node stuff for Lighthouse Labs.

big ideas

• javascript everywhere
• modules
• callbacks
• events
• async i/o & event loop
• streams

links

• https://npmjs.org/
• http://nodejs.org/api
• https://iojs.org/api/errors.html
• http://nodeschool.io/
• https://github.com/maxogden/art-of-node
• https://github.com/substack/stream-handbook

deck comments

• slide 3: now maintained by the Node.js Foundation
• slide 7: npm doesn't stand for anything
• slide 12: process isn't the global context, global is
• important: require() is a function and not part of the language
• mention node core module docs at nodejs.org/api

npm tips

# adds to your package.json
$ npm install --save <module>
# adds to your package.json devDependencies
$ npm install --save-dev <module>
# too lazy to type install?
$ npm i <module>

Using npm run instead of Make, Rake, or gulp: substack

node gotchas

• don't write code, use npm
• don't starve the main thread
• if you have expensive CPU operations, use process.nextTick
• use node-inspector
• use nodemon
• pin versions in package.json
• avoid cluster for scaling: spawn many processes and load balance