Don't want to talk much I'll go straight to the point...I've been thinking of creating some huge to work in real time,kinda like a chat app...
I came across nodejs in my search for a technology I can use for such a task, I have read a lot of stuff about it but I don't get it..

Where exactly does it run?

On the server or the clients browser?

I saw something like an installer for different platforms... is it like an app or what?

Some one please help me understand

Just think of it like this. Instead of writing your backend(server-side) code in Java/Python or whatever, you write it in JS. The code(JS) runs on your server, it handles POSTs, GETs and spits HTML and whatever else is needed.

It's basically a framework for writing JS on the server.

I hope I helped, it's been a while since I played with it.

Then wat does an installer have to do?

I was initially expecting maybe a huge is file or a bunch of them that we can just place in our server directories n include dem like any oda js library... take jqyery for instance, just 1 js file embeded into the HTML document via script tags..

I just don't understand d whole thing...

Am also seeing stuff done on command line like

" $ node hello.js "....

Wat d hell does a command line have to do with it....


Just getting more confusing

You should look at this, if you haven't done so already. http://www.nodebeginner.org/

NodeJS is JS Server Side written in C++ (i think) which uses the Google V8 Engine, unlike Apache NodeJS is really low level meaning you practically write your own HTTP Server from scratch unlike PHP,ASP.NET it runs on a single thread where Apache spawns multiple threads per request Node uses a Single thread, and uses the Asynchronous way of handling task, meaning a function is triggered and it doesn't wait for the result so that means you must be familiar with the concept of Callbacks,Callback Functions and passing of functions as Callbacks in a parameter, NodeJS is command line when you create a NodeJS HTTP Server the command runs and listens to the port and fetches your request and your response, because you code you wrote does a simple operation it simple executes and returns the result to the console just as PHP CLI would. NodeJS is superb for I/O bound Applications mening applications that handle lot of concurrent applications like Socket and Real Time Data stuff. My best part about node is that it allows you to expose C++ objects/programs to JavaScript so you can have a Arduino exposed to NodeJS and have a different type of website such as a website that reads input from a Xbox 360 pad there's a project like that already, however it applies because it communicates with your computer i doubt that would work for a general purpose because it would mean having that installed on the server(not sure). but Nodejs is dope visit dailyjs for more Node info. @farouq my bro whats good yo ?

(i might have written some BS so pls feel free to ridicule if found wrong)

I'm good bro. I was wondering when you would chip in.

pc guru: NodeJS is JS Server Side written in C++ (i think) which uses the Google V8 Engine, unlike Apache NodeJS is really low level meaning you practically write your own HTTP Server from scratch unlike PHP,ASP.NET it runs on a single thread where Apache spawns multiple threads per request Node uses a Single thread, and uses the Asynchronous way of handling task, meaning a function is triggered and it doesn't wait for the result so that means you must be familiar with the concept of Callbacks,Callback Functions and passing of functions as Callbacks in a parameter, NodeJS is command line when you create a NodeJS HTTP Server the command runs and listens to the port and fetches your request and your response, because you code you wrote does a simple operation it simple executes and returns the result to the console just as PHP CLI would. NodeJS is superb for I/O bound Applications mening applications that handle lot of concurrent applications like Socket and Real Time Data stuff. [b]My best part about node is that it allows you to expose C++ objects/programs to JavaScript so you can have a Arduino exposed to NodeJS and have a different typ[/b]e of website such as a website that reads input from a Xbox 360 pad there's a project like that already, however it applies because it communicates with your computer i doubt that would work for a general purpose because it would mean having that installed on the server(not sure). but Nodejs is dope visit dailyjs for more Node info. @farouq my bro whats good yo ?

(i might have written some BS so pls feel free to ridicule if found wrong)

There is actually a microcontroller here tessel.io that runs nodejs directly - it compiles to lua i think.. -

The way javascript is going ehn....

quietly watching.......

JavaScript is a full programming language na just like ur c++ and Java... but its mainly used within the context of a browser...

Well...not any more...this nodejs has changed wat pple think abt it..

Sorry I disgree javascript is nothing like C++, Node/V8 is C++ that executes to JavaScript just like Rhino. C++ is a beast

Lol...no na c++ is the abraham of programming na...cant b compaired with javascript..

but m jst saying javascript is a "complete" programming language

oh sorry i mis-read that yeah it is now you can even create apps for SmartTvs using JavaScript now dope.

it'd be cool if we had a NodeJS thread cuz to be frank am not that indepth with it, this will be an opportunity to share and learn stuffs

Starting thread now