Java VS NodeJS
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In this article, we are going to compare and contrast two different technologies designed to solve computing problems in its own league. We are going to compare Java with NodeJS. And see the similarities as well as the differences between these two technologies.
Let us get to basics of these technologies Java and NodeJS
Java is a platform-independent language. Java is Object-oriented Language that is used for general purposes. It is a class-based language that uses a principle called “write once- run anywhere”. Programs that are written using Java are portable and that means that it can be run on any hardware and software using any underlying operating system.
NodeJS is a runtime library and environment that is cross-platform. It is used for creating and running JavaScript applications outside the browser. This platform is free to use and is based on the open-source license that is used for creating server-side JavaScript applications. NodeJS allows developers to create and execute code on the server-side. It provides a swift and fast way of writing and deploying scripts that are scalable and light.
Let’s discuss what makes Java so popular.
Java
Java was developed and invented by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems. Much of the Java language’s syntax is derived from the C++ language. This is also a Class-based and object-oriented language. Java is shipped in the form of JDK (Java Development Kit) that includes many components required to run a Java program. However, not all components of JDK are compulsory for running Java. The latest version of Java is Java 11 that is released on 15th January 2019.
When the Java program is run for the very first time, it is converted into bytecode by the Java compiler and then this compiled bytecode is run and executed on any operating system that has a compatible JRE (Java Runtime Environment) installed and running on it. Thus the source code that is written in Java can be run and executed on any platform that is one of the most favored and biggest benefits offered by Java.
The only condition for the execution of Java programs is that an appropriate and compatible JRE must be installed on the required operating system that can be downloaded from the Java’s official website. A compiler will convert the Java source code into its appropriate bytecode, and the JVM(Java Virtual Machine) which is created inside the JRE(Java Runtime Environment) will convert the bytecode into its appropriate machine code.
Java has robust and extensive support for networking, concurrency and GUI (Graphic User Interface). There are numerous frameworks that are developed using Java. In the current context or background, Spring is the most widely used in the web development field which has a strong foundation that has been laid by Java.
Know More: Asp.NET vs Node JS
NodeJS
Developers and programmers can easily make use of NodeJS for creating the front end as well as the back end system as it allows for the use of the same JavaScript code. Programmers can write real-time applications and at the same time, it enables the scope for mobile application development as well.
Server-side capabilities are provided in abundance for NodeJS, a developer can easily listen to and reply to HTTP requests on the computer, listen to the network traffic as well as at the same time can access the database from the computer directly.
In order to address the scalability, NodeJS makes use of an event-based model. It allows the use of rich JavaScript libraries for the JavaScript modules that helps in simplifying the code. There are plenty of frameworks that have been developed using NodeJS such as ExpressJS, Partial JS and so on. When it comes to building scalable as well as fast server-side applications, NodeJS is a clear cut winner here.
In simple words, NodeJS provides JavaScript the ability to interact with I/O (Input/Output) devices by harnessing the use through its APIs as well as connecting with external libraries that are written in various other languages.
Read More: 10 Reasons that Make Node.js a Top Choice for Web Application Development
Lets us see a head-to-head comparison between these two technologies (Java vs NodeJS):
Java is a class-based, object-oriented language that has features derived from C++ | Node JS is a Framework written using C, C++and JavaScript |
The applications created using Java are complex web-based and highly concurrent applications. | Using NodeJS you can create fast and scalable server-side applications. |
Java is highly suited for complex web-based concurrency projects. | NodeJS is best suited for small-sized projects. |
Java is used for messaging applications, that is highly concurrent. | Node JS is highly used when we need applications to be scalable and have a high performance |
To run Java applications, you need to have JDK (Java Development Kit). | To run NodeJS applications you need to have archive files on the system. |
Java dominates server-side interaction. | Developers can use the applications for both the client-side and the server-side. |
There are many frameworks developed using Java such as Spring, Struts, JSF, Tapestry, and so on. | There are many frameworks developed using Node JS such as Express JS, SalesJS, and Partial JS. |
Java is known to simplify application development using an Object-Oriented approach. | Node JS is more suited for applications like real-time collaborative drawing and edit features such as Google Docs. |
Here are some of the key differences between Java and NodeJS:
Java is a brilliant option for building complex web applications that are highly concurrent. But NodeJS is ideal for small-sized projects.
Java requires the use of JDK that includes the Java compiler as well as the runtime environment in order to run Java on any machine. Node JS must be installed through installable archive files.
Source code that is written using Java is compiled into bytecode and then this bytecode is converted to machine code, that is ready to run on any platform, compared to Node JS where the source code is written in a JavaScript file, the interpreter will be used to interpret this file and execute the JavaScript code.
Java is heavily used for building complex web applications by using a framework already provided, whereas NodeJS is best suited for real-time collaboration drawing and editing applications such as Google Docs.
Java is an Object-oriented language that needs to be compiled inside a JRE (Java Runtime Environment) whereas NodeJS is a cross-platform runtime system and an environment for applications written using JavaScript.
You may also like to know more: HTML5 vs JAVA
Java uses the concept of multithreading whereas NodeJS does not have any such concept.
For large scale project that has some amount of concurrency, Java is highly recommended whereas NodeJS does not handle the thread as well as JavaScript does and this is the weakest point of the NodeJS framework.
CPU intensive tasks that require a huge amount of computational power can be handled by Java whereas I/O bound operations such as real-time chats, media streaming and so on can be handled by NodeJS.
Java is the defacto enterprise standard, it is the most popular programming language in the world. Compared to NodeJS which is a framework that revolves around using JavaScript and can achieve parallelism very efficiently and this is different from concurrency.
Conclusion
Java and NodeJS are two different technologies that are used for a variety of different things. From developing cross-compatible desktop applications to web applications, these leagues of the technologies are very different from each other. We hope that you liked this article and would have found it to be informative. If you’re looking to hire java developers or hire node JS developers for your project then do contact us at enquiry@nimapinfotech.com. We have the most experienced and talented developers for onboarding for your projects.
