Node.js and meteor by Martin N

Next generation web development for the realtime web

Transcript

1. Node.js and meteor Next generation web development for the realtime web Martin Naumann - Software Engineer Centralway Factory AG Submission #386
2. AGENDA • What is node.js? • Why do you want it? • Comparison • Quick: express.js • Even quicker: meteor.js • Meteor.js example • To node or not to node • Alternatives JAZOON’12: Rookie Award, Next generation web development, Martin Naumann
3. What is node.js? JAZOON’12: Rookie Award, Next generation web development, Martin Naumann • Javascript on the server • event-driven architecture • asynchronous I/O • scalable • based on V8 • modular "Yeah. Nice buzzwords. What's the point?"
4. Why you want node.js? • One instance can handle lots of clients ◦ reduced memory footprint ◦ get more performance from existing resources ◦ Benchmark: up to 1.600.000 concurrent requests • Use your frontend technology on the backend ◦ you have Javascript in your application anyway ◦ "Oh look, this looks familiar!" ◦ You know your stuff: Callbacks, Closures, Asynchronity • It's modular ◦ easy to connect pieces of code ◦ easy to write network code ◦ rapidly build complex applications Level Two JAZOON’12: Rookie Award, Next generation web development, Martin Naumann
5. Comparison: "Elders of web dev" vs. node.js • HTTP is the base of all web applications • HTTP was synchronous. • Most of the web languages still are. • HTTP evolved: ◦ AJAX ◦ Websockets ◦ Push • real-time web • Need for asynchronous technologies ◦ all of which are a bit weird in PHP, Java, ASP, etc. ◦ node.js is asynchronous and has ever been. JAZOON’12: Rookie Award, Next generation web development, Martin Naumann
6. Quick! To the web app - with express var express = require("express"); var app = express.createServer(); app.get('/:msg', function(req, res) { res.send(req.params.msg); }); JAZOON’12: Rookie Award, Next generation web development, Martin Naumann
7. What boilerplate code is left? • Setup the server • Route requests • Take care of HTTP • Data sychronisation • Persist data • Write an Interface (API) • Setup server-side and client-side code JAZOON’12: Rookie Award, Next generation web development, Martin Naumann
8. Why not have... • the code separated by conventions • the server automatically deliver it • automatic persistance • automatic synchronisation • automatically compensate latency JAZOON’12: Rookie Award, Next generation web development, Martin Naumann
9. Quicker: meteor.js - A real-time app example "So I heard you wanted to implement a chat app" • Write a server and a client • transmitting messages in nearly real-time • with multiple chatrooms • users can pick a nickname • users can create rooms • What do you think how many lines of code this requires? 54. Server and client together. 7 are blank. JAZOON’12: Rookie Award, Next generation web development, Martin Naumann
10. Meteor.js example: The server var Rooms = new Meteor.Collection("rooms"); var Messages = new Meteor.Collection("messages"); JAZOON’12: Rookie Award, Next generation web development, Martin Naumann Yup. That's it.
11. Meteor.js example: The client I / II Template.main.currentRoom = function (){ return Session.get("room") || false; }; Template.rooms.availableRooms = function (){ return Rooms.find({}); }; JAZOON’12: Rookie Award, Next generation web development, Martin Naumann
12. Meteor.js example: The client II / II Template.room.events = { "click #leave": function() { if(!window.confirm("Leave this room", "Really leave?")) return; Session.set("room", undefined); }, "submit": function() { Messages.insert({ "room": Session.get("room"), "author": Session.get("name"), "text": $("#msg").val() }); $("#msg").val(""); } }; JAZOON’12: Rookie Award, Next generation web development, Martin Naumann
13. To node or not to node - that shall be the question • Where node does make sense ◦ real-time applications ◦ processing long-running or I/O intensive tasks • Where it doesn't make sense ◦ static web pages ◦ small web applications for standard CRUD JAZOON’12: Rookie Award, Next generation web development, Martin Naumann
14. Alternatives • Ruby: EventMachine • Python: Twisted • PHP: Photon • Java: javaeventing • Perl: Mojo JAZOON’12: Rookie Award, Next generation web development, Martin Naumann
15. Martin Naumann - www.geekonaut.de Centralway Factory AG - www.centralway.com martin.naumann@centralway.com @AVGP - github.com/AVGP Thanks for listening! Questions?